Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the World Cup, the only title missing from his rich cabinet. Driving Argentina’s superb run in Qatar, Messi once again rose to the occasion with two goals in the finals, as his side defeated France 4-2 on penalties. Messi’s journey to glory, however, was not an easy one as Argentina kicked-off the World Cup with a 1-2 defeat against minnows Saudi Arabia.
However, it felt like the South American giants took inspiration from the outcome and didn’t stop delivering until they got hands on the golden trophy. Messi finished the World Cup with seven goals, one behind tournament’s top scorer Kylian Mbappe, and three assists. He was honoured with the Golden Ball for his breathtaking show.
Also Read: Four reasons why Argentina won
Not just on the pitch but Messi has been tumbling charts on social media. Messi’s heartfelt post on Instagram following Argentina’s World Cup triumph on Monday became the most liked post by a sportsperson on the social media platform. The post had crossed 43 million likes on Monday, which saw it overtook the previous record, held by a post with both Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo framed together. The post features the footballing greats engrossed in a game of chess, which was run as an advertisement campaign by a clothing label.
Earlier on Tuesday, Messi’s Instagram post became the most liked photo on the platform, gaining over 57 million likes. It surpassed the “World Record Egg”, which has recorded 56.2 million likes till date.
Messi’s post include a series of photographs of him and his teammates, rejoicing the historic moment at the Lusail Stadium on Sunday.
Messi headed into the tournament, hinting this could be the last time we could see him at football’s grandest stage but seemed like taking a U-turn after the successful campaign.
Meanwhile, this was Argentina’s third World Cup title, having won the tournament back in 1978 and 1986.