CIIA Sports

One word to describe this World Cup so far? 👇

Wow Messi!!! His first ever Hattrick at a World Cup… and now officially ties the record for the most ever World Cup goals! #FIFAWorldCup #Messi

We will never see a player like Messi ever again.

⏱️ 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙-𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘: 🇦🇹 Austria 1-0 Jordan 🇯🇴 Romano Schmid’s stunning strike is the difference so far. 🚀 Can Jordan respond, or will Austria finish the job? 👀 #FIFAWorldCup #WorldCup202

🚨🇦🇹 𝗚𝗢𝗔𝗟 FOR AUSTRIA! Romano Schmid with an absolute ROCKET from outside the box! 💥🚀 No chance for the goalkeeper. ❌🧤 🇦🇹 Austria 1-0 Jordan 🇯🇴 What a way to open the scoring! 🤯🔥 #FIFAWorldCup #WorldCup2026 #Austria #AUTJOR 🇦🇹

🚨📲 𝗡𝗘𝗪: Messi's wife, Antonela, via IG: "Heeeeeeeey Argentina!!! 🇦🇷" "Always with you, Messi, you're unbelievable!!"

so not prepared for the day this man hangs up his boots.

“Maybe this is Messi’s final match in the World Cup and also for his country”, said a commentator after France defeat in 2018. …fast forward to 2026, he’s now: 🏆 Won the World Cup once 🏅 Joint all-time WC top-scorer 🏅 2022 WC Golden Ball ⚽️ 13 WC G/A since 2022 Almost 39.

Wayne Rooney on Lionel Messi crying after scoring in Argentina’s opening World Cup game: 🗣️ “That image tells you everything about what football means to Lionel Messi.” “People see the trophies, the records, the fame... but they don't always see the emotion and pressure that comes with carrying a nation’s hopes.” “This is his sixth World Cup, he has achieved almost everything in football, yet scoring for Argentina on this stage still brings tears to his eyes.” “That’s because it means something. It’s not about statistics, it’s about passion, pride, and representing your country.” “When a player like Messi cries after a goal, you realise he still loves the game as much as he did as a kid.” “Moments like this are why football is the greatest sport in the world.”

🚨 Alexis Mac Allister: "There is no words for Messi... if someone thought that this team was better without Leo, today it became clear that he is the most important. "We have to build a team for him, wherever he feels the most comfortable, so that's what we are doing."

🚨 Leo Messi: "I love playing football, it has been my passion since I was little. And when I'm in good form, I give everything I have on the field." "This is my sixth World Cup, and I still feel like I'm in good shape. Fortunately, I'm doing well, and today we managed to win a tough match. It's important to start the tournament with a victory in the first game, as that's never easy in a World Cup. "We struggled in the first half, but fortunately we overcame that, and in the second half we created a crucial difference. "As for my message to the fans, first of all, I thank them, because they've proven once again that Argentina is an exceptional case. They've filled the stadium again, I don't know if there were 80,000 spectators or more. "I thank them for all the effort they put in; wherever the tournament is, they're always there, whether in Qatar or now in the United States. I know the fans make huge sacrifices. "I hope they enjoy this moment and enjoy what happened today just as much as we do. And I repeat my thanks to them, because the feeling that we're playing on home soil thanks to them always gives us a huge advantage."

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 🏆 𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈 🤝 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐕 𝐊𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄

🚨🗣️ Lionel Scaloni: "Messi will remain the best player in the world as long as he wants to."

Equaling Klose’s record and surpassing Ronaldo Nazario? 🚨 Lionel Messi: “It is a great honor to be able to compete with all these greats, including Ronaldo Nazario, among the players I have watched. "He was one of the greatest players of all time, and yet he is not in first place. So in the end, it’s just a statistic.."

🚨 Leo Messi: “I’m watching Rafa Nadal’s documentary now and I identify with him a lot. We are very similar.” 🎾🤝

• Are you joking with Messi about the records he is breaking? De Paul: "Yes, a little because he doesn't know most of them." "I swear to you that he isn't chasing individual records, but he ends up achieving them all."

🤔🌍 In 2023, *FourFourTwo* released its ranking of the *100 greatest footballers of the 21st century*. From Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to legends who defined an era, the list sparked plenty of debate among fans around the world. 🐐⚽️ Do you agree with the rankings? Who was too high, too low, or left out entirely? 👀🔥 Let's hear your thoughts. ⬇️🗣️

“I cried because of something unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days. I went through some difficult days, but I’m grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it.” "I love playing football, it has been my passion since I was little. And when I'm in good form, I give everything I have on the field." "This is my sixth World Cup, and I still feel like I'm in good shape. Fortunately, I'm doing well, and today we managed to win a tough match. It's important to start the tournament with a victory in the first game, as that's never easy in a World Cup. "We struggled in the first half, but fortunately we overcame that, and in the second half we created a crucial difference. "As for my message to the fans, first of all, I thank them, because they've proven once again that Argentina is an exceptional case. They've filled the stadium again, I don't know if there were 80,000 spectators or more. "I thank them for all the effort they put in; wherever the tournament is, they're always there, whether in Qatar or now in the United States. I know the fans make huge sacrifices. "I hope they enjoy this moment and enjoy what happened today just as much as we do. And I repeat my thanks to them, because the feeling that we're playing on home soil thanks to them always gives us a huge advantage." — Lionel Messi in post-match talk 🗣️

🥹🇦🇷 Ufffff... Photo of the Day. 🐐 Lionel Messi. 🦁 Lionel Scaloni. A warm embrace at the dugout after another special night for Argentina. 💙🤍 Some pictures don't need a caption.