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Lionel Messi took to Twitter on Monday to congratulate Paris Saint-Germain on its victory in the UEFA Champions League, the first time they have won the trophy since 1994.
Messi, of course, is no stranger to conquering Europe. He leads the career list for trophies won with 31, including 16 league titles and three Champions League titles. He has never even reached the quarter-finals of the tournament before but must now overcome a PSG side which has never been beyond the second round and now boasts one of the most exciting forwards in the world in Kylian Mbappe.
“PSG is a beautiful team! Well done boys. I would say that they are the ideal place to win again,” Messi said on Twitter in French.
“My brother on the pitch and off, congratulations to PSG,” he added in Spanish.
Here’s the video.
Mbappe, for his part, has helped propel PSG to a place of great influence in Europe. The 19-year-old has scored 20 goals in 50 games this season, becoming the first teenager in Ligue 1 history to score 20 goals in a league season.
Your team has just done the impossible — Leo Messi (@messi10stats) April 22, 2018
It is easy to see why he is revered in the most hallowed clubs of the continent. “With Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani at the heart of their attack, they have one of the best forward lines in Europe,” said Argentina sports daily TyC Sports when talking about the game between PSG and Barcelona.
“Losing out, though, is worse than starting the tournament as one of the favourites,” the paper added.
Mbappe’s appearance next to Neymar in the build-up to that match sent shockwaves around footballing circles, as did both sides’ manner of performing in the game.
“What a world, the beautiful game,” said France Football magazine, on Twitter, alongside a photo of the two players.