One of the most iconic photographs in sports history, the most "liked" of all time on Instagram with over 73 million thumbs up, actually contains a dirty little secret.
For the simple and good reason that the World Cup trophy that we see Leo Messi brandishing, carried in majesty by the sky and white crowd of Argentine fans, is in fact... a fake.
This crazy story is revealed by the Argentine newspaper Clarín, which tells how this fake trophy ended up in the hands of the seven-time Ballon d'Or.
This trophy was brought to Doha by a couple of supporters: Paula Zuzulich and Manuel Zaro.
A replica more real than life, which the couple explains that it "took six months to have made" by specialists, that it weighs the same as the original (just over 5 kilos) and that it is “made of resin and quartz inside, bathed in gold-like paint.
Enough to fool even the most discerning eye.
It was Di Maria who had the real trophy in his hands at that time
After the final, the couple saw someone close to Leandro Paredes pass by.
He then entrusts him with his trophy, in the hope of having it signed.
This is how the trophy enters the field.
In the euphoria, the two trophies then circulate simultaneously, and it is the fake that lands in the hands of Leo Messi during his walkabout at the origin of the historic click.
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After the sequence, several photographers on site, including one from Clarín, intercept an exchange between the Argentine number 10 and Angel Di Maria, who points to a detail under the trophy.
"Di María told Leo that he had done his lap of honor with a
trucha
(a fake), and that he was the one who had the real one, that's why they laughed", explains- he.
The owners recognized their trophy after several days looking at the photos, thanks to some distinctive signs compared to the original, especially on the lower part.
A crazy story that ended well for the couple in their forties who, after seeing their trophy "rotate for 45 minutes from one player to another, from one family member to another", were able to collect his sesame, autographed by Leandro Paredes, Lautaro Martínez, Guido Rodríguez, Nico González and Di María.
As for Messi, if he was initially annoyed by this misunderstanding according to witnesses on the spot, then he quickly took it as a joke.
This anecdote, which will undoubtedly enter the small history of the World Cup, does not prevent him from remaining the owner of the real trophy … at least until 2026.