West Ham United: Declan Rice sends message to Lionel Messi after World Cup final
By Daniel Hepburn.
West Ham United captain Declan Rice has publicly hailed Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer of all time with his short but sweet comment on the Argentine’s Instagram post.
The comment read “The best ever” accompanied by two goat emojis, showing Rice has made his mind up on quite possibly the largest debate in the sports world.
Argentina shrugged off the reigning world champions France in an encounter that some are naming the best final to have ever been played in football history. Both sides were neck and neck over 120 minutes, but it was Lionel Scaloni’s side that prevailed from the spot.
Disappointed.
Though Rice would have been itching to play on the biggest stage of football, being able to watch Messi put on that display from home was a fair alternative.
The West Ham United midfielder, alongside his England teammates, will be looking to improve on their performances to book themselves a place in the final come 2026. Four years of hard work can get them there with Rice being the beating heart in Gareth Southgate’s plans.
Messi has not reached the top by winning the most prestigious honour and may well hang up his international boots prematurely. Now 35, the boy from Rosario has cemented his name as the best player to ever grace the pitch.
A vacant hole in his trophy cabinet for World Cup accolades has now been filled and he’s been nothing short of instrumental in every Argentina success story, scoring seven times and assisting a further three times during his time in Qatar.
His international record is a feat in itself. The little magician has racked up 98 goals in total in 172 games. The day Messi decides football is no longer a part of his life will be a damning one for all fans.