{"id":1663,"date":"2026-06-25T16:05:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=1663"},"modified":"2026-06-25T16:05:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:05:11","slug":"icon-messi-celebrates-39th-birthday-with-cake-from-team-mates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=1663","title":{"rendered":"‘Icon’ Messi celebrates 39th birthday with cake from team-mates"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Buenos Aires, June 24, (dpa\/GNA) \u2013 Argentina star Lionel Messi, celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday, just two days after becoming the all-time leading goalscorer at the men\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n

Several team-mates surprised Messi at Argentina\u2019s World Cup camp in Kansas City with a birthday cake, made of macaroons and other sweet treats. The burning candles were the number 39, a post of his on social media showed.<\/p>\n

Four years on from leading his national team to the trophy in Qatar, Messi is continuing to thrive on football\u2019s biggest stage, leading the race for the Golden Boot with five goals in two games including a hat-trick in Argentina\u2019s opener against Algeria.<\/p>\n

He now has 18 goals at World Cups, ahead of Germany\u2019s Miroslav Klose and France\u2019s Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 on 16. Tributes have poured in for the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player, now plying his trade at Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) praised its \u201ccaptain, standard-bearer and icon,\u201d calling Messi \u201cthe man who changed the history of world football.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barcelona wrote on Instagram, \u201cAnother year celebrating greatness.\u201d An eight-time Ballon d\u2019Or winner, Messi holds countless records, including the most goals in La Liga with 474, the most for Barcelona with 672 and the most for Argentina with 122.<\/p>\n

Over his 17 years as a professional with Barcelona, he won 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. To mark his 39th birthday, Argentine TV\u00a0presenter Rodolfo Barili launched a special appeal on Instagram, calling for the country to sing a joint happy birthday to him at 10 am (1300 GMT) and 10 pm.<\/p>\n

His wife Antonela Roccuzzo sent a greeting alongside some vintage photographs. Argentina have qualified for the round of 32 as Group J winners and face Jordan on Saturday at the Dallas Stadium.
GNA<\/p>\n

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Buenos Aires, June 24, (dpa\/GNA) \u2013 Argentina star Lionel Messi, celebrated his 39th birthday on Wednesday, just two days after becoming the all-time leading goalscorer at the men\u2019s World Cup. Several team-mates surprised Messi at Argentina\u2019s World Cup camp in Kansas City with a birthday cake, made of macaroons and other sweet treats. The burning…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t