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Reuters
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Lionel Messi stepped out of Diego Maradona’s shadow by main Argentina to World Cup victory final 12 months and a statue of the diminutive forward will stand alongside these of his predecessor and Brazil nice Pelé on the South American federation’s museum.
Messi, holding a duplicate of the World Cup trophy, stood beside the life-size statue at an unveiling ceremony on the South American Soccer Federation (CONMEBOL) headquarters in Luque, Paraguay earlier than the Copa Libertadores draw on Monday.
The 35-year-old emulated the late Maradona by main Argentina to their first World Cup triumph in 36 years in Qatar in December.
“I had by no means dreamed or considered this,” Messi stated. “My dream was to get pleasure from what I preferred once I was little, to be an expert soccer participant, to do what I at all times cherished on this life.
“I had a really lengthy highway, many selections and defeats, however I at all times regarded forward and needed to go for a triumph, for a victory.
“I believe that’s an important factor, to struggle in your goals, that all the things is feasible and to benefit from the recreation, which is essentially the most stunning factor there may be.”
The Argentina gamers and coach Lionel Scaloni additionally obtained miniature trophies of the World Cup and the Copa América, which they gained in 2021.
The Argentine Soccer Federation renamed the nationwide crew’s coaching facility after Messi on Saturday, two days after he scored his 800th profession objective in a 2-0 pleasant win over Panama.
Messi has scored 99 targets for his nation and would turn out to be the primary Argentina participant to web 100 worldwide targets if he scores in Tuesday’s pleasant in opposition to Curaçao.
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