He also became the first player EVER to score in every single round of one World Cup:
🏟️ Group stage
🔥 Round of 16
⚔️ Quarter-final
🚀 Semi-final
🏆 Final
And he achieved all of it at 35 years old. 🤯🐐
Football has witnessed many legendary World Cup performances, but what Lionel Messi achieved at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar stands in a category of its own. Records were broken, history was rewritten, and a long-standing debate found its most poetic conclusion. For the first time in World Cup history, a player claimed five Man of the Match awards in a single tournament — and that player was Lionel Andrés Messi.
Before 2022, such consistency across an entire World Cup had never been seen. Messi didn’t just shine in moments; he dominated every stage of the competition. From the opening group match to the final whistle in the World Cup Final, Messi was Argentina’s heartbeat, leader, and creative force. At 35 years old, when most footballers are winding down their careers, Messi was producing one of the greatest individual campaigns the sport has ever known.
What made this achievement even more remarkable was that Messi became the first player ever to score in every single round of a World Cup tournament. He found the net in the group stage, delivered when the pressure increased in the Round of 16, rose again in the quarter-finals, inspired in the semi-final, and finally etched his name into immortality by scoring in the final. No player before him had managed to impact every phase of the competition with goals — not Pelé, not Maradona, not Zidane, not Ronaldo.
Each stage told a different story. In the group stage, after Argentina’s shocking opening defeat, Messi responded like a true leader, calming a nation and guiding his team forward. In the Round of 16 and quarter-final, he was both creator and finisher, combining vision with ruthless efficiency. The semi-final saw Messi deliver a masterclass in leadership and intelligence, controlling the tempo and lifting those around him.
Then came the final — a match that will be spoken about for generations. Against France, Messi scored, assisted, led, suffered, and ultimately triumphed. Even when the game went to penalties, after one of the most dramatic finals in football history, Messi stood tall. That night, football felt less like a sport and more like a piece of art.
Winning five Man of the Match awards wasn’t about popularity or reputation. It was a reflection of consistent excellence, decision-making, work rate, and moments of brilliance when they mattered most. Messi was not just the best player on the pitch — he was the difference-maker every single time Argentina needed one.
Perhaps the most powerful part of this story is Messi’s age. At 35, with countless trophies already won, he played with hunger, joy, and responsibility. He pressed, tracked back, created chances, scored goals, and carried the emotional weight of a nation desperate to see him lift the one trophy missing from his cabinet. That hunger separated him from greatness and placed him firmly in football immortality.
The 2022 World Cup was not just Messi’s redemption story — it was a celebration of football intelligence, humility, and perseverance. It proved that greatness is not just about speed or strength, but about understanding the game, leading others, and delivering when history is watching.
In Qatar, Lionel Messi didn’t just win the World Cup. He completed football. And with five Man of the Match awards, goals in every round, and a trophy lifted at last, he gave the world a tournament that will never be forgotten.
The debate ended there. The legacy was sealed.
Lionel Messi is not just one of the greatest — he is the greatest. 🐐⚽
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