He is regarded by many as the greatest football player of all time, but the World Cup trophy had always eluded Lionel Messi - until now.
The Argentine star has represented his country at five World Cups, but had crashed out on four occasions, being left heartbroken in 2014 when his side lost in the final thanks to a last-gasp Mario Gotze goal for Germany.
However, he finally got a taste of glory in an unbelievable final against France. In a stunning game, Messi gave his side the lead from the penalty spot before Angel Di Maria made it 2-0 in the first half, before Kylian Mbappe levelled the scores with an incredible quickfire double with 10 minutes left to send the game to extra-time.
A breathless half an hour of extra-time saw Messi grab another as he scrambled the ball into the French net to seemingly win the final for Argentina, before Mbappe came to the rescue again, taking the game to penalties with a historic World Cup final hat-trick.
Messi coolly converted his penalty, but Emi Martinez was the hero for Argentina in the shootout, saving one before Gonzalo Montiel converted from the spot to seal the World Cup for the South Americans.
Read more: Lionel Messi given robe which 'covered' Argentina shirt and pundits are baffled
As he adds the biggest honour of his career to his enormous trophy cabinet, here's everything you need to know about Lionel Messi:
How old is Lionel Messi?
The Argentine star is 35 years old. By winning the 2022 World Cup, he has become one of the oldest players to do so, and the oldest captain behind former Italy goalkeeper Dino Zoff, who lifted the trophy in 1982 aged 40.
What is Lionel Messi's net worth?
Messi is reported to have a staggering net worth of around £600million. The Argentine star was set to sign a new deal worth approximately £1.1m per week with Barcelona in 2021 before he was forced to leave the club he had spent his career at due to the Spanish side being unable to complete the deal due to La Liga financial rules. He then moved to French champions Paris Saint-Germain, where he is reportedly paid around £700,000 per week by the club.
As well as his huge wage, he also earns a significant amount through sponsors, having first signed a long-term deal with Adidas in 2006, while also representing the likes of Pepsi, Mastercard and Turkish Airlines and being the face of video games including Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA.
Who is Lionel Messi's wife?
Messi is married to his childhood sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo, who is 34. She trained to be a dentist in her hometown of Rosario in Argentina, but later became a model, signing a contract with major fashion label Ricky Sarkany. The couple got married in June 2017 after nearly 20 years together, and tied the knot in front of 250 guests including fellow footballers Neymar Jr, Sergio Aguero, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique.
Does Lionel Messi have children?
Messi and Roccuzzo have three sons together. Their oldest child, Thiago, was born in 2012, while Mateo was born in 2015 and their youngest son Ciro was born in March 2018.
Messi previously opened up about fatherhood in an interview, saying: "You grow and you learn. You gather experience in all aspects of life, on and off the field. But, as a human being, having three children changed my perspective on life, my way of thinking and it also helped me grow."
What World Cup records has Lionel Messi set?
Messi has broken a number of World Cup records over the years, and he set a new one in the 2022 World Cup final, by surpassing Germany legend Lothar Matthäus's record for most appearances at a men's World Cup, making his 26th appearance.
During the final, he also broke former Italy star Paolo Maldini's record for the most minutes played at the tournament (2,216).
It was also Messi's 19th appearance as captain in the World Cup, with the Argentinian followed by Rafa Marquez (17) and fellow countryman, the late Diego Maradona (16).
Messi is also the only player to register an assist in five World Cups, with his closest challengers including Pele, Maradona and David Beckham, while he is the leading goalscorer for Argentina at the tournament, with his 11 strikes putting him ahead of Gabriel Batistuta on 10.
He is also the joint-fourth highest World Cup goalscorer, tied on 13 goals alongside French great Just Fontaine.
What did Lionel Messi do when Argentina lost at the World Cup?
While he is known for being a quiet leader, Messi reportedly lost his temper following Argentina's shock loss to Saudi Arabia in the group stages of the 2022 World Cup.
Following the humiliating defeat, the star showed a ruthless side and slammed his teammates for their performance, winning plaudits from former Argentine players and managers.
Pablo Zabaleta, a former team-mate and long-time friend, told ESPN : "I have seen Messi showing his leadership qualities after the shock defeat against Saudi Arabia, playing with huge personality and a bit of anger and carrying the Argentina team. He knows this is probably his last chance to win a World Cup. This is something positive and I love to see it. The rest of the players fight for the Argentina shirt but also for Messi."
Mauricio Pochettino also praised the way in which Messi conducted himself, writing in The Athletic: "He knows exactly how he needs to behave, not only on the pitch but off it as well, and I think that leadership he is showing is why people finally believe this could be the time when the World Cup comes back to Argentina.
"You can see it in how he manages the game, how he talks with the referees, with Lionel Scaloni, even with the opponents. After the quarter-final against the Netherlands, when Argentina won on penalties, I heard some people comparing Messi’s leadership with the leadership that Maradona used to show."
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