I believe it is the football gods - Mourinho claims something superior won Messi 2022 World Cup

Mourinho, who recently became Real Madrid manager, was full of praise for the career of the Argentine legend.

Messi's crowning achievement came in Qatar, where he captained Argentina to glory, scoring seven goals and earning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. 

The victory secured the one major trophy that had eluded him throughout his decorated career.

Speaking exclusively on Adebayo Akinfenwa's Beast Mode On podcast, Mourinho reflected on the significance of the win. 

"The Messi World Cup [in 2022]... believe in football gods, because the guy couldn't have the career [he's had] without winning it," he said.

"So you have that feeling that there is something superior that made a guy win a World Cup."

Messi, who recently clocked 39 years, has continued from where he stopped in 2022, leading his team to defend the World Cup title.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a hat-trick in his first game against Algeria, helping Argentina to a 3-0 victory.

His hat-trick saw him match the World Cup all-time top scorer record (16) held by German legend Miroslav Klose.

Having matched the record, Messi went on to score a brace in Argentina’s second game against Austria, surpassing Klose’s record and becoming the all-time goal scorer.