Lionel Messi Argentina shirt covered for World Cup trophy lift leaves Gary Lineker furious

It didn’t take any of the gloss off the victory for Messi though, as he enjoyed the win with his team-mates and family on the pitch. It is the second major tournament he has helped his country win in the last two years.

Messi was awarded the Golden Ball for being the player of the tournament. He also overtook Lothar Matthaus in becoming the player with the most appearances at a men’s World Cup.

Lineker took to Twitter to pay tribute to the phenomenon. He wrote: “It’s been an absolute privilege to watch Lionel Messi for nearly 2 decades.

“Moment after moment of spellbinding, breathtakingly joyous football. He’s a gift from the footballing Gods. So pleased that he’s lifted the ultimate prize in our sport.”

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source: express.co.uk