"The first thing that occurred to me was to give him a hug" - Manchester United star explains what he told Lionel Messi after winning FIFA World Cup

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez has opened up on his post-match interaction with Lionel Messi following Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup final triumph against France earlier last year.

Messi, 35, completed his trophy collection after guiding La Albiceleste to their third FIFA World Cup win earlier in December. He scored seven goals and laid out three assists in seven matches in Qatar, becoming the first player to bag the Golden Ball award twice in the process.

During the regulation time of the summit clash, the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star scored twice to add to Les Bleus' pain. He also converted one penalty during the shootout after the contest was tied at 3-3.

Speaking to ESPN, Martinez claimed that he hugged Messi after the conclusion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. He elaborated:

"I found Leo and the first thing that occurred to me was to give him a hug. I think I told him, thank you, that I loved him a lot."

Sharing his thoughts on their world triumph, Martinez added:

"It is something unique, full of happiness. We have made many Argentines happy. We have changed their lives, it is an enormous pride. When we arrived in Buenos Aires, we saw so many people celebrating. I never saw anything like that. It was also seen in Qatar. When you remember that, a smile comes to you."

Meanwhile, the record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is expected to return to first-team training with PSG in the first week of January. He is currently celebrating the FIFA World Cup triumph in his homeland.

Ex-Manchester United defender says Lionel Messi is greatest footballer of all time

Speaking to BeMyBet, former Manchester United defender Paul Parker stated that Lionel Messi is the greatest player to have ever graced the sport after his recent 2022 FIFA World Cup victory. He said:

"He is the greatest of all time. What he has done throughout so many years is absolutely crazy, and I really respect him a lot. It has to be him. But the old Ronaldo... Ronaldo Nazario, was definitely up there. Week in and day out, he was just playing with his opponents."

Parker continued:

"I loved to watch him. I never watched Diego Maradona play for his club, only on YouTube and of course I watched him for his national team. He was amazing, but I will still put Messi as the best ever."

So far, Messi has registered 793 goals and 387 assists in 1003 matches for Argentina, Barcelona, and PSG, lifting 42 trophies in the process.