Lionel Messi on winning the World Cup: “I couldn’t believe that we finally got it”

By
Roy Nemer
-
7

Lionel Messi spoke for the first time about finally winning the World Cup and everything that came with it.

Messi gave his first interview since becoming World champion with Argentina. Speaking in an interview with Urban Play FM, here is what he said about winning the World Cup:

“I said “that’s it” to her (Antonela) and my family after so much suffering with the national team, many disappointments and lost finals. I had received a lot of criticism and I know that my family suffered more than I did.”

“It’s difficult to explain what I felt at that moment. I couldn’t believe that we finally got it, it was like saying “that’s it, I got it”.

“God had it for me. And there was no better moment than this. The same thing with the Copa America. I thank him every day. I can’t ask more from God.”

On how much it weighs:

“…It’s heavy”.

He also spoke about what he said before Gonzalo Montiel scored his penalty in the final:

“The truth is that I don’t remember it well but I believe I asked God, who was with me throughout my career and cachete (Montiel) to end it so that we don’t suffer anymore.”

About watching the World Cup clips:

“I still get emotional to this day with the videos I see on social media that we’re World champions.”

About kissing the World Cup when he got his Player of the Tournament trophy:

“I saw it there and I couldn’t not do what I did. The Cup was calling me, telling me “come, grab me, now you can touch me.” I saw it there, shinning in that beautiful stadium and I didn’t think.”

The World Cup winner spoke about his celebration against the Netherlands:

“It came out naturally. My team mates told me what van Gaal said before the match. I don’t like to leave that image, but it just came out. There was a lot of nervousness.

“I spoke to Román (Riquelme) after the match vs. Netherlands. We always text after the matches, I talk with him not only during the World Cup but throughout all the years. He had a few encounters with Van Gaal at Barcelona and we spoke a bit about that.”

About Argentina and the World Cup:

“I miss my team mates, the day to day, the stadium in Qatar. We enjoyed every moment.”

“I think the most difficult match we played at that World Cup was against Mexico.”

“I was blocked on Instagram because of the amount of messages, they were like a million.”

He also spoke about Diego Maradona:

“If Diego had been there, I think he would have given me the Cup. It would have been a very nice photo.”

On what he would tell his young self:

“Something extraordinary awaits… May he never give up on his dream because in the end, he will get his most desired and he will have a happy ending. It is as if it were a movie that ends with a happy ending.”

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7 Comments

  1. Thank you world champion.we are all suffered with you in all those years.but finally that moment of joy comes.we are all very happy and relaxed now because we are the world champions.our wait is over.thanks Allah

  2. 1990
    My first break down with this team was watching Cameroon getting a shock result and being the laughing stock at school next day.
    1994
    From delivering a master class against Greece to complete meltdown with Diegos ban, the Romanian game was a dagger into the heart.
    1998
    My absolute immense joy? Beating England in the 2nd round, but broke down again against the Dutch and Bergkamps winner. Excruciating highs and lows
    2002
    Through uni days, drunk and hungover, slept through the debacle. England game was stress levels at the highest. Sweden was just zipping up the body bag for autopsy.
    2004 – copa america
    First time I had subscribed to sky sports and got to see our team in the copa albeit at 3am in the morning. Worth it until the heart braking final. My hate for Brazil intensified as we had a terrible head to head record around that period.
    2006
    First time I truly felt we were the perfect well oiled machine. Highlights, the 24 move pass goal v Serbia, Maxis goal against Mexico. Then the subs happened against Germany, then penalties. Worth mentioning, I stumbled over the mundo albiceleste blog, at the time, managed by Seba Garcia, realised I wasn’t the only mad man in this world.
    2007 – copa america
    Wow Messi and Riquelme! What joy….then Brazil happened. Back to being fed up and pissed off with life.
    2011 – copa america
    Pathetic energy and disastrous coaching. More vexed than depressed. Or a bit of both.
    2014
    Time in my life where my health was taking its toll with my love for this shirt. I went through more lows than highs regardless of getting to the final. This was the start of depression with this one sided love.
    2015 – copa america
    We were magnificent until Chile decided to be wankers and playing for penalties. After, I started to see my GP for mental health support. I ain’t even joking.
    2016 – copa america
    As above, but more wank material from Chile. By then my psychotherapy was in full flow.
    2018
    I actually laughed and cried and had facial twitchs from qualifiers through to the tournament. Debacle and madness. First time I wished we hadn’t qualified. Interesting note. The last game against Ecuador in Quito, I actually bet £30 against us to lose with a £140 return. Such was the confidence I had. First qualifier I missed since 2002 campaign. Imagine my surprise in the morning.
    2019 – copa america
    Started to believe. Again.
    2021 – copa america
    The build up and the youth players that were lauded made me begin to think, maybe its time. It was redemption and 36 years of relief. Also cried my eyes out. Woke up the house. Looked pathetic, i didnt care.
    I also made a decision the following morning, if and when we win the world cup, it will be a chapter closed.
    2022
    Chapter closed. Doesn’t mean I won’t support the shirt, it just means I can sit back and be an arm chair casual fan. And come what ever may, I can always say, we were world champions baby!
    Notable mentions, watching 3 u20s world cups wins, starting from 1995, thanks to eurosport. Di Maria devine intervention at the Olympics v Nigeria.
    Seeing our team in the flesh, 3 times at the monumental (cost me my inheritance) seeing the team 4 times in England. Once in Geneva with a messi hat trick. Was a dream.
    Reading Instagram and twitter posts from fellow albicelestes makes me proud. Notable mention to Pintu palatan in Bangladesh. Wow! You really wear the shirt on your sleeve.
    I’ve never felt so mentally destroyed than the emotional distress I felt on 18th December. That late afternoon sapped the life out of me, 3 times over. When it was over, it was more lethargic relieve and collapse. Like I had just returned from the front line from war and couldn’t muster a word or lift my arm. I couldn’t gather the strength to scream and dance with joy. It was then I realised, I made the right choice for my health. Close this heartache and chapter.
    I know I’ve forgotten alot of events, but those above were my highlights.
    Thank you to Seba Garcia and now Roy Nemer for expanding the mundo albiceleste world. Now time for the youngsters to vent and explain the wrongs and rights about the team! 😂
    See you around folks.
    Vamos Carajo

  3. I have an emotional moment everyday watching clips on Instagram … we waited to so long … I can go back further than Mayahari…
    1990 klinsman flop and the red card with caniggia in the final
    1994 Maradona being suspended
    1998 up a man in quarters and Ortega gets a red.
    2002 greatest qualifying and then first round exit
    …. You know the rest

  4. ” I can’t ask more from God.” Almost every Argentina fan feel like that. God helped us atlast. But God helped us in most glorious and lives helping way. The greatest gift of God is the eternal happy calmness He/She gave through the success hopefully that will be reflected in all our future births in case if Indian Philosophy about cycles of births and deaths is real.

    But looking back the final of course with peace of mind now brings so many thoughts and emotions. We have spoken about lot of painful failures in the past. 2006 heartbreak.. 2014 Gotze moment..consecutive Copa Americas.. etc..but this 2022 final against France may turned into mother of all heartbreaks..the way we suffered in the longest and never ending match for us as Argentina fans is still scary and haunting.. time literally freezed..heart really totally become hard and slowly pain increased.. extreme nervousness.. ultimate suffering and suffocating.. whole life might have turned endlessly sad and meaningless in case if we had lost.. the twists and turns are really too much to handle..the most toughest match to watch for any Argentina fan..but inspite of the suffering God proved life is all about happy endings.. so happy Argentina won the world cup.. Messi won the world cup.. Maria won the world cup..Aimar won the world cup..of course Ayala Scaloni Samuel and the rest of the squad.. that Montiel kick moment will be in our hearts beyond time and space..

    🙏 Thank you God and Godess.. for giving us everything..

    ‘vamos’ is kinda meaningless now as we already reached.. still ‘vamos’..

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