Lionel Messi made his lone entrance into a solitary spotlight to finally claim the one prize that had painstakingly eluded him throughout his glittering career.

He now has the World Cup to go along with his seven Ballon d'Ors, four Champions Leagues, one Copa America, ten La Liga championships with Barcelona, and many more.

Messi had fulfilled his ambition. With the completion of the set following arguably the most stunning World Cup final in history, the gap in his sparkling collection had been filled.

With this trophy, which is about 15 inches of solid gold, many people will now proclaim that Messi is the best player ever.

Argentina's World Cup victory marked the conclusion of a competition that will always be associated with Lionel Messi.

After also winning the award in 2014, Messi claimed the Golden Ball as the tournament's player of the year, becoming the first player to do it since it was first introduced in 1982.

He has now been involved in 21 goals for Argentina at World Cups. Read more