Messi skippered La Albiceleste"the White and Blue", as Argentina are nicknamed to the trophy in the 2022 competition in Qatar following a penalty shootoutwin over Francein the final.

Messi scored the opener 23 minutes into the game and was part of the dazzling counterattack that allowed Angel Di Maria to give Argentina a 2-0 lead 13 minutes later.

But after France came back to level and sent the match into extra time, Messi scored a second to restore his side's advantage. France's Kylian Mbapp hit his third of the match three minutes from the end to set up the shootout.

During the final, Messi scored his sixth and seventh goals of the2022 tournament. Neither were vintage Messi strikes. One was a penalty and the other was simply ramming the ball over the line.

But this time they led to silverware.

World Cup in Qatar closes with hosts, Messi and Argentina triumphant

Childhood dreams

The first of the13 goalsMessi has scored at the World Cup came againstSerbia and Montenegro during the group stages of the 2006 event in Germany.

The then Barcelona striker failed to hit the mark in 2010 in South Africa as Argentina reached the quarter-finals. Two of his four goals inBrazil in 2014were against Nigeria during thegroup stages.

But he failed to make the difference in Argentina's final against Germany at the Maracana in Rio de Janiero. Germany's Mario Goetze stole the show withthe only goal of the gamein the last few minutes of extra time.

"There is sadness to finish in this way, I think we deserved a little more," said Messi after the defeat. "The better chances were ours and between the forwards we couldn't take them."

By then, Messi had racked up just over 350 goals in his 400-odd games for Barcelona and already had fourBallon d'Or trophieshailing him as the best player in Europe (since then, he's claimed four more).

"I would give all my personal records to be world champion," Messi told German media before the 2014 final.

"I'd prefer to win the World Cup than the Ballon d'Or. As a player, winning the World Cup is the biggest thing there is. It's something you dream of as a youngster and that dream never fades away."

The dream came true at Qatar's Lusail Stadium on a balmy night inDecember 2022.

Lionel Messi lifts the trophy after Argentina defeated France in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

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Chance to extend record

At the time, Messi said that Qatar would be his last World Cup.

But just over three years on from that success, the Inter Miami forward will have the chance to extend his record as Argentina's most prolific marksman at the competition since its inception in 1930.

Compared since day one with the Argentine legendDiego Maradona, Messi would be able to step out of his countryman's shadow should he be part of a squad that secures back-to-back World Cup triumphs.

Only two teams have achieved that feat Italy in 1934 and 1938, and Brazil in 1958 and 1962.

"It's difficult because not only do Argentines want him there but also everyone in the world," said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni as he waited for Messi to confirm his participation in the 2026 tournament. "I think he should be there for the good of football."

Scaloni, who steered Argentina to the 2022 triumph, acknowledged the problem of operating with an ageing legend in the pack.

"We're in a bit of a state as coaches," he conceded. "If he is there with us, is he in a good enough state to last an entire match?"

Opposition defenders will hope not.

Originally published on RFI