00:00.
00:05Standing just 5 feet 7 inches in studded boots,
00:09Lionel Messi will be one of the smallest players on display in North America.
00:13But he will bestrive the World Cup like a colossus.
00:19Messi already had claims to the title of the greatest footballer in history before the 2022 World Cup.
00:26But victory in Qatar gave the Argentine a stranglehold on the mantle.
00:34And now he captains his all-conquering Alba Celeste in his new backyard, the United States,
00:41after mesmerizing Major League Soccer since 2023.
00:48MVP! MVP!
00:51Thank you, Lionel.
00:53On behalf of our entire league, all our country and everybody that loves the game,
01:00here and throughout the world, we're honored to have you in our league.
01:06Messi already holds the record for appearing in the most World Cup matches with 26,
01:11and in North America, he'll become the first to feature in six separate tournaments.
01:16He remains as important as ever to his team.
01:23He's important because almost everything goes through him.
01:27The team's attacking play, whether he finishes it or another teammate does in almost every scoring opportunity,
01:33he's usually involved.
01:36Another significant accolade is within reach, with Messi beginning the tournament,
01:41three goals behind the World Cup's all-time top scorer, Miroslav Klose.
01:46At some point, this volume of records and awards will surely end any arguments over Messi's status as the greatest
01:54of all time.
01:58Everyone has his opinion, but nobody can doubt that he's there with the greatest all the time.
02:04For me, I said many times, I've been the best.
02:11If he would not have won the World Cup, the opinion about what he has done for the World Football,
02:17in my personal opinion, that how he's a player would not change absolutely anything.
02:25Those things that Messi has done for World Football are both tangible and esoteric.
02:32There's the record eight Ballon d'Or awards, an Olympic gold medal,
02:36and the only two-time winner of the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball.
02:43Then there's the manner in which those trophies have been achieved.
02:46The quick feat, the vision, the unrivaled ability to unlock the tightest of defences.
02:55Despite Messi's undoubted brilliance, the criticism hanging over him for the majority of his career
03:00was that he only performed at club level.
03:06Four World Cups delivered only frustration, and the Copa America, too, remained out of reach.
03:12It seemed one of the most magical artists to ever grace the game was destined to leave unfulfilled.
03:21But aged 34, entering the final act of his storied career,
03:26Messi left the home comforts of the Camp Nou for the unfamiliarity of the Parc des Princes.
03:35He went on to star in the 2021 Copa America, ending the tournament the top scorer and its best player.
03:42He lifted the trophy for the first time in his career in the most fitting stadium imaginable.
03:48Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã, home of arch-rivals Brazil.
03:55Finally, Messi and Argentina, dead to dream.
04:03There is a lot of excitement about a positive World Cup.
04:09We won the Copa America.
04:11After trying so many times, I finally managed to win a title with the national team.
04:18So, after that trophy, there is a lot of excitement for what is ahead of us.
04:30Despite his shock-opening defeat to Saudi Arabia,
04:33Messi guided the Alba Celeste to the top of Group C,
04:36then scored in every knockout match as Australia,
04:40the Netherlands, Croatia, and finally France were overcome.
04:44The latter following a gripping penalty shootout.
04:52After 20 years of striving to reach the summit,
04:56Lionel Messi was on top of the world.
05:02I have always said that collective awards are better than individual ones.
05:07And for every player, to win a World Cup is the pinnacle.
05:22The record goalscorer in the history of La Liga,
05:26the most recorded assists in football history,
05:30and named in the FIFA Pro World XI for a preposterous 17 consecutive seasons,
05:37The 2026 World Cup offers one final opportunity
05:41to salute the greatest the game has ever seen.
05:44To stay inaudibleFood.com
05:46You're welcome.
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