He couldn't wait. Usually, there’s a protocol to these things, a rigid, rehearsed ceremony where the players walk past the trophy, get their medals, and then—only then—do they get to lift the gold. But on December 18, 2022, Lionel Messi didn't care about the script. As he walked up to collect his Player of the Tournament award, he saw it. The solid gold trophy was just sitting there on a pedestal, gleaming under the floodlights of Lusail Stadium. He detoured. He leaned in. The image of Messi kissing World Cup trophy before he was even supposed to touch it became the defining photo of the century.
It was impulsive. It was honest.
Honestly, if you watched his career for the last two decades, you knew that wasn't just a kiss. It was an exhale. For years, the weight of Argentina’s expectations had looked like it might actually break him. He’d retired once. He’d lost three finals in three years between 2014 and 2016. People in Buenos Aires used to question if he even felt the shirt. Then, in one sweaty night in Qatar, all that noise just stopped.
The Story Behind the Most Famous Photo in Football
When we talk about Messi kissing World Cup trophy, we’re actually talking about two different moments. The first was that "sneak attack" kiss when he was supposed to be just picking up the Golden Ball. The second was the official lift. But the first one is the one that went viral on every social media platform known to man. It felt like a guy finally getting to take a breath after holding it for twenty years.
Did you notice how he stroked the trophy first? It was almost like he was checking if it was real. FIFA’s trophy is made of 18-carat gold and weighs about 6.1 kilograms. It’s heavy. It’s cold. But to Messi, in that moment, it was clearly the only thing in the room.
The context matters. Argentina had just finished what many call the greatest final in history. A 3-3 draw against France that felt more like a heavyweight boxing match than a soccer game. Kylian Mbappé had scored a hat-trick. Messi had scored twice. It went to penalties. The emotional exhaustion was at a peak. When Gonzalo Montiel scored the winning penalty, Messi didn't run. He fell to his knees.
Most people don't realize that the "World Cup" he kissed initially wasn't even the one he took home. FIFA is notoriously protective of the original trophy. The one he kissed on the podium is the authentic 1974 design by Silvio Gazzaniga. After the ceremony, that one goes back into a safe in Zurich. The players get a gold-plated bronze replica. But in that split second on the stage, he had the real deal.
🔗 Read more: Who Won the Golf Tournament This Weekend: Richard T. Lee and the 2026 Season Kickoff
The Instagram Record That Broke the Internet
We can't talk about this without mentioning the digital fallout. Messi posted a gallery of photos from the night, led by a shot of him hoisting the trophy, but the carousel included several angles of the celebration. It became the most-liked post in the history of Instagram, overtaking... a picture of an egg. Seriously. An egg.
As of now, that post has over 75 million likes.
It’s wild to think about the logistics of that photo. The photographer, Shaun Botterill, had been covering World Cups since 1986. He was positioned in a spot where he captured the raw intimacy of the moment. It wasn't a staged Nike ad. It was a guy who had finally won the only thing that mattered to him.
Why the Kiss Almost Didn't Happen
There’s a lot of "what ifs" here. If Randal Kolo Muani scores in the 123rd minute—that famous save by Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez—the image of Messi kissing World Cup never exists. Instead, we get a photo of Messi looking at the ground, probably retiring from the national team in silence. The margins in sports are stupidly thin.
And then there was the Bisht.
You remember the black mesh robe? The Emir of Qatar placed it over Messi’s shoulders right before the official trophy lift. It was controversial. Some felt it covered up the iconic blue and white stripes of the Argentina jersey at the exact moment the "money shot" was supposed to happen. But in a weird way, it made the earlier, "unofficial" kiss even more important. That first kiss was Messi in his pure kit, no robes, no protocol. Just the player and the prize.
💡 You might also like: The Truth About the Memphis Grizzlies Record 2025: Why the Standings Don't Tell the Whole Story
People like Peter Drury, the commentator whose voice basically soundtracks our dreams now, described it as the "beautiful game's" final chapter. Messi had conquered the world. He had nothing left to prove. He had surpassed the ghost of Diego Maradona in the eyes of many, though that's a debate that will probably rage in Argentinian bars until the end of time.
What the Critics (Actually) Said
Not everyone was a fan of the theater. Some purists thought the way the tournament ended felt a bit too "scripted" for Messi. But if you look at the stats, there’s no script that accounts for what he did.
- 7 goals.
- 3 assists.
- Scored in every single knockout round.
- Man of the Match in the final.
You can't fake that. Even the French press, who are notoriously harsh (L'Équipe once gave him a 3/10 rating for a PSG game), had to admit he was the undisputed king that night.
The Cultural Impact in Argentina
In Rosario, Messi’s hometown, the image of him kissing the trophy is now a mural. It’s everywhere. It’s on skin—the number of "Messi kissing trophy" tattoos in South America probably tripled the local economy of tattoo parlors in 2023.
It changed the national psyche. Argentina was going through (and still is) a massive economic crisis with record-high inflation. The World Cup didn't fix the economy, obviously. But for a few weeks, that image of Messi kissing World Cup was the only thing anyone cared about. It was a collective sigh of relief for 45 million people.
Beyond the Photo: What Happened to the Trophy?
A fun bit of trivia: there was actually a "fake" trophy floating around on the pitch during the celebrations. A couple from Buenos Aires had a high-quality replica made for luck, and it ended up in the hands of the players. For about 45 minutes, Messi was actually parading around with a fake, thinking it was the real one.
📖 Related: The Division 2 National Championship Game: How Ferris State Just Redrew the Record Books
Angel Di Maria was the one who eventually pointed it out to him, showing him the security markings on the actual FIFA trophy. If you look at some of the pitch-side photos, you can see them laughing about it. Messi didn't care. He’d already kissed the real one on the stage.
Understanding the "GOAT" Debate Post-Qatar
Before this moment, the argument against Messi was always the same: "He hasn't won the World Cup." Pele had three. Maradona had 1986. Cristiano Ronaldo had the Euros.
The kiss ended the debate for a huge portion of the footballing world. When he leaned down to touch the gold, he wasn't just winning a tournament; he was completing a resume. It’s rare in life that you get a "perfect" ending. Usually, legends fade away. They play too long. They lose their pace. Messi somehow managed to peak at 35, carry his team, and walk off into the sunset (or, well, Miami).
Practical Insights: Why This Moment Still Ranks
If you're wondering why people are still searching for Messi kissing World Cup years later, it’s because it’s the "Moon Landing" of sports photography. It represents the pinnacle of individual achievement.
If you want to experience the "Messi effect" yourself or understand the gravity of that moment, here is how you can actually engage with that history:
- Visit the FIFA Museum: If you’re ever in Zurich, you can see the actual trophy he kissed. They keep the "Winner’s Trophy" there, which is the one used in the ceremony.
- Watch the "Messi's World Cup: Rise of a Legend" Documentary: Apple TV+ put out a four-part series that shows the behind-the-scenes footage of the final. You see him in the tunnel. You see the nerves. It makes the kiss feel much more earned.
- Check the Metadata: For the photography nerds, look up Shaun Botterill’s equipment and settings for that night. Capturing a moving target under stadium lights with that much emotion is a masterclass in sports journalism.
Basically, that kiss wasn't just about a trophy. It was the end of a long, painful, and eventually beautiful journey. It was a man saying thank you to a game that had given him everything, but had also taken quite a lot out of him.
The next time you see that photo, remember it wasn't supposed to happen then. He was supposed to wait. He just couldn't.
Next Steps for Fans:
Go back and watch the 120th to 123rd minute of the final again. Pay attention to Messi's face. He looks terrified. Then watch the ceremony. The contrast is where the real story lives. You can also track the "replica trophy" story via Argentinian outlets like Clarín—they interviewed the couple who smuggled the fake trophy onto the pitch, and it’s a hilarious bit of sports history. Finally, if you're a collector, look for the official AFA (Argentine Football Association) commemorative books; they contain high-res prints of the "unfiltered" kiss before the Bisht was applied.