The Argentine Lionel Messi completed this Sunday, at the age of 35, the ‘circle’ of a unique career, by winning the World Cup, the title he was missing and which he never gave up.
After successive frustrations at the service of the main Argentine team, specifically the defeat in the 2014 World Cup final and in the decisive matches of the 2007, 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa América, Messi threatened to leave, after a moment of great frustration, but never did, and was rewarded.
The Argentine ’10’, the worthy successor to the ‘D10S’ Diego Armando Maradona, ended the malapata by winning the 2021 Copa América, snatched in the middle of the Maracana, in a final with Brazil, and, already this year, had also won the Finalissima , test between the champion of Europe and South America, against Italy.
The satisfaction was great but not total, since the World Cup was missing, which they had not managed to win in 2006 (defeated in the quarterfinals), 2010 (quarterfinals), 2014 (final) and 2018 (round of 16): the 2022 edition was his last chance.
“Without a doubt it will be my last World Cup, since I won’t be in time for the next one”, guaranteed the Argentine ‘captain’, in statements made during the World Cup.
Argentina reached the 2022 World Cup in a “great way”, with a streak of 36 games without losing, from 0-2 with Brazil in the semifinals of the Copa América 2019, but the debut could not have gone worse. with a surprise 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia.
The Argentines, led by Messi, turned the tables, however, beating Mexico (2-0) and Poland (2-0), already in a real ‘mata mata’ in the middle of the group stage, to then eliminate Australia (2-1), the Netherlands (4-3 on penalties, after 2-2 in 120 minutes) and Croatia (3-0).
In the final, today, against the current champion France, the South Americans came early to 2-0, they even took the lead again after extra time (3-2), but they only sealed the title on penalties, after a test that ended finishing off Messi. with seven goals -after six between 2006 and 2018-, two of them in the final, and three assists.
The Argentine naturally received the ‘Golden Ball’ for the best player in the competition, repeating 2014, but what really mattered to him, and exclusively, was lifting the World Cup, like Diego Armando Maradona, in 1986.
In the main Argentine team, Messi already has 172 games, in which he achieved 105 wins, 40 draws and 27 losses, with 98 goals scored and 51 assists, and the three titles won are, of course, more important.
The frustrations are gone, since, in addition to the recent joys, Messi had already led his country to victory in the 2005 U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands, and to the gold medal in the soccer tournament at the Olympic Games. . 2008.
In addition to the five titles won by Argentina, in nine finals, the player born in Rosario, on June 24, 1987, has more than 36 club trophies, in a total of 41.
With FC Barcelona, the club of his life, which he represented from 2004/05 to 2020/21, Messi won 34 cups, that is, four editions of the Champions League, three of the Club World Cup, three of the Super Cup of Europe. , 10 from the Spanish League, seven from the Copa del Rey and many more from the Spanish Super Cup.
In 2021/22, the Argentine was forced to leave Catalonia and opted for Paris Saint-Germain, with whom he was proclaimed champion of France in a difficult first season. In the current one, he started by winning the French Super Cup and has more trophies on the horizon.
Source: TSF
