Barcelona club president Joan Laporta claims Lionel Messi was owed his World Cup title.
Messi led Argentina to a first World Cup title since 1986, and his first ever with the national team, as La Albiceleste clinched the 2022 World Cup trophy in dramatic fashion in Lusail.
Messi scored twice in the final, becoming the first player to find the back of the net in every round of the competition in World Cup history, as FIFA gave him the Golden Ball Award for 2022.
The first man in history to win two World Cup Golden Balls 🐐 pic.twitter.com/rtkkqN9M6i
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 18, 2022
A victory for Messi was heralded back in Barcelona as the club celebrated the glory of their greatest ever player in Qatar.
Laporta has consistently outlined his desire to bring Messi back to the Camp Nou before he retires and he posted a message of praise for the 35-year-old.
“Congratulations, Leo! You deserve it. Football owed you this moment”, Laporta posted on his official social media accounts.
Enhorabona, Leo! T’ho mereixes. El futbol et devia aquest moment. https://t.co/zbyhEoXw4S
— Joan Laporta Estruch🎗 (@JoanLaportaFCB) December 19, 2022
Messi is expected to travel to Argentina for a post-World Cup break this week, before returning to Paris at the start of January, with contract extension talks expected to start imminently.
