Argentina's national team captain, Lionel Messi, disclosed that his Instagram account was blocked after receiving a million messages following his country's victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Messi led Argentina to win the World Cup for the first time since 1986, defeating France in a penalty shootout (4-2) in the final match held on Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Lusail Stadium.
A photo was captured of Messi on the Lusail pitch, raising the World Cup trophy while being carried on the shoulders of his former national team mate, retired Argentina striker Sergio Agüero, Manchester City's all-time top scorer. Messi, who also won the award for the best player in the tournament, shared that photo on his personal Instagram account, which received more than 75 million likes, making it the most-liked photo in the history of the platform, surpassing the famous egg photo.
Messi revealed, "I was blocked on Instagram for a few days because of the number of messages I received after winning the World Cup," according to the Daily Mail. He also stated that he manages his Instagram himself and does not use "any company or anyone else" to handle his posts. Messi's Instagram account has over 425 million followers.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Messi mentioned, "When it was time to receive the World Cup, I felt that the trophy was calling to me, saying, ‘Come and hold me now, you can touch me.’” When asked if he had rewatched the World Cup final, Messi replied, "Yes, sometimes I watch the highlights or some clips, but not the whole match."
He added, "Since December 18, we can say we are world champions. It was a wonderful day that I dreamed of a lot in my career, and in the end, it came true. I slept well and felt more relaxed." He continued, "Many wanted Argentina to win. It is clear that everyone wanted their national team to be champions first, and because they were eliminated, they supported Argentina because they wanted me to be a world champion. I heard that for a long time; before it even started, people wanted me to win the World Cup. I don't think anything like that has ever happened. All that energy made it happen in the end."
Messi shared, "I told my family that it was over after a long time, a lot of suffering, because there were times I suffered a lot with the national team, many disappointments, always very close but never happening. I received criticism of all colors for a long time, and I know my family suffered the same as I did, if not more, they always wanted to show me that they were strong."
He concluded, "But I know they were suffering a lot inside, not just because it didn’t happen, but because of the harsh things said about me, which went beyond football. That truly bothered and hurt me. We won the Copa America, we won the World Cup; that's it, there’s nothing left, it’s over."
