After Argentina ended their lengthy wait to win a third World Cup title with a thrilling victory over France, Lionel Messi expressed his shock.
In a thrilling six-goal battle, the Paris Saint-Germain attacker scored twice, and Lionel Scaloni’s team prevailed on penalties.
It brought an end to a 36-year wait for World Cup glory, with Argentina previously suffering defeats at the final hurdle in 1990 and 2014 – the latter of which saw Messi on the losing side.
After a seven-goal haul and taking home the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament, Messi finally got his hands on the biggest prize of all and took to social media to share his thoughts.
“I dreamt about it so many times, I wanted it so much that I still can’t believe it,” he posted on Instagram.
“Thank you so much to my family, to all who support me and also to all who believed in us. We prove once again that Argentinians when we fight together and united we are able to achieve what we aim.
“The merit is of this group, which is above individuals, is the strength of all fighting for the same dream that was also the one of all Argentinians… We did it!!!”
Awarded player of the match in the final, Messi was expected to feature in a post-game press conference but skipped attendance as celebrations continued with the squad.
However, he did speak on the field following Argentina’s triumph and made his desire to continue representing his nation clear.
“I enjoy being in the national team, the group, I want to continue living a few more games being world champion,” he told TyC Sports.