Rafael Nadal receives special jersey from Lionel Messi celebrating Argentina's World Cup triumph, displays it in his academy on first anniversary

Rafael Nadal received a special jersey from Lionel Messi on the first anniversary of Argentina's World Cup triumph in Qatar.

Messi's Argentina defeated France 3-3 (4-2) in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar on December 18. The victory was special for Messi as his long-cherished dream to be crowned the world champion with his national side finally came true.

During his special night, Messi scored twice to take his side over the line. For France, Kylian Mbappe scored a brilliant hat-trick but it wasn't enough to see his side through.

After an entire year of his triumph, Messi has sent a signed Argentian jersey to Rafael Nadal, who is also an avid football fan. The Spaniard's Mallorca-based academy took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news. It announced that the jersey had been put on display inside the Rafa Nadal museum.

As far as Nadal's love for football goes, he has been a die-hard fan of Spanish football club Real Madrid. Notably, Real Madrid have been the archrivals of FC Barcelona, for whom Lionel Messi played for 17 seasons. Messi scored a staggering 672 goals for Barca before moving to Paris Saint Germain in 2021.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has, on several occasions, been rumored to take up the role of club president at Real Madrid. In his professional life, Nadal is gearing up for his swansong year with the 2024 season expected to be his final stint as a tennis player.

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"We know that Rafael Nadal's legs aren’t the same as they were 10 years ago, but in his head, nothing has changed" - Uncle Toni

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Rafael Nadal's former coach and uncle Toni recently stated that the Spaniard's love for tennis hasn't died yet and he still yearns to compete on the court and win.

"He has the will to still be here, he loves tennis, he loves competition, he loves the game. It’s his dream to play the tournaments he loves one last time. The more he plays, the more competitive he will be," Toni told RMC Sport.

Toni also stated that even though his 37-year-old nephew's physical abilities have waned over the years, he remains unfazed in his mind.

"We know that his legs aren’t the same as they were 10 years ago, but in his head, nothing has changed. He still has the same determination,” Toni added.