The Long Way Home: Messi and the World Cup

In 2014 Lionel Messi collected the Golden Ball and had to walk past the World Cup he had just lost. Eight years later, on his way to a second Golden Ball, he stopped at the same trophy and kissed it, then lifted it.

Rio, 2014

Seven minutes from penalties in the final at the Maracanã, Mario Götze volleyed Germany ahead. Messi was named player of the tournament, and the photograph of him walking past the trophy, close enough to touch but not allowed to, became the image of his international career.

Eight years

Argentina lost two more Copa América finals to Chile, in 2015 and 2016, and after the second Messi briefly retired from international football. He came back, and in 2021 won the Copa América at the Maracanã, the stadium of 2014.

Lusail, 2022

Argentina led France 2-0 and 3-2 in the final, and twice Kylian Mbappé dragged France level, finishing with a hat-trick. After Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty, Messi went up for his second Golden Ball, the only player to win it twice, and on the way he stopped at the trophy and kissed it. Later he held it above his head on Sergio Agüero's shoulders. It was his fifth World Cup, at 35.

Frame the moment

Our framed poster The Long Way Home tells the story in posterised artwork with the fixture, venue and date. Choose A4 or A3, framed and ready to hang, with free shipping across India. See more in our World Cup posters.

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