At the museum of the South American federation, Lionel Messi‘s statue will be displayed alongside those of Diego Maradona and Pele of Brazil.
The mercurial forward who spent the vast number of his career playing for Barcelona where he tumbled records upon records, had stepped out of Maradona’s shadow, leading Argentina to a World Cup victory last year after the trophy eluded him for years.
Messi, carrying a replica of the World Cup trophy, stood beside the life-size statue at an unveiling event at the South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL) headquarters in Luque, Paraguay.
The event was held before the Copa Libertadores draw on Monday. The 35-year-old emulated the late Maradona by leading Argentina to their first World Cup victory in 36 years in Qatar in December.
“I had never dreamed or thought about this,” Messi said. “My dream was to enjoy what I liked when I was little, to be a professional football player, to do what I always loved in this life. “I had a very long road, many decisions and defeats, but I always looked ahead and wanted to go for a triumph, for a victory.”
He added, “I think that is the most important thing, to fight for your dreams, that everything is possible, and to enjoy the game, which is the most beautiful thing there is.”
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Argentine Football Federation renamed the national team’s practice centre after Messi, two days after he scored his 800th career goal in a 2-0 friendly victory over Panama.
Source – Tru News Report
