Pele, a legend of Brazil, has congratulated Argentina on their stunning World Cup victory and said Lionel Messi’s success was what “his trajectory deserved.”
Pele, who has recently been hospitalized, has been paying attention to the happenings at Qatar 2022 and stated that the late Diego Maradona would have enjoyed Argentina’s trophy victory.
The significant milestone for 35-year-old Messi means he now matches compatriot Maradona, who was the inspiration behind Argentina’s success in Mexico 86, by winning his first World Cup. In November 2020, at the age of 60, Maradona passed away.
“Congratulations Argentina! Certainly Diego is smiling now,” Pele wrote on Instagram.
Pele, 82, expressed sadness for Kylian Mbappe, who lost after scoring two penalties and a spectacular volley to clinch just the second hat-trick in a men’s World Cup final, following Geoff Hurst’s hat-trick for England against West Germany in 1966.
Following a Sunday 3-3 tie, Argentina won the trophy after a 4-2 victory in the penalties shootout, thanks to misses from Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Before he and Mbappe, a teammate from Paris Saint-Germain, both scored a penalty to start the shootout, Messi scored twice in a memorable game.
Messi was awarded the Golden Ball for the second time as the tournament’s best player, and Mbappe took home the Golden Boot for leading scorer with eight goals.
Three-time World Cup winner Pele hailed Mbappe’s feat of hitting the back of the net four times, including the shoot-out, and he also offered praise to Morocco, who finished fourth after becoming Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists.
“Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way,” Pele said. “Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved.
“My dear friend, Mbappe, scoring four goals in a final. What a gift it was to watch this spectacle to the future of our sport.
“And I couldn’t fail to congratulate Morocco for the incredible campaign. It’s great to see Africa shine.”