Messi becomes 9th player to win WC, Champions League, Ballon d'Or

His WC post becomes most-liked on Instagram

FE Team | Published: December 21, 2022 21:27:53

Lionel Messi has become the ninth player to win the World Cup, Champions League and Ballon d'Or after finally winning the showpiece in his last game for Argentina, report agencies.
Messi, 35, captained Argentina to their first World Cup victory in 36 years by beating France on penalties at Lusail Stadium on Sunday last. It was an unpredictable and tense game in Qatar, with Messi scoring a brace and Kylian Mbappe hitting a hat-trick.
Messi has been a Champions League and Ballon d'Or winner for more than 13 years but he's had to wait to become a world champion. The tournament in Qatar was his fifth and final attempt to lift the famous trophy after losing 1-0 to Germany in the final in 2014.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward has won the Ballon d'Or a record seven times, the Champions League four times and, finally, the World Cup. Messi is the favourite to win next year's Ballon d'Or after his efforts in Qatar, scoring seven goals and providing three assists.
Only eight other players have won all three honours. The first to do so was an Englishman, as Bobby Charlton won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or in 1966 - beating Germany 4-2 in the final - before lifting the European Cup with Manchester United two years later.
Then came two Germans. Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Franz Beckenbauer won three European Cups with Bayern Munich and lifted the World Cup with West Germany in 1974, where they defeated Johan Cryuff's Netherlands in the final. Beckenbauer's club and international team-mate Gerd Muller also joined the exclusive group when West Germany were victorious in 1974. Three three-time European Cup winner won his Ballon d'Or in 1970 after scoring 38 goals in 33 Bundesliga games that term.
Italian legend Paolo Rossi was the next man to achieve the feat, although it happened in sad circumstances. He was part of the Juventus side that won the European Cup final against Liverpool in 1985 when 39 people lost their lives in the Heysel Stadium disaster. Rossi won the World Cup and Ballon d'Or in 1982 after Italy's 3-1 win over West Germany.
Zinedine Zidane was the first man of the Champions League era to join the exclusive club by scoring a superb volley in Real Madrid's 2-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 final. He was also part of the France side that defeated Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup final, which earned him the Ballon d'Or. Zidane scored twice in the latter game.
Rivaldo was given the Ballon d'Or a year after Zidane for hitting a brace in Brazil's 3-0 win against Uruguay in the Copa America final. He won the World Cup three years later before winning the Champions League with Italian giants AC Milan in 2003. Rivaldo's Brazil team-mate Ronaldinho was also part of the Brazil side that defeated Germany 2-0 in the 2002 World Cup final. His Ballon d'Or came in 2005 and he won the Champions League in 2006 after Barcelona defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the final.
Last but by no means least, prior to Messi, is Kaka , another member of Brazil's 2002 squad. His Ballon d'Or was clinched in 2007 after Milan defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Champions League final. An honourable mention goes to Brazilian icon Ronaldo , who won two World Cups and the Ballon d'Or twice.
Meanwhile, Messi set yet another record on Tuesday after his Instagram post celebrating Argentina's World Cup win became the most-liked on the platform, breaking a nearly four-year-old record held by a photo of an egg.
Having led Argentina to their first World Cup in 36 years with victory over France on Sunday, Messi proceeded to make more history off the pitch with his photo gallery on Instagram, which racked up more than 65 million likes at the time of writing.