"The most beautiful one of my sports career" - Lionel Messi shares message on 2nd anniversary of Argentina's World Cup victory
Lionel Messi shared a beautiful message on social media on the second anniversary of Argentina's 2023 FIFA World Cup triumph. La Albiceleste won the Holy Grail of football for the third time on December 18, 2022, at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
It was a special moment for La Pulga, who had stumbled in the final hurdle in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner wouldn't be denied eight years later, going on to cement his place as one of the game's all-time greats.
Reminiscing that glorious moment, Lionel Messi shared a photo on social media with the World Cup trophy, labeling December as the most beautiful month of his career.
"I love December and the Christmas season. Two years ago, it could have been a bitter final month of the year, but it ended up being the most beautiful one of my sports career. And now, every December, this memory comes back to me… Happy Second Anniversary to everyone!" wrote Messi.
Argentina faced France in the final in Qatar, and were 2-0 up by the 36th minute, thanks to goals from Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria. However, Les Bleus fought back through Kylian Mbappe, who scored two quickfire goals in the 80th and the 81st minutes.
La Pulga sent his team ahead in the 108th minute only for the Frenchman to equalize 10 minutes later and take the game into penalties. However, Argentina triumphed in the penalty shootouts, winning the game 4-2, and sending fans worldwide into a frenzy.
How many goals did Lionel Messi score for Argentina in the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Lionel Messi finished the 2022 FIFA World Cup with seven goals and three assists from seven games for Argentina, and won his second World Cup Golden Ball. La Albiceleste had an inauspicious start to the tournament, falling to a 1-2 defeat against Saudi Arabia in the opening game.
The result raised questions of the team's capabilities, but those were soon brushed aside. Messi powered his nation to a 2-0 win over Mexico in the second group-stage game.
Argentina then registered a 2-0 win over Poland to secure progression to the knockouts. They overcame a resolute Australia side in the pre-quarterfinals by a 2-1 scoreline, before getting the better of Netherlands via penalties. A 3-0 win over Croatia in the semifinal propelled La Albiceleste to the final and helped them create history.