Lionel Messi joined eight other players, past and present, in the very exclusive ‘Triple Crown’ club after he inspired Argentina to World Cup glory.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or produced a handful of game-changing performances to lead his country to World Cup glory in Qatar, as Argentina held their nerve to beat France 4-2 in a penalty shootout.
After winning football’s most prestigious prize, Messi gained passage to the exclusive ‘Triple Crown’ club, which has just nine members.
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So what is the The ‘Triple Crown’ club? Well, members have all lifted the World Cup, the Champions League and at least one Ballon d’Or.
After winning the Champions League and Ballon d’Or ahead of the 2022 tournament in Qatar, he completed the set after Argentina's historic win.
Brazil legend Kaka welcomed Messi into the club by posting a picture on his Instagram story, with a caption that read: “Welcome to the club, Leo Messi.”
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Other members of the ‘Triple Crown’ club include Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton, who won the World Cup with England in 1966, the 1968 European Cup with United and the 1966 Ballon d’Or.
Germany great Franz Beckenbauer was a World Cup winner in 1974, whilst winning three European Cups with Bayern Munich and was named Ballon d’Or winner in 1972 and 1976.
Another German legend, Gerd Muller, is also part of the club, having won the World Cup in 1974. He also won two European Cups in a row from 1974 to 1976, as well as the Ballon d’Or in 1970.
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Paolo Rossi is the only Italian representative after getting his hands on the 1982 World Cup, the 1985 European Cup and the Ballon d’Or in 1982.
Zinedine Zidane is another member of the club having won the 1998 World Cup, the Champions League in 2002 and the Ballon d’Or in 1998.
And finally, Brazil trio Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Kaka are all members of the club as they won the 2002 World Cup, as well as multiple Champions League and Ballon d’Ors between them.
Topics: Lionel Messi, FIFA World Cup, Champions League, Ballon d'Or
Marcus Chan