On December 18th, 2022, Argentina won the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986, thanks to the leadership of soccer superstar Lionel Messi. The finals were held at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, the host country for the tournament. In addition to inspiring his team to victory, Messi also set a new record for the most liked Instagram post in history.

After defeating France in a thrilling penalty shootout at the Lusail Stadium, Messi took to Instagram to share 10 pictures of the celebrations in Qatar. The post, which features the Paris Saint-Germain player lifting the trophy, received a staggering 60 million likes, surpassing the previous record held by an image of an egg. The post also helped Messi surpass 402 million followers on the social media platform.

Before breaking the Instagram record, Messi was also awarded the Golden Ball for the tournament, given to the best player. This marks the second time he has received the award, making him the only player to do so. During the World Cup, Messi scored seven goals and made three assists.

In the caption accompanying the Instagram images, Messi thanked his family, supporters, and teammates, saying, “The merit belongs to this group, which is above individualities, it is the strength of all fighting for the same dream.” The 35-year-old also expressed his disbelief at finally achieving the long-held dream of winning the World Cup.

After the match, Messi and his teammates returned to Argentina, where they were greeted by millions of excited fans in Buenos Aires. The victory marks a fairy tale ending for Messi, who suffered heartbreak in the World Cup final in 2014. The win solidifies his place as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, although Cristiano Ronaldo currently holds the title of the most-followed person on Instagram with a total of 519 million followers.