December 18, (THEWILL) – Pele has congratulated Argentina on their stunning World Cup victory and said Lionel Messi’s success was what “his trajectory deserved.”
The iconic Brazilian footballer, who has recently been hospitalised, followed events at the Qatar 2022 tournament and stated that his late Argentine rival 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 and who died in November 2020, at the age of 60.
In an Instagram post, Pele wrote: “Congratulations Argentina! Certainly, Diego is smiling now. Today, football continues to tell its story, as always, in an enthralling way. Messi winning his first World Cup, as his trajectory deserved.”
The only man with the World Cup titles to his name also had some wise counsel for Kylian Mbappe too. Addressing him directly, Pele wrote: “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.”
He did not leave out the most impressive African representatives, Morocco, selecting them for commendation: “And I couldn’t fail to congratulate Morocco for the incredible campaign. It’s great to see Africa shine.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
