In Qatar last year, Lionel Messi was at the top of his game and helped Argentina win the FIFA World Cup 2022. The CONMEBOL side won the tournament in a nail-biting final match against France and their captain was named the tournament’s best player. After winning the Golden Ball, Messi came close to winning the Golden Boot but was stopped by Kylian Mbappe.
Martinez came out on top for Argentina in the shootout, making saves on Aurelian Tchouameni and Kingsley Coman. Argentina won the shootout 4-2 thanks to Gonzalo Montiel’s winning penalty.
Now, midfielder Leandro Paredes recalled Messi’s first words after the shootout win. Talking to Sofi Martinez Mateos, he said, “That hug with Messi, I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. Turning around, seeing him on his knees and being the first to hug him as a World Champion was incredible. I yelled at him ‘We are World champions’ and he just told us ‘Thank you, thank you, I love you'”.
Messi completed 347 passes, five tackles and attempted 32 shots at the World Cup. No other player attempted more than 32 shots, with Mbappe coming in second with 31. Messi was one of 5 players in the competition to register three assists.