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Messi joins Pele and Maradona at summit
BY DAVID SAFFER
Lionel Messi has joined the pantheon of all-time football greats after leading Argentina to victory against France in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
This was his last tilt at the ultimate international prize and now the footballing maestro has won everything the game has to offer. The coming months will bring more individual honours to add to his collection but a World Cup winners medal was the one he most craved. And he claimed it in the most extraordinary game against France last Sunday at the Lusail Stadium that will stand the test of time.
Messi scored twice in a 3-3 draw before
slotting home the opening penalty in a 4-2 shoot out triumph.
Argentina had led 2-0 through Messi and Angel Di Maria before Kylian Mbappe struck two late goals to send the match into extra time. Messi bagged his second only for Mbappe to hit his hat-trick, the first player to do so since Sir Geoff Hurst back in 1966.
Argentine Emiliano Martinez saved from Kingsley Coman, Aurelian Tchouameni missed, leaving Gonzalo Montiel to fire home the spot kick to signal wild celebrations back home.
A national holiday was declared on Tuesday for the conquering heroes. But an open-top bus parade was abandoned due to safety grounds as millions packed the streets of Buenos Aires. The squad showed off the trophy from the skies by helicopter.
This is Argentina’s third World Cup triumph after Maradona’s team in 1986 and the first in 1978.
Messi has grabbed the global headlines and rightly so. His Instagram message celebrating the World Cup win is the most-liked post ever.
Messi wrote: “WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!!! I dreamed it so many times, I wanted it so much that I still haven’t fallen, I can’t believe it...... Thank you very much to my family, to all who support me and also to all who believed in us. We demonstrate once again that Argentines when we fight together and united we are capable of achieving what we set out to do. The merit belongs to this group, which is above individualities, it is the strength of all fighting for the same dream that was also the dream of all Argentines... We did it!!! LET’S GO ARGENTINA”.
Messi’s official football records are simply astonishing.
Argentina’s all-time record goalscorer with 98 goals in 172 games including 13 World Cup goals, his World Cup 26 appearances are also a record. Having led Argentina to the World Cup, Copa America, Finalissima, Olympic Games Gold and U20 World Cup there is nothing else to win for his nation.
In European football Messi has won every honour with Barcelona including 4 Champions League titles, 10 La Liga, 7 Copa del Rey, 3 Club World Cup, 3 European Super Cup and 8 Supercopa de Espana. Messi has also won the French Ligue 1 with
Paris St Germain. Individual accolades are too numerous to mention but amongst his honours are an MVP Copa America, 2022 and 2014 World Cup Golden Ball, FIFA World Player, 7 Ballon d’Or, 6 European Golden Shoe, 7 Pichichi La Liga, 9 MVP La Liga and 6 Champions of Soccer titles. His goal scoring exploits for Barcelona are too numerous to mention but include an alltime tally of 671 goals, a Guinness World Record calendar year 91 goals (2012), 40+ club goals in 10 consecutive seasons (2009/10 - 2018/19) and six club competitions (2011/12 & 2015/16). The Pele-Maradona-Messi debate will continue as long as football is debated. I’m told I saw the ‘66 final but my first World Cup memory was the legendary 1970 Brazilian team. I was delighted to meet six of them at a sporting event a few years back. I’m as thrilled to have seen live one of Messi’s 36 La Liga hat-tricks for Barcelona live at the Nou Camp back in 2020!
