He is an inspiration — NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo talks up 39-year-old Messi ahead of final
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The 31-year-old two-time MVP joined the Miami Heat from the Milwaukee Bucks last week and is determined to win another title.
Before the Greek-Nigerian star was introduced to Miami on Thursday, he went to Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday afternoon to watch Lionel Messi and Argentina beat England in the World Cup semifinals.
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"When I got to the plane yesterday after the game, heading here to Miami, I was thinking about his path. I was like, okay, like, he played in Barcelona. How old was he when he went to PSG? How old was he when he went to Inter Miami?
After watching Lionel Messi and Argentina reach another World Cup Finale, Giannis was thinking of the star’s path, especially since he’s with Inter Miami.
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) July 16, 2026
Talks about wanting to follow his blueprint among other stars: #Heat pic.twitter.com/idoC4ybwLe
"I was thinking of all of those things, right? Like seeing that game yesterday, you witnessed greatness, right? Messi will go down as one of the best athletes of all time," Antetokounmpo said.
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"He has seven MVPs, he might have two World Cup finals wins, he has, I think, five or four Champions League championships," Antetokounmpo continued.
"So he's up there with other athletes: Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, but at the end of the day, like when you see that, you get inspired. You definitely get inspired to take care of your body, to keep on doing the right thing for your team."
Messi has a chance to win his second World Cup trophy when Argentina face Spain in the final on Sunday.
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