Messi’s celebration has caused controversy… The 2022 message is repeated before the World Cup final.

Argentina reached the finals of the 2026 World Cup after a dramatic 2-1 comeback against England in a game in which Lionel Messi turned the table with two crucial assists to send his country into next Sunday’s global showdown against Spain in what is considered the most iconic final in the tournament’s history.

After qualifying, the Argentine star posted a celebratory message on his official Instagram page, which has more than 513 million followers, to celebrate reaching the final. However, the pioneers of social networks noticed a remarkable detail, which is that Messi repeated the same message and the same wording that he used in 2022, after the victory over Croatia in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.

The Argentina captain, despite his immense influence and exceptional status, appears to have opted to stick to the same rituals that saw him win the title in the last edition, in a sign of what some see as a repeat of the same lucky scenario that earned him the first World Cup of his career, this time against a strong and integrated Spain team.

Sunday’s final is particularly historic as it will bring together Barcelona’s past, present and future. The clash will pit 39-year-old Lionel Messi against Lamine Yamal, a 19-year-old Spanish talent, in one of the most anticipated clashes of recent years.

Adding to the symbolism of the match is the iconic photo that brought them together in 2007, when Messi appeared to baby Lamin Yamal at a charity event organized by FC Barcelona. Almost two decades later, they meet on the world’s biggest football stage, competing for the title of the new king of the World Cup.