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- Argentina crowned World Champions
- Wild celebrations in Buenos Aires
- Mural painted to commemorate the occasion
WHAT HAPPENED? Messi inspired Argentina to their third World Cup crown at the Qatar 2022 tournament with seven goals and three assists, including a brace in the final on the way to a penalty shootout victory. The moment you lift the World Cup trophy is always special and that has now been immortalised with a mural by an Argentine artist named Maxi Bagnasco in the nation's capital. In the mural, Messi holds the trophy aloft, dressed in a bisht, while Emiliano Martinez is behind him with his arms raised in joy. Paulo Dybala and Rodrigo De Paul also feature at the top.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Bagnasco has revealed that he wanted to paint a mural even before the final and the World Cup glory pushed him to get to work immediately. "I simply went to watch the game and waited for the image. I went out, celebrated a bit, and then went back to work on the image," he said.
He had previously painted a life-size mural of Diego Maradona which was unveiled on October 30, when the 1986 world champion would have turned 62.
WHAT NEXT? Messi is expected to return to competitive action at club level with Paris Saint-Germain against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on December 28.
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