'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgEDBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQFBhESEyEUAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBBEBAQADAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAREAAhIDIVH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AJ9nYZsIsSwSpOYM2k1upi6Ou3i5F0V0JIZ+PvhqSLqjVtwomXK3oEg5AfZKNg3tKVZqcXlStYz2rcPxs1kJ8hn/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
It's no secret that legend Khabib Nurmagomedov is a big fan of soccer. 'The Eagle' was in the stands at the Lusail Stadium when Lionel Messi's Argentina secured World Cup glory in Qatar.
The former undefeated UFC lightweight champion expressed his delight with the high-octane final, posting the winning penalty of the tournament on Instagram. The title of the post read:
"Verified. Best game ever. Best tournament ever. Congratulations Argentina 👏👏👏 Thank you so much Qatar."
After a highly competitive 120 minutes of soccer madness, the scores were all tied at three goals apiece between defending champions France and Messi's Argentina.
However, when it came to penalties, 'La Albicelestes' came out on top, clinching their third FIFA World Cup. Adding a glimmer to the already joyous occasion is the fact that the result marked Lionel Messi's first-ever World Cup win.
The 35-year-old also won the tournament's golden ball and found the net seven times during the championship. With his World Cup exploits, the soccer legend is expected to be one of the favorites to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or.
French talisman Kylian Mbappé was bestowed the golden boot. The 22-year-old scored eight times during the Qatar-held tournament. The PSG striker also scored a hat-trick in the final, becoming the second player in history to achieve the unique feat.
When Khabib Nurmagomedov said that soccer was his first love
Former Undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is a fanatical soccer fan. In a video uploaded to The Fighter YouTube channel, the MMA legend can be seen detailing his love for the sport.
During the interview, Nurmagomeodv shared that soccer was his first love and he would love to play professionally given the right opportunities:
"A lot of football clubs have offered me but I have to little bit become football shape because like football shape is different than MMA... If some clubs offer me [a contract], if they make me interested I'm going to accept it... I love football... [Football] this is my first love."
The 34-year-old added that even though he preferred the English Premier League over La Liga, Real Madrid is his favorite club:
"Like I think English Premier League is the best league in the world... I follow all [teams, like] Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United... But my best team is Real Madrid, but for watching English Premier League is the best."
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov detail his love for soccer below:
