Argentina is still basking in the glory of their 2022 World Cup triumph – and deservedly so.
Led by Lionel Messi, the team claimed their first championship victory since 1986 in a thrilling final against France that may go down as one of the tournament’s finest moments.
Now, the South American champions are enjoying a long-awaited homecoming, playing friendly matches against Panama and Curacao during the international break.
After a considerable wait, Messi has at last achieved what he has longed to do: follow in the footsteps of his greatest hero, Diego Armando Maradona.
The significance of their World Cup victory has prompted Nicolas Otamendi, former Manchester City defender, to commemorate it with a new tattoo – a move that has even earned praise from his teammate and tournament MVP, Lionel Messi.
Otamendi, who played in every game for Argentina during the competition, unveiled the tattoo on his official Instagram account last Thursday. The Benfica center-back’s tattoo pays homage to their triumph at the 2022 World Cup.
Here’s a look at it…
Image: Otamendi’s World Cup tattoo
Nicolas Otamendi’s new tattoo 🤯🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/v3tDXhg986
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) March 30, 2023
It’s safe to say that Otamendi’s football-inspired tattoo is a real stunner – one that has earned widespread admiration, including from his teammate and soccer legend Lionel Messi.
Messi was quick to show his appreciation for Otamendi’s new ink after the defender revealed it on Instagram, sharing a story about it on his own account shortly thereafter.
As far as football-themed tattoos go, it’s certainly one of the most impressive ones out there.
In it,the Paris Saint-Germain superstar wrote (roughly translated): “I saw many incredible things made of me and of the cup, but for a teammate, a friend like Otamendi to get a tattoo like this is something more than special. Thank you a lot Ota!!”
Image: Messi’s response to Otamendi’s tattoo
Fair play, Leo.
The man is basking in the glory of World Cup success, and he’s not going to stop any time soon.
For Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, the past week was just another opportunity to break more records.
The Barcelona icon scored a hat-trick in the first half of Argentina’s 7-0 demolition of Curacao, becoming just the third player in history to score 100 or more goals for his national team.
Messi’s current tally stands at 102 goals, which puts him 20 goals behind his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo and only seven goals away from matching the record of Iran’s Ali Daei. With Messi’s stated goal of playing in the 2026 World Cup, it remains to be seen how many more goals he will add to his tally before he hangs up his boots.