Lionel Messi Discusses His World Cup Triumph: Exactly one year ago today, the knockout stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup were underway. The endgame of that tournament saw Argentina lift the cup for the first time in 36 years. Now almost a year after arguably the biggest triumph of his career, Lionel Messi opens up about winning the World Cup.
Ever since stepping on a football pitch as a professional for Barcelona in the mid-2000s, the Argentine maestro was pegged for greatness. By the time the decade turned, Leo had already become one of, if not the best player in the world.
In his 21 years playing for Barcelona, Messi had done it all. Winning the Ballon d’Or an unprecedented seven times, winning the Champions League, La Lige, and every trophy there is to win. But at the same time, his fortunes playing for Argentina were quite the opposite, where the glory of winning international trophies eluded him.
Having finally won the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup was seen as ‘The Last Dance’ for Lionel Messi and his quest to win the ultimate prize in football.
Lionel Messi Discusses His World Cup Triumph
As part of Star+’s new ‘Champions, A Year Later’ series, the 37-year-old legend opened up about how his ability to win championships was questioned by his own fans, and the players of his generation were unfairly criticized.
“I had a bad time. My family and the people who love me did too. [The critics] were very unfair to a generation of players and they said a lot of bad things about me. Today 95 percent or 100% of Argentines love me and that’s a beautiful feeling,” said Messi.
When discussing the World Cup win and how that has affected his already polished legacy, he said –
“I was lucky I achieved everything at club level with Barcelona and also on an individual level. [The World Cup] was the only thing that eluded me. There are very few players who can say that they have achieved everything and thanks to God I am one of them.”
Well, it seems that Lionel Messi isn’t going away just yet. In the ongoing CONMEBOL (South American Football Association) qualifications for the FIFA World Cup 2026, Argentina is currently leading the group with five wins in six matches, with Messi having scored three goals in the qualifying tournament already.
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