LIONEL Messi’s statue was unveiled yesterday and it will stand alongside those of Diego Maradona and Pele at the CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) museum in Luque, Paraguay.
Maradona and Pele, both late, are South American and global football legends who are both regarded as the best players in history and inspired Argentina and Brazil respectively to World Cup triumphs (Maradona in 1986, Pele in 1958, 1962 and 1970).
Paris Saint-Germain forward Messi captained Argentina to the Qatar 2022 World Cup title last December, scoring seven goals and emerging as the Most Valuable Player as his country ended a 36-year drought.
The statue of the 35-year-old superstar is of him in Argentina’s famous blue and white strip holding the World Cup trophy.
“I had never dreamed or thought about this,” Messi said. “My dream was to enjoy what I liked when I was little, to be a professional soccer player, to do what I always loved in this life.
“I had a very long road, many decisions and defeats, but I always looked ahead and wanted to go for a triumph, for a victory.
“I think that is the most important thing, to fight for your dreams, that everything is possible and to enjoy the game, which is the most beautiful thing there is.”
The Argentina players and head coach Lionel Scaloni also received miniature trophies of the World Cup and the Copa America, which they won in 2021.
The Argentine Football Federation had renamed the national team’s training complex after Messi on Saturday, two days after he scored his 800th career goal in a 2-0 friendly win over Panama.
Messi has scored 99 goals for his country and would become the first Argentina player to net 100 international goals if he scores in today’s friendly against Curacao.
