<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">Lionel Messi won the World Cup because the sparkling solid gold trophy picked him to lift it, the Argentine star said in a radio interview aired on Monday.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The 35-year-old inspired his country to World Cup glory last month by scoring two goals and a penalty in the South Americans' shoot-out triumph over previous holders France following a thrilling 3-3 draw in Qatar.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The cup called out to me, it told me: come and grab me, now you can touch me," Messi told the Argentine Urbana Play radio station.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I saw it sparkling in that beautiful stadium and I didn't hesitate" to kiss it, he added, referring to the stunning Lusail Stadium in Doha, where the final was played.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Messi finally lifted the trophy in his fifth and final World Cup tournament, having lost in the 2014 final to Germany.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He also played in three losing Copa America finals before finally clinching that trophy in 2021.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"After so much suffering and lost finals, God kept it for me," said Messi of the World Cup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He thus became the first Argentina captain since Diego Maradona in 1986 to lift the World Cup.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I would have liked Maradona to hand me the cup, so he could at least see Argentina champions."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Maradona died of a heart attack two years ago.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"From up above he gave me strength, as did so many people who love me."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many people expected Messi to retire, at least from international duty, after the Qatar triumph but he decided to continue so he could take to the field with his teammates as world champions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, he admitted that the end was close after a glory-laden career that saw him also win four Champions League titles and 10 La Liga crowns with Barcelona, and a Ligue 1 trophy with Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the Ballon d'Or a record seven times.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"That's it, there's nothing left, I've achieved everything with the national team, with Barcelona, individually," he said. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>