New Delhi
CNN
—
A photo gallery of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi has become the most liked Instagram post of all time.
The images, which show Messi and other Argentine players celebrating their 2022 World Cup victory, garnered more than 67 million likes on the social media platform within hours of posting.
Argentina won the World Cup after beating France in Qatar in a blockbuster final on Sunday. It was the crowning achievement of team captain Lionel Messi, who said it would be the last World Cup game of his remarkable career.
He scored twice in the final and was awarded the Ballon d’Or as the tournament’s best player.
Before Messi’s post, the most liked photo on Instagram was of a plain brown egg. Released in 2019, it has more than 57 million likes and beat the previous record held by reality TV star and makeup mogul Kylie Jenner.
Argentina’s World Cup winners returned to their home stadium in jubilant Buenos Aires on Tuesday as millions lined the streets to celebrate their title return. Messi stepped off the plane first, holding the gold trophy aloft, before his winning team walked onto the red carpet at the airport.
The victory in Doha was Argentina’s third World Cup win and first since 1986, when the legendary Diego Maradona led the team to victory in Mexico.