Argentina’s national team leader noted that 1986 world champion Maradona “cheered for the team from heaven”
Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images
The leader of the Argentine national team, Lionel Messi, dedicated the World Cup victory to all fans, Argentine footballers who failed to win this trophy, as well as Diego Maradona. The attacker made a corresponding post on his Instagram (the owner of the social network, Meta, is recognized as an extremist organization in Russia and banned).
“Almost 30 years have passed from Grandoli (Messi’s first children’s team. – RBC) to the World Cup in Qatar. It’s been almost three decades during which football has brought me so much joy and a little sadness. I always dreamed of becoming world champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that it could never happen” Messi wrote.
“This cup is for everyone who didn’t reach it at the previous world championships where we played, for example, in 2014 in Brazil (where the Argentines lost in the final. – RBC). <...> Also for Diego [Марадоны]cheering us on from heaven. And for all those who have always supported the national team, looking not so much at the result, but at the desire we have always shown, even when everything didn’t go according to plan”.
Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar won on the French team on penalties (3:3 after extra time, 4:2 on penalties). Messi scored two goals in the final match and also converted his attempt in the penalty shootout.
The Argentines have already won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, and have also played in the final three times.
Maradona died in November 2020 at the age of 60.
