The sports regulatory body in the state of Rio de Janeiro has decided to invite Argentine Lionel Messi to have his footprints immortalized on the Walk of Fame, joining former stars who led their national teams to win the World Cup title. Messi led the Argentine national team to secure its third title in history and the first for the Argentine star, following the Tango team's victory over France in the final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup through a penalty shootout. Messi rightfully received the Best Player award and has confirmed that this World Cup will be his last, stating he will continue with the national team but will not participate in the 2026 edition.
Messi would become the eighth foreign player to have his footprints celebrated at the "Maracanã" stadium, with an official invitation sent to the Argentine Football Association on Monday inviting Messi to leave his footprints in the stadium. If Messi accepts, he would be the first Argentine to etch his footprints in this walk. The head of the regulatory body, Adriano Santos, remarked, “After everything the star Messi has shown in global football, it would be an honor for the stadium to have him stand on his footprint.” He continued, “Lionel Messi has already demonstrated his importance on and off the field. He has been a top-level player in the history of football for years, and this World Cup victory is just a crowning achievement of a beautiful and victorious career. It is only fair to honor him after everything; Messi is a genius.”
This is the second time the Argentine star has received such an invitation, having been approached in 2019 during the Copa America in Brazil, but it did not materialize. There are only seven foreign players on the Maracanã Walk of Fame: Uruguayan Alcides Ghiggia (who defeated Brazil in the 1950 World Cup), Chilean Elías Figueroa (idol of Internacional), Paraguayan Romerito (beloved by Fluminense), Serbian Petković (who played for several clubs in Brazil and is an idol of Flamengo), Portuguese Eusébio, German Franz Beckenbauer, and Uruguayan Loco Abreu (star of Botafogo).
