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On December 20, Lionel Messi and the Argentina National Soccer team arrived safe and sound in Buenos Aires after securing the victory in one of the most impressive matches during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The athletes were surrounded by all the love and gratitude of their fans as soon as they landed; therefore, Messi, who is the team’s captain, took to social media to thank their supporters.
“From Grandoli to the World Cup in Qatar, almost 30 years have passed,” Messi began, referring to the neighborhood in the city of Rosario, where he is from. “It was close to three decades in which the soccer ball gave me many joys and some sadness. I always dreamed of being a World Champion, and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that it might never happen”, he added.
The 35-year-old professional soccer player also shared a video that includes a fragment of an interview from when he was just a child. During the clip, Messi confessed that his biggest dream was to play with Argentina’s national team.
“This Cup that we won is also for all those who did not achieve it in the previous World Cups that we played, like in 2014 in Brazil, where everyone deserved it because of how they fought until the very final, worked hard, and wanted it as much as I did… And then we deserved even in that damn final”, he continued in his message.
“It is also for Diego who encouraged us from heaven. And of all those who always bankrolled the National Team without looking so much at the result but rather at the desire that we always put into it, also when things did not go as we wanted,” he said, referring to the late soccer idol Diego Armando Maradona.
“And of course, it is for all this beautiful group that was formed and from the coaching staff and all the people from the national team who, being anonymous, work day and night to make it easier for us. Many times failure is part of the journey and learning, and without disappointment, it is impossible for success to come. Thank you very much from the heart! Let’s go, Argentina!“ he concluded.
His first night on Argentine soil, after the victory
After spending several weeks on the other side of the world, Messi slept in his native country. The athlete and his team rested in the Argentine Football Association (AFA) facilities.
After recharging, they reunited with fans in a victory parade that departed from the AFA to the emblematic Obelisk in Buenos Aires.In full jubilee mode, the winning squad navigated through the massive crowds while cheering, singing, and immortalizing the moment by taking pictures and videos.
This is the first time in over thirty years that Argentinians get to flood the nation’s streets after a World Cup win. The last time the country had the trophy was when late soccer player Diego Maradona led the team to victory in Mexico in 1986.
In a nerve-wracking match in Qatar, Argentina and France faced off for over 90 minutes in a sporting event that finally gave the win to the South American country. Led by Lionel Messi, the Argentinian team was able to break the 3-3 score on penalties, winning 4-2.
After decades of trying and five different World Cups, Argentina has reclaimed its place as a powerhouse in soccer, and Messi has obtained the coveted Cup that his fans asked for.