Today, we mark one year since the historical day that Lionel Messi won his first World Cup title in Qatar on December 18, 2022. The 36-year-old is the GOAT in football after receiving eight Ballon d’Or trophies and six European Golden Shoes throughout his impressive career. This joyous day marked the Argentinian legend’s fifth time appearing in the FIFA World Cup. After years of long-awaited anticipation, Messi finally clinched the title and brought the trophy back to his home country.
A Strenuous Journey to the Top:
Since Messi began playing for Argentina, the team have made five appearances in the prestigious World Cup tournament. In 2006 and 2010, Argentina advanced to the tournament’s quarterfinals but unfortunately got knocked out of the competition by Germany in two World Cup tournaments in a row. The Argentinian team sought redemption in the 2014 FIFA World Cup as they made it all the way to the tournament finals but lost to Germany yet again.
Despite having made it far in the competition in the three prior tournaments, in the 2018 World Cup, Argentina got knocked out in the Round of 16 by France and the rising star at the time, French player Kylian Mbappé. In 2022, Argentina came back to redeem themselves to compete for the most prestigious title in football. Throughout the entirety of the tournament, Messi had scored seven goals. In the 2022 World Cup final, he scored two of Argentina’s three goals to help his team clinch the title over France.
Messi’s 2023 Year in Review:
Following his impressive World Cup win in 2022, Messi returned to the team he was signed with at the time, Paris Saint-Germain. On February 26, 2023, in PSG’s game against Marseille, the Argentinian star scored his 700th career goal. Messi hit another career accomplishment on March 11, 2023, when he had his 300th career assist in his game against Brest.
Despite Messi’s career accomplishments at the start of 2023, on May 2, 2023, fans were shocked when PSG suspended the football legend for two weeks after taking an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia with his family the day prior. Messi claimed that this trip was for a commercial agreement as a tourism ambassador there. On May 3, news broke that Messi was planning on parting ways with the Paris club at the end of the season once his contract with the team had expired.
After the World Cup winner bid farewell to PSG, fans speculated that the legendary star might make a return to his former team, FC Barcelona, or Al-Hilal, as the Saudi Professional League was attempting to garner star football players as they did with Cristiano Ronaldo who currently plays for Al Nassr. On June 7, 2023, Messi announced that he would join Major League Soccer and move to the United States to play for Inter Miami over FC Barcelona and Al-Hilal. On July 15, 2023, the 36-year-old officially signed his contract with Inter Miami for two and a half years, looking to make a lasting impact on the sport’s presence in the United States.
Since the Argentinian native had joined the Miami club, the team had consecutively won their first 12 games with the international star after having a 9-game losing streak. This 12-game winning streak lasted from when Messi had his first Inter Miami debut through his September 9 game against Sporting Kansas City before getting injured. Messi turned the team around and helped his new club win their first Leagues Cup trophy when they beat Nashville SC in the final on August 19, 2023.
While Messi’s presence at Inter Miami helped the team win the Leagues Cup and multiple games at the beginning of his career with Miami, the international star suffered from a scar tissue injury that forced him to sit out on crucial games. Due to Messi’s absence, Inter Miami could not secure a spot in the MLS playoffs. As the MLS season began in February, Messi joined in over halfway through the season and helped turn around a struggling team. While he got injured and did not secure a spot in the playoffs, the Argentinian’s role on Inter Miami should not be criticized until the conclusion of the 2024 season, after he can compete for the entire season.
Following his first-ever World Cup title, the renowned football legend won his eighth Ballon d’Or this past October, making him the most decorated player in the award’s history. This award was a full-circle moment as David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, presented the Argentinian with the award. Beckham had joined the LA Galaxy in 2007, which at the time was widely regarded as a transformational moment for MLS. As the Inter Miami co-owner and former MLS trailblazer, there was no better candidate to present Messi with the prestigious award. No one believed Argentina would win the World Cup after their rocky start. Messi helped accomplish what seemed to be nearly impossible. Now, the 36-year-old legend hopes to strengthen the presence of football in the United States by garnering a greater audience for Major League Soccer.
Messi’s first season at Inter Miami CF might not have worked exactly out how he had wanted, but it will be interesting to see what happens to the World Cup star in 2024.
