With 85 days to go until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, anticipation for the next edition of the tournament has millions of fans around the world on the edge of their seats.
Meanwhile, the federation decided to surprise them all by sharing a never-before-seen video revisiting a special moment from the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Lionel Messi’s Argentina claimed the trophy.
A new POV of Messi lifting the trophy
The road to the final for Lionel Scaloni’s team did not start off on the right foot. Argentina finished first in Group C, but first lost to Saudi Arabia 2-1. They then defeated Mexico and Poland 2-0. Later, in the Round of 16, they beat Australia 2-1 and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals in a penalty shootout. In the semifinals, they also secured a 3-0 victory over Croatia.
In the final, they tied 3-3 against Kylian Mbapp’s France and once again faced a nail-biting penalty shootout that ended 4-2 in favor of the Albiceleste, bringing home their third World Cup in history (1978, 1986, and 2022) and Lionel Messi’s first after five tournaments.
For this reason, the image of the Argentine captain lifting the trophy and celebrating with his teammates has been etched in the minds and hearts of his fans and has gone viral around the world. Now, FIFA has decided to release a never-before-seen video of that moment.
On its official X account (formerly Twitter), the International Federation of Association Football shared a 25-second clip filmed from the side of the stage where the award ceremony took place at Lusail Stadium, showing Leo approaching his team with the trophy in his hands and the subsequent celebration.
Of course, the video also captured the hundreds of fans watching this historic moment in soccer, some of whom immortalized it by pointing their cell phone cameras at the “10.”
Now, looking ahead to the next edition to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, Argentina will arrive as the defending champion and must defend its title. In Group J, it will face Algeria on Tuesday, June 16, at Kansas City Stadium. Then, at Dallas Stadium, it will play against Austria on Monday, June 22, and against Jordan on Saturday, June 27.
Meanwhile, as it prepares for this tournament and following the cancellation of the Finalissima against the Spain national team, the squad led by Lionel Scaloni will play a friendly match at home before the upcoming World Cup.
The AFA confirmed that they will host the Guatemala National Football Team on March 31 at La Bombonera Stadium.
