Lionel Messi turned 39 on Wednesday, surrounded by his teammates from the Argentine National Team at their training camp in Kansas, amid the ongoing . He shared the intimate celebration in an emotional video posted on Instagram that garnered over 12.5 million views in just a few hours.
The entire team surprised the captain with an initiative sponsored by Adidas: each player received a personalized shirt featuring a photo with Messi and a dedicated letter on the back, showcasing images that highlight historic moments of the national team, from the celebrations of Qatar 2022 to qualifying matches.
Among the most talked-about photos was one of Rodrigo De Paul, who chose to share an embrace with Messi during the celebrations of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The celebration also included a birthday cake and an intimate gathering with players and coaching staff.
In the message that accompanied the reel, the Argentine captain stated: "Thank you to my country and to everyone for all the greetings. Each year they surpass themselves and move me even more."
He also expressed gratitude to those around him, both on and off the field: "Thank you to my family and friends who are always there. And thanks to my teammates for this very special gift. It is a great pleasure to experience all of this and to be able to share it with you."
His wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, posted an emotional congratulatory message on Instagram with previously unseen photos of the couple and their three children —Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro— which garnered over 5.8 million likes. “We already have everything we need because we have you. I love you infinitely,” Roccuzzo wrote.
The birthday arrived during a moment of sporting euphoria for Messi and Argentina. On June 16, in their World Cup debut against Algeria (3-0 in Kansas City), the Rosario player scored his first hat trick in World Cup history, reaching 16 goals and tying the all-time record of Miroslav Klose.
Six days later, on June 22, against Austria (2-0), Messi scored two more goals and became the all-time top scorer in World Cup history with 18 goals, definitively surpassing Klose's record.
Argentina qualified for the round of 16 as the leader of their group, with the next match scheduled for June 28 or 29. This anniversary marked the 13th time that Messi has celebrated his birthday with the national team during his career: “It’s something beautiful to go out and compete against anyone knowing that I have them by my side,” Messi concluded in his message to his teammates.
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