'Diego encouraged us from heaven': Messi believes Maradona's blessings powered Argentina's World Cup win

Lionel Messi believes Diego Maradona "encouraged us from heaven" as Argentina beat France in Sunday's World Cup final.

La Albiceleste ended a 36-year wait to win their third World Cup with a penalty shoot-out victory over the reigning champions at Lusail Stadium.

The teams drew 3-3 after extra time, with a Messi double and Angel Di Maria strike cancelled out by a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick as a gripping tie went all the way to spot-kicks.

However, Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni failed to convert their penalties as Argentina won the shoot-out 4-2 to earn Messi his first World Cup in dramatic fashion.

The win was especially emotional with the World Cup in Qatar being the first since Maradona — who famously led Argentina to glory at the 1986 World Cup — passed away in November 2020.

After losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany because of a 113th-minute Mario Gotze winner, and the 2018 World Cup to France, Messi was glad the same fate did not befall Argentina against the powerful Les Bleus.

Messi released a message on Instagram, saying:

"I always dreamed of being a world champion and I didn't want to stop trying, even knowing that maybe I would never give up.

"This cup we got is also from all those who did not make it in the previous World Cups we played, like in 2014 in Brazil, where they all deserved it for how they fought until the same final, worked hard and wanted it as much as I did."

"It's also from Diego who encouraged us from heaven."

"And of all those who spent the time always supporting the national team without looking so much at the result but the desire we always put into it, also when things didn't go as we wanted," he added.

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