In sports , there are moments that seem almost cinematic. A packed stadium. The cheers of tens of thousands of people gradually fade into an eerie silence as the players line up in the tunnel. Flags flutter in the stands, cameras pan to anxious faces, and millions around the world await the making of history.
Lionel Messi currently has a net worth of $1.1 billion. Photo: Forbes
Somewhere in that tunnel, Lionel Messi was waiting. It was a scene he understood better than anyone. Two decades after his World Cup debut, Messi was preparing to lead Argentina to another World Cup final. The level of importance remained the same, but everything about him had changed. No longer the shy prodigy compared to Diego Maradona. No longer the captain haunted by near misses and bitter defeats. Standing there now was a world champion, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, the most celebrated footballer in history, and a man whose legacy had long transcended the boundaries of football itself.
However, the World Cup has always held a different meaning for Messi. It is the stage where he experiences the greatest joys and deepest sorrows of the sport; where every victory seems incomplete without the golden trophy and every defeat becomes a national topic of discussion.
The biggest battle has nothing to do with football.
There was a time when Lionel Messi's biggest battle had nothing to do with football.
Born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Santa Fe, Messi grew up in a humble working-class family where football was not just a hobby but a way of life. His father, Jorge, coached a neighborhood youth team, while his mother, Celia, was a housewife. Messi was rarely without a ball at his feet. He played football with his brothers, cousins, and neighborhood friends until dark, forcing everyone to go inside.
The person who believed most in Messi was his mother, Celia. She took him to training sessions, watched every match, and insisted that the coaches give the small boy a chance, regardless of his physique.
Years later, having become one of the greatest icons in the world of football, Messi always dedicates each goal to her, raising both index fingers to the sky – a celebration that has become as famous as the goals themselves.
At Newell's Old Boys, one of Argentina's most respected youth clubs, Messi quickly became a phenomenon. Coaches were amazed as he effortlessly dribbled past defenders several years his senior. His youth team, dubbed the "1987 Machine," easily defeated their opponents, while Messi is said to have scored nearly 500 goals before reaching his teenage years.
But behind the goals and applause lies a terrifying reality. At the age of 10, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. The treatment was extremely expensive, far beyond his family's means. One of the greatest talents the football world has ever seen had his chance cut short before his career truly began.
The napkin changed football forever.
Football history has been shaped by famous contracts. But very few are written on a napkin. When Messi, 13, arrived at Barcelona for a trial in 2000, the club's coaches needed only a few training sessions to realize they were witnessing an extraordinary talent. Sporting director Carles Rexach was convinced Barcelona couldn't afford to lose him. Because there was no formal paperwork, Rexach famously drafted an agreement on a napkin, promising Barcelona a contract with the Argentinian teenager. It remains one of the most celebrated stories in sport history—not because of the napkin itself, but because of everything that followed.
Messi's first World Cup trophy of his career. Photo: The Nation
Barcelona agreed to pay for Messi's medical treatment. Leaving Rosario was not easy. Messi struggled with homesickness, often crying and longing for the life he had left behind. He was quiet, reserved, and seemed uncomfortable with the increasing attention surrounding him. But football spoke louder than any words.
At La Masia, Barcelona's renowned academy, coaches were amazed to see the teenager effortlessly glide past defenders. Ronaldinho, then a world-class football superstar, once predicted that Messi would become an even greater player than himself.
Messi made his Barcelona first-team debut in October 2004. The years that followed completely transformed modern football. Under Frank Rijkaard, Messi emerged as Barcelona's brightest young talent. Under Pep Guardiola, he became a cornerstone of arguably the greatest team of all time. Barcelona's mesmerizing style of football – short passes, relentless movement, and absolute ball control – found its perfect commander in Messi. He wasn't simply scoring goals. Messi was reshaping the way football was played. He moved seamlessly between midfield and attack, escaping defenders with incredible balance, unleashing unbelievable passes through crowded penalty areas, and finishing with astonishing composure. There seemed to be no weakness in Messi's style of play. Each season brought a new record, a new title, another reminder that football was witnessing something unprecedented.
10 La Liga titles. 4 UEFA Champions League titles. 7 Copa del Rey titles. 3 FIFA Club World Cup titles. 3 UEFA Super Cups. 34 major titles with Barcelona alone. Then there are the individual records. Messi became Barcelona's all-time leading scorer with 672 goals. He rewrote the La Liga scoring charts with 474 goals, a record that could stand for generations. In 2012, Messi had one of the greatest individual seasons in sports history, scoring 91 goals, surpassing Gerd Müller's record, which had remained unbroken for four decades.
Messi celebrates after Argentina beat England 2-1. Photo: AP
The Ballon d'Or awards kept coming his way. One became two. Two became four. Four became eight.
By the time Messi left Barcelona in tears in 2021 – a departure not of his own choosing but due to the club's financial crisis – he had become an inseparable part of the club's identity. For an entire generation, Barcelona and Messi had almost become a single narrative.
However, despite all the glory in Catalonia, another story remains painfully unfinished. No matter how many records Messi has broken in Europe, every return to Argentina is accompanied by the same question: When will Messi win the World Cup?
For most footballers, comparisons are a source of pride. But for Lionel Messi, they become a burden. Argentina doesn't just want another great player. They want a second Diego Maradona. Messi's first World Cup appearance was in Germany in 2006, where the teenager impressed with goals against Serbia and Montenegro. Four years later in South Africa, Argentina once again failed in the quarter-finals despite having Maradona as coach. Then came Brazil in 2014 – a tournament that defined a period in Messi's life – where he played brilliantly throughout the tournament, leading Argentina to their first World Cup final in almost a quarter of a century with four goals and countless inspiring moments.
But football can be incredibly ruthless. In extra time of the final, Mario Götze scored the decisive goal that gave Germany the victory. The image of Messi walking past the World Cup trophy without touching it has become one of the most iconic images in modern football.
Individual awards have almost lost their meaning. For Messi, only one trophy matters. And once again, it slipped through his fingers. Even Messi has broken records.
If 2014 was heartbreaking for Messi, the years that followed threatened to completely crush him. Argentina reached the Copa America final in 2015 but lost to Chile on penalties. A year later, history repeated itself. Once again, Chile was the obstacle. Once again, the final had to be decided by a penalty shootout. And once again, Argentina went home empty-handed.
Messi, who had spent years carrying the hopes of his country, missed a penalty in the 2016 shootout. As Chile celebrated, television cameras followed a distraught captain, his expression speaking volumes more than any words could convey. Moments later, one of the most shocking statements in football history was made: “For me, my career with the national team is over.”
This announcement plunged Argentina into mourning. Critics of his dedication suddenly realized what they were losing. Fans gathered outside the Argentine Football Association headquarters, pleading with him to reconsider. Former teammates, coaches, politicians, and even ordinary fans called for his return. For a nation that had waited decades for another football icon, the thought of losing Messi before he completed his destiny was unbearable.
Messi listened.
Less than two months later, Messi reversed his decision. He returned because, as he later admitted, his love for Argentina always outweighed the pain. But the burden remained immense. Each international defeat reopened old wounds. Each missed opportunity brought up comparisons to Maradona.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia offered little solace. Argentina struggled through the group stage, salvaged by a superb goal from Messi against Nigeria, but were eliminated in the round of 16 by eventual champions France. The nail-biting 4-3 defeat confirmed what many had feared: time was catching up with a generation that had repeatedly failed miserably. For Messi, the dream seemed to have slipped away once again.
The greatest stories in sport rarely unfold in a straight line. Messi's story certainly isn't. By 2021, he had won almost every title football could offer at club level. He rewrote history, won the Ballon d'Or almost habitually, and became the most admired player of his generation. Yet, one question always lingered wherever he went: Could he lead Argentina to a major international title?
The answer came at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. In the match against host nation Brazil, Argentina displayed a performance not based on flashiness but on resilience. Di Maria's exquisite finish secured a 1-0 victory, ending Argentina's 28-year wait for a major international title. When the final whistle blew, Messi collapsed onto the pitch in tears before being embraced by his teammates, who understood the true meaning of this victory.
It wasn't just a trophy. It was liberation. Years of criticism vanished in an instant. The absurd comparisons to Maradona began to subside. The burden that had weighed on Messi's shoulders for nearly two decades was finally lifted.
But fate still had one last gift waiting for him.
A masterpiece called Qatar
Lionel Messi at a press conference ahead of the 2026 World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. Photo: AP
Every great career has a pivotal chapter. For Pele, it was 1970. For Maradona, it was the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. For Lionel Messi, it was the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
From the opening match to the unforgettable final, Messi orchestrated one of the greatest World Cup campaigns the tournament has ever seen. After Argentina's unexpected defeat to Saudi Arabia, he stabilized a shaky team with his characteristic composure. Messi scored against Mexico when Argentina desperately needed inspiration. He shone against Australia, led the victory against the Netherlands, dominated Croatia in the semi-finals, and reached the final with the hopes of an entire nation.
France and Kylian Mbappe are waiting for him.
What happened in Lusail has gone down in sporting history. Messi scored. Mbappe responded. Messi scored again in extra time. Mbappe completed a spectacular hat-trick.
After 120 extraordinary minutes, a penalty shootout would decide one of football's greatest finals. This time, fate belonged to Messi. When Gonzalo Montiel successfully converted the decisive penalty, Argentina's 36-year wait was over. Messi knelt before his teammates, who had shared his dream for so many years. Dressed in his traditional black jersey, he created one of the most iconic images in sports history. The only trophy he had ever craved was finally his. Messi became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice. More importantly, he perfected the sport itself. The years-long debate suddenly became meaningless. Lionel Messi had nothing left to prove.
The Last Walk
And so the story returns to where it began. Another World Cup final. Another walk through the tunnel. Another chance to don Argentina's famous blue and white striped shirt on the greatest football stage. This time, however, Messi carries something more precious than expectations. He carries peace.
For Argentina, Messi will forever be the number 10.
The boy from Rosario, who once feared he would never be tall enough to be a football player, conquered every mountain the sport placed before him. The teenager who crossed the Atlantic with a dream in his heart became Barcelona's greatest player. The captain who was once accused of letting his country down brought home the World Cup trophy that millions believed would forever remain out of his reach.
No matter what happens when the referee blows the whistle in another World Cup final, Messi's place in football history has long been secured. Because greatness is measured by records. Legends are remembered by trophies. But immortality belongs only to those who change the way the world sees a game. Lionel Messi has done that.
Long after the cheers have subsided, the medals are covered in dust, and the stadium lights have faded, future generations will still remember the quiet boy from Rosario who made football seem effortless, carried the dreams of an entire nation for two decades, and, in doing so, became something rarer than even the greatest player of his time. He became an enduring symbol of football's miracle, perseverance, and hope.
For Argentina, he will forever be the number 10.
To the world, he will forever be Lionel Messi.