LIONEL MESSI was forced to choke back tears after reflecting on his 2021 Copa America win with Argentina.
The victory was Messi’s first trophy win with his country and he got emotional when shown the scenes after the 1-0 final win over Brazil.
The short clip shown to Messi shows the Paris Saint-Germain star applauding his adoring fans as they chant his name.
And a choked-up Messi could barely get his words out as he tried to describe his feelings.
After composing himself he said: “Wow. I think it was the most beautiful thing that happened to me in my career.”
Messi played a pivotal role throughout the tournament and although he did not score in the final, he was key for Argentina.
READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
His leadership skills came to the forefront in the dressing room ahead of the final as Messi gave a captivating speech in front of his team-mates.
Former Manchester United star Angel Di Maria, who scored the winner in the final, said: “Before the start of each game, he (Messi) spoke.
“But this last speech was different, he lost his mind.”
Messi, 35, will hope to emulate those famous scenes at the Maracana in Qatar next month.
Most read in Football
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
The former Barcelona star reached the World Cup final in 2014 and will be aiming to go one step further in what could be his final World Cup.
Argentina are one of the favourites to win the tournament and are 35 games unbeaten.
And with a group consisting of Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, Messi and co. will be expecting to progress to the knock-out stages.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
