Hours before taking to the streets of Buenos Aires with the Argentine national team to be greeted by millions of fans, Lionel Messi published an open letter on Instagram talking about his journey to winning the world title in the Qatar Cup.
In an excerpt, he says: “I always had the dream of becoming world champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even knowing that it could never happen”.
Along with the letter, he posted a video of his career from his beginnings in the province of Rosario to his glory in Europe and with the national team. “From Grandoli to the World Cup in Qatar, almost 30 years have passed. It has been almost three decades in which the ball has given me many joys and also some sadness”, he wrote, citing the club in his neighborhood where he started playing soccer, in 1993.
The number 10 also thanked the fans, Maradona and his teammates, who helped him achieve his biggest dream. And he lamented the defeat in the 2014 World Cup final, in Brazil, when he had come closest to the cup.
Check out the letter in full:
From Grandoli to the World Cup in Qatar, almost 30 years have passed. It’s been almost three decades in which the ball has brought me many joys and also some sadness. I always had the dream of becoming world champion and I didn’t want to stop trying, even though I knew it might never happen.
This Cup we won is also for all those who didn’t win it in the previous World Cups we played, like in 2014 in Brazil, where everyone deserved it for the way they fought until the final, worked hard and wanted it as much as I did… And we deserved it even in that damn final.
It’s also from Diego who encouraged us from heaven. And of all those who always bankrolled the national team without looking so much at the result but at the will we always had, even when things didn’t go the way we wanted.
And, of course, it’s the whole beautiful group that was formed and the coaching staff and all the people in the selection who, being anonymous, work day and night to make it easier for us.
Failure is often part of the journey and learning, and without disappointment it is impossible for success to arrive.
Thank you very much from the heart! Come on Argentina!!!
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