“I got everything in football” – Lionel Messi reacts emotionally to being honoured with statue next to Maradona and Pele

Lionel Messi was emotional after he was honored with a statue by CONMEBOL on Monday, placed alongside Brazil legend Pele and Argentina's Diego Maradona's statues.

The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star led Argentina to glory in Qatar and ended the country's long wait for their third FIFA World Cup title. He scored twice in the final and walked away with the Golden Ball as well at the end of the tournament.

Speaking at the ceremony organized by CONMEBOL, Messi revealed that he wanted to thank God for helping him win everything in football. He said:

"I'm fulfilled with this; it was what I was missing. Thank God I got everything in football. I keep these cups in the museum at home. Thanks to CONMEBOL for this tribute to us and to Sole for the song, we listen to it a lot and it reminds me of when she sang it to Diego. We are living very beautiful moments, we were lucky to return to Argentina after the World Cup and we received many expressions of affection. It was different, that's how the people of Argentina show it."

He added:

"In many parts of the world, they were happy for us. The last thing I want to say is that beyond the love that this group receives, I think we are still not aware of what it means. We think about what is coming and not what we did, this is for life. I had never thought about this, my dream as a boy was to be a professional football player. I always tried to improve myself and want more. I had many defeats, but I always looked forward. I always wanted to go for a win, that's the most important thing. Fighting for your dreams, the ball is the most beautiful thing there is."

What next for Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi has not announced his retirement from international football and is keen to play more matches for the national team. He scored twice against Panama last week when the FIFA World Cup winners stook the pitch for the first time since lifting the trophy.

The Argentine has a tough decision to make later this year as he is heading towards the end of his contract at PSG. He reportedly has offers from Barcelona, Inter Miami CF and Saudi Arabian sides on his table.

Inter Milan are also said to be keeping tabs on the situation, while extending his stay at PSG has also not been ruled out.