The defining event of Lionel Messi’s career is now the post on Instagram with the most likes.
The image depicts the Argentine superstar grasping the World Cup trophy with both hands while sitting on the shoulders of his former colleague Sergio Aguero in the aftermath of Argentina’s victory over France in the tournament’s championship match on penalties.
Shaun Botterill, a photographer for Getty Images, took the shot and explained to CNN how he had caught it. However, he was not recognised for his work in the story.
Botterill shared his experience, saying, “I nearly got caught, but luckily I got trapped in the correct spot.” “I believe that if the majority of us [photographers] are honest, you always need a touch of luck, and I had a bit on Sunday night,” said the photographer.”
View this post on Instagram
He went on to describe how hard it may be to catch the perfect moment on camera, but he was pleased with the outcomes of his efforts.
“Messi was just there, and he didn’t move too much; sometimes you get pushed about, and he just was doing all the things, one-handed, two hands on the trophy, and he did it all with a smile on his face.” “he added.
“We were in the dark about what was going to take place in the last act. You can make preparations for the trophy lift, but you won’t be able to prepare for the run around, and you won’t be able to predict how hectic it will be. I was definitely no more than two metres away from him at the most. We were quite close.
“It is rather an odd sensation, and it seems a little bit bizarre… It does not happen very frequently that someone is located just where you want them to be, yet he is there. Even his hands are coming up [with the trophy], and I believe the manner that he’s holding it and smiling, he’s clearly had a moment with the people.”
Creating a new high-water mark on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Messi’s post has more than 72 million likes and is continuing to gain popularity, which means it has surpassed the previous record-breaking post of an egg made by advertising executive Chris Godfrey, which has more than 58 million likes at the moment.
In January of 2019, the photo was shared on Instagram with the statement “Let’s achieve a world record together and obtain the most liked post on Instagram. Surpassing the previous record, which was set by Kylie Jenner and stood at 18 million. We have this handled.”
It was in reaction to Jenner’s snapshot from 2018 in which she revealed the birth of her daughter Stormi.
The message that Messi added to his tweet after breaking the record reads in translation, “CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD!!!!!! I can’t believe that despite the fact that I’ve had so many dreams about it and that I’ve desired it so much, I haven’t fallen asleep yet.
“I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my family, to everyone who has supported me, and to everyone who has believed in us. We accomplished what we set out to do, proving once again that Argentines, when they work together and are unified, are capable of doing what they set out to achieve. The credit goes to this collective, which is more important than individuals; it is the power of everyone working together to achieve the same ambition, which was also the desire of every Argentine… We did it!
“Go Argentina! We are going to get together really quickly.”
After uploading an advertisement for Louis Vuitton on Instagram that featured him and Lionel Messi playing chess, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first individual to amass more than 500 million followers on the platform before the beginning of the competition.
Whether Argentina wins or loses the World Cup final, Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time.