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Photo of Lionel Messi staring at World Cup named best of the year

ByAbhinav Kini|

A photo of Lionel Messi staring at the World Cup has been named World Press Photo’s best sports picture of 2014.

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After failing to live up to expectations in the 2010 World Cup, Lionel Messi finally came alive on the world stage in Brazil this past summer.

Scoring four goals in the group stage, Messi was a key factor in Argentina reaching the final, playing a pivotal role in wins over Switzerland and Belgium while he also scored his penalty in the semifinal penalty shootout against the Netherlands.

Surely it was written in the stars that he’d finally get the World Cup glory that had eluded him?

Well, the Germans had another idea as we all know and saw and China’s Chengdu Economic Daily’s Bao Tailiang perfectly captured what the 1-0 defeat meant to Messi.

An image which embodies the idea of “so close, yet so far”, the photo was named World Press Photo’s best sports picture of 2014.

And it’s definitely hurting Barcelona fans to see that image:

Here is a video of Messi after the final (Barcelona and Argentina fans, look away):

There’s always Russia in 2018, Leo.

H/T: Bleacher Report

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