Lionel Messi Shares 6 Moments From Argentina’s World Cup Triumph in Qatar He Won't Forget

• Six months have passed since Argentina beat France to become World Champions
• Lionel Messi had his crowning moment by winning the last trophy he was missing
• The Argentine star looked back at moments that defined the tournament for him

While Lionel Messi could not fully explain the 2022 FIFA World Cup scenes that will remain in his memory forever, he has singled out six of the defining moments in Qatar.

Messi led Argentina to the Middle East, knowing it could be his last attempt to win the only piece of silverware missing from his illustrious cabinet.

An initial setback of losing the opening game against Saudi Arabia looked like it would derail his dream, but the 35-year-old shouldered the burden.

Sports Brief looks at six unforgettable moments as selected by the man himself.

1. Messi's opening goal against Mexico

La Albiceleste faced a must-win game against Mexico in their second group game. The match was close until Messi received a pass from Angel Di Maria and sent a shot past Guillermo Ochoa from outside the box.

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Youngster, Enzo Fernandez scored a second goal minutes later, which was the turning point for the team in Qatar.

2. Messi's assist for Molina

Messi was as much a provider as he was provided to. Per GiveMeSport, in the quarter-final against the Netherlands, he produced the assist of the tournament by blindsiding many Dutch players to set up Nahuel Molina for his first international goal.

3. Messi dribbling past Josko Gvardiol

The former Barcelona star pulled off another magic trick in the semi-final against Croatia. Per FourFourTwo, he outpaced, outmuscled, and outdribbled 20-year-old Josko Gvardiol to set up Julian Alvarez and send Argentina to the final.

4. Emi Martinez’s last-minute save

French forward, Randal Kolo Muani was one-on-one with Emi Martinez with 15 seconds to go in extra time when the goalkeeper made the tournament’s most important save. Messi lost the ball that led to the incident.

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Again, Martinez was instrumental in the shootout, saving from Kingsley Coman before Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty for the Argentines.

5. Lifting the World Cup trophy

Messi was cloaked in the traditional Arabian bisht - which is reserved for warriors who had conquered their battles -before he was handed the trophy and he gleefully went to lift it in front of his teammates.

6. Messi enjoys family time

Messi is married to Antonella Roccuzzo and is the father to Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro. After the triumph in Qatar, he spent time on the podium with his family, where he had the trophy and best player gong with him.

Messi’s promise to Argentina fans

Sports Brief also reported on Messi's promise to Argentina fans after losing their opening game of the 2022 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.

He urged supporters to continue having faith and promised the team would not disappoint them, with La Albiceleste making things right.