Argentine football legend, Lionel Messi has stated that winning the FIFA World Cup is the highest achievement any player can attain in football.
According to him, he feels fulfilled after leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the memory continues to excite him every time it comes to mind.
The Barcelona icon noted that clinching the Mundial was the perfect way to cap off his footballing career, and nothing more could be asked of him.
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“Winning the World Cup is the ultimate achievement. After the World Cup, there’s nothing more you can ask for. It’s hard to explain the feelings from that moment. It’s difficult to find words to describe what that title meant on a personal level, for my family, my teammates, and for the country.
“It was clear how the whole nation celebrated it, the need and desire we all had for that to happen again after such a long time,” Messi said at the America Business Forum in Florida.
He further added, “It was special. I had already been lucky enough to achieve everything else before, at club level, individually. That was the one thing missing, the one that completed my entire career with that trophy.”
This comes after his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo rejected the notion that he needs to lead Portugal to a World Cup title to be considered among the greatest players in history.
The Real Madrid legend is expected to feature in FIFA’s flagship event in 2026, his sixth appearance at the tournament, but insists he does not need a World Cup win to validate his legacy.
Ronaldo said: “If you ask me, Cristiano, is it a dream to win the World Cup? No, it’s not a dream. To define if I’m one of the best in history, to win one competition, six games, seven games, you think that’s fair?”
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