A photograph capturing Lionel Messi at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium has generated significant buzz among World Cup fans, with many hailing it as one of the most exceptional images of the tournament.
The image, taken by Getty photographer Julian Finney during Argentina's quarterfinal match against Switzerland, shows the soccer icon in the midst of thousands of fans as he prepared to take a corner. Argentina won the match 3-1, advancing to the semifinals.
Social media users reacted with awe to the photograph. Comments included "Goosebumps. What a scene," "This is the greatest photo to come out of this World Cup - Sick!" and "worthy of putting on a wall if ur a messi fan." Others described it as "one of the most beautiful picture of the tournament" and "Sports photo of the year."
Messi, who recently turned 39, has been a prominent player in the World Cup. He holds the joint-most goals in the tournament with eight, alongside France's Kylian Mbappe. Earlier in the competition, he also became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer, though Mbappe is close behind.
Argentina is set to face England in the semifinal. Messi commented on the upcoming match, stating that while he has only seen historical footage of past Argentina-England clashes, his team is prepared to play any opponent. He acknowledged the special nature of playing against England, a recognized football powerhouse, and noted it would be his first time competing against them.
"We'll try to arrive in the best possible shape to compete again," Messi said of the semifinal encounter.