"Thank you Papa Lionel [Messi]" - Argentina release emotional Christmas ad showing young boy unboxing the FIFA World Cup trophy

Argentina Football Association have released a heartwarming video in which a kid thanks Lionel Messi for winning the FIFA World Cup. The South American giants won the world title earlier this month in Qatar.

Messi won his first-ever FIFA World Cup after helping Argentina defeat France in a dramatic final. The PSG star scored twice in the final, but his club teammate Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick to take the match into the penalty shootout. Emiliano Martinez's mind games did the trick, and the defending champions were beaten 4-2 in the shoot-out.

¡Gracias Papá Lionel! 🎅 El regalo más preciado ya está en casa 🏆

¡Felicidades para todo el pueblo argentino! 🇦🇷 https://t.co/lobbHa1hNR

In the Christmas themes video released by the Argentina FA, a kid is seen coming down the stairs to open his present from under the tree. He grabs the FIFA World Cup trophy from the box and says, Gracias Papá Lionel, before kissing it. In the South American country, Santa Claus is known as Papa Noel, the one who brings gifts for kids.

Lionel Messi not planning to quit Argentina national team

Lionel Messi revealed that he will decide on his international future after the FIFA World Cup this year. Soon after lifting the trophy, the Argentina captain confirmed that he wanted to continue playing for the national side as the world champion.

The #FIFAWorldCup Champions club has a glorious new entrant 🇦🇷

🏆 Lionel Messi's Argentina! https://t.co/pZxZYRs8O3

He told TyC Sports:

"Obviously I wanted to close my career with this, I can't ask for anything more. Thank God he gave me everything. Almost finishing my career in this way is amazing. After this, what else is there? I was able to win the Copa América, the World Cup … almost at the end. I love football, what I do. I enjoy being with the national team, the group, I want to continue living a few more games being world champion."

He added:

"It's crazy, we really wanted it but it is the most beautiful thing there is. Look at what it is, it's beautiful. I wanted it so badly. God was going to give it to me … we suffered a lot but we made it. I can't wait to be back in Argentina to see how crazy that is going to be. It's the dream of every little kid, I was lucky enough to have achieved everything and what I was missing is here."

Lionel Messi is expected to return to PSG on January 3, a day after they face Lens in Ligue1.