On December 18, 2022, Lionel Andrés Messi firmly established himself as the most decorated footballer since Pelé and certainly the greatest player this century. It was the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final in Qatar, and the 5’ 7” left-footed wizard had guided his native Argentina all the way through the group stage and knockout rounds with the youthful exuberance unbefitting of an aging veteran with tens of thousands of miles on his 35-year-old legs. Standing in the way of La Albiceleste from sport’s ultimate prize was Leo’s Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Kylian Mbappé, and a loaded France squad looking to repeat as World Cup champions.
With the weight of a nation on his shoulders, Messi delivered a clutch performance for the ages by scoring twice in a thrilling Argentina victory secured on penalties (4-2) after two wild extra-time periods left the match nodded at three. Messi calmly converted his PK for La Albiceleste to add to his brace and cap off a storybook ending to his National Team career. He tallied seven goals in the tournament (second only to Mbappe’s eight after the Frenchman’s hat trick in the Final) and became the first to score in every World Cup round since the Round of 16 format was introduced in 1986. Ironically, that was the last time Argentina had won the World Cup – thanks to the heroics of Leo’s childhood idol, Diego Maradona.
Presented here is one of the hobby’s most significant soccer offerings from the modern era, an official Lionel Messi Argentina match jersey issued by the National Team for him to wear in the epic 2022 FIFA World Cup Final. According to a trusted source, only five Argentina shirts were issued by the team to Messi for the Final match. Photos from the game indicate that Messi wore one in the first half and one in the second half, leaving just three or fewer unworn match jerseys with the team kit manager. (Leo may have worn one of these in pregame warm-ups.)
The classic white and light blue striped jersey has the AFA [Argentine Football Association] crest and two gold stars (representing the nation’s two previous World Cup titles) embossed on the left chest. The match details – “France 18 December 2022 Lusail Stadium” – appear on the center of the chest in small black font, with the Adidas logo on the right chest. Messi’s iconic No. “10” appears on the front and larger on the reverse, with “MESSI” straight across the upper back all in black in the team’s custom font. On the right sleeve is the official “FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022” patch and on the left sleeve is FIFA’s “Football Unites the World” patch. A gold patch of the Sol de Mayo [Sun of May] – Argentina’s national emblem that appears on its country flag – is embossed on the upper back. The collar, shoulders, sleeve ends, sides, and back hem are all trimmed in black. A triangular “Adidas Authentic 2022” label appears on the front right tail, with a globe symbol and “HEAT. RDY” on the front left tail. All letters, numbers and patches are properly pressed onto the breathable fabric of the light-weight pullover shirt. Accurate wash instructions tags indicating 100% polyester and “Made in Argentina” in English, Spanish and Portuguese are found inside the front left tail.
The Adidas manufacturer’s label inside the collar is very important to distinguish this shirt from a retail store model or replica. The medium size (“M”) matches the documented size worn by Messi during the 2022 World Cup. “Hecho en Argentina [Made in Argentina]” is a critical identifier along with, more specifically, the order in which each country’s size is listed – “ARG M” must be mentioned first followed by the others in the second row. In summary, the overall style, cut, colors, font, and tagging are all matches to Argentina 2022 World Cup home jerseys, and most importantly, to Lionel Messi himself. Getty image 1446506551 shows one of Messi’s game jerseys hanging at his locker prior to Argentina’s Round of 16 match. The size “M” within the collar tagging is clearly visible and you can barely make out the “ARG M” leading off the second row as well.
In 2004, Messi was called up to FC Barcelona’s first team to compete against the world's best in La Liga at the age of 17. Until joining PSG in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barca where he won a record 34 trophies including 10 La Liga, 7 Copa del Rey, and 4 UEFA Champions League titles. His 672 goals with FCB (all competitions) are the most ever for one club, a record that will never be topped. His 102 international goals are the most ever by a South American, surpassing both Pelé and Maradona. Leo has won every award under the sun including a record 7 Ballon d'Or (FIFA World Player of the Year) trophies. And after leading La Albiceleste to 2021 Copa América and 2022 World Cup titles, his resumé of accolades is complete from both an individual and team standpoint.
To many, Messi is now the G.O.A.T. and this jersey represents his final crowning achievement from perhaps the greatest football/fútbol/soccer match ever played. It was sourced by our consignor from a member of the Argentina National Team who has requested anonymity.
It should be noted that, shortly after the match ended, each Argentinian player was handed a similar looking a postgame victory celebration shirt to be worn during the trophy presentation and for team photo opps. The most obvious difference is the gold FIFA shield logo above the front No. 10 instead of the opponent, date, and site.