Messi gets a unique Brazilian honor
The sports oversight authority in the state of Rio de Janeiro decided to invite Argentine Lionel Messi to perpetuate his foot in the Walk of Fame, like the former stars who led their teams to crown the World Cup title.
Messi led the Argentine national team, to achieve its third title in its history and the first title for the Argentine star, after Tango's victory over France in the final of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, with a penalty shootout.
Messi deservedly won the best player award, and this World Cup is considered the last for Messi, who confirmed his continuation in the national team, but he will not be present in the 2026 edition.
Messi will be the eighth foreigner to immortalize his feet in the "Maracana" stadium, and an official invitation arrived to the Argentine Football Association on Monday, calling on Messi to leave his feet on the field.
And if Messi agrees, he will be the first Argentine to record his feet in this walkway.
"After all that superstar Messi has shown in world football, it will be an honor for the stadium to stand on his feet," said Adriano Santos, head of the supervisory board.
And he continued, “Lionel Messi has already shown his importance on and off the field. He is a player who has been at the highest level in the history of football for years, and this World Cup victory is just the culmination of a beautiful and victorious career. It is fair that he be honored after all. Messi is a genius.”
This is the second time that the Argentine star has received the invitation after 2019 during the Copa America competition in Brazil, but it did not happen.
There are only seven foreign players on the Walk of Fame in Maracanã, and they are "Uruguayan Alcides Gygia, (Brazilian executioner in the 1950 World Cup), Chilean Elias Figueroa, (Idol International), Romarito Baraujay, (Adoration of Fluminense), Serbian Petkovic, (with passing through many Among the clubs in Brazil and the idol of Flamengo), the Portuguese Eusebio, the German Franz Beckenbauer, and the Uruguayan Loco Abreu, (the star of Botafogo).
