Qatar 2022 fallout: This World Cup also belongs to Maradona, says Argentina captain Messi

Argentina captain and PSG ace Lionel Messi has paid tribute to Diego Maradona during World Cup celebrations.

Messi said on Tuesday that the World Cup “also is Diego (Maradona’s)”, who supported the team “from heaven”.

“From Grandoli to the World Cup in Qatar, almost 30 years passed. There were nearly three decades in which the ball gave me a lot of joy and also some sadness. I always had the dream of being a world champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that might never happen,” said Messi, in a letter on Instagram.

The forward published the message before leaving with his team-mates to tour the city of Buenos Aires with the World Cup trophy in an open-top bus.

He added: “This cup that we won is also for all those who did not achieve it in the previous World Cups that we played, like in 2014 in Brazil, where everyone deserved it because of how they fought until the very final, worked hard and wanted it as much as I did… And we deserved it even in that damn final.

“It is also from Diego who encouraged us from heaven. And from all those who always supported the national team without looking so much at the result but rather the desire that we always put into it, also when things did not go as we wanted.”

Messi remarked that the title belongs “of course” to the entire “beautiful” group, to the coaching staff and to all the people on the team who “being anonymous” work day and night to help.

“Many times failure is part of the journey and learning and, without disappointment, it is impossible for success to come. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart! Let’s go Argentina!!!” he added.