FILE – Argentina’s Lionel Messi poses with a statue of himself holding the World Cup through the Conmebol occasion. REUTERS/Cesar Olmedo/
Lionel Messi stepped out of Diego Maradona’s shadow by main Argentina to World Cup victory final 12 months and a statue of the diminutive ahead will stand alongside these of his predecessor and Brazil nice Pele on the South American federation’s museum.
Messi, holding a duplicate of the World Cup trophy, stood beside the life-size statue at an unveiling ceremony on the South American Soccer Federation (CONMEBOL) headquarters in Luque, Paraguay earlier than the Copa Libertadores draw on Monday.
The 35-year-old emulated the late Maradona by main Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 36 years in Qatar in December.
“I had by no means dreamed or thought of this,” Messi mentioned. “My dream was to get pleasure from what I appreciated after I was little, to be knowledgeable soccer participant, to do what I at all times beloved on this life.
“I had a really lengthy street, many selections and defeats, however I at all times seemed forward and needed to go for a triumph, for a victory.
“I feel that’s a very powerful factor, to struggle to your desires, that the whole lot is feasible and to benefit from the recreation, which is probably the most stunning factor there’s.”
The Argentina gamers and coach Lionel Scaloni additionally obtained miniature trophies of the World Cup and the Copa America, which they received in 2021.
The Argentine Soccer Federation renamed the nationwide group’s coaching facility after Messi on Saturday, two days after he scored his 800th profession aim in a 2-0 pleasant win over Panama.
Messi has scored 99 targets for his nation and would turn into the primary Argentina participant to web 100 worldwide targets if he scores in Tuesday’s pleasant in opposition to Curacao.
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