Messi’s historic double

All it takes is some cardboard, tubing, glue, foam, foil and a bit of coloured spray.

If you’re so inclined, there are plenty of online tutorials detailing how to whip up your very own replica adidas Golden Ball trophy, some of them producing a pretty decent replica of the actual prize.

Getting your hands on the real thing, however, is a far tougher exercise, and to date only 11 men have done so. Only one has won it twice.

Lionel Messi was born almost a year to the day after Diego Maradona disassembled Belgium in the semi-finals of Mexico 1986 en route to winning that edition's Golden Ball Award. That baby would go on to join 'El Pibe de Oro' (The Golden Boy) as the only men to have collected the World Cup’s top individual honour at both U-20 and senior level.

In much the same way that emotions collide for those scoring in a losing team, Messi seemed more aggrieved than elated when collecting the prize at Brazil 2014. He was reportedly overheard muttering under his breath "the best but not the champion" stood, head bowed, next to Golden Glove recipient Manuel Neuer, two floors up from all bar one of a celebratory German side.

What began with a twinkle-toed winner against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the group opener was followed by a stoppage-time rocket that settled things with Iran and then an iron and feather brace as Nigeria were dispatched in what was as close to a perfect first stage showing as you’re likely to see at a global finals.

An assist for Angel Di Maria’s 118th minute winner against Switzerland in the last 16 helped push Argentina towards a final four showdown with the Netherlands where Messi would score the first in a penalty shoot-out win.

That set up what would ultimately be final failure at the hands of the Germans. Despite that, a tournament highlighted by producing the most dribbles, deliveries into the penalty area and chances created – along with those four goals and an assist – saw Messi continue a tradition of non-champions taking home the Golden Ball.

That, in fact, was a run which would span from Ronaldo at France 1998 right the way through to Qatar 2022, where it would be ended by the Argentinian wizard himself.

In that unforgettable and triumphant campaign, seven goals and three assists across the tournament saw Messi make history as the only two-time Golden Ball winner.

A pair of group-stage efforts - a penalty against Saudi Arabia and a driven strike from outside the box against Mexico - helped Argentina recover from a shock first-up defeat to reach the knockouts.

There Messi went intergalactic, becoming only the sixth player in history to score in every knockout round match. He did so with a full array of strikes; the wood-chop precision of the opener against the Socceroos, a stuttering spot-kick against the Dutch and then a rocket from 12 yards to start the semi-final slaughter of Croatia.

Further flourishes in the insta-classic final at Lusail stamped his, and Argentina’s place, in the record books.

At 35 years of age, Messi played every minute of Argentina’s epic campaign, finished joint-top of the tallies for assists and key passes and had more shots on target, passes into the penalty area and drew more fouls than any other player.

Perhaps somewhere there’s another young Argentinian boy born, as Messi was, in the quivering glow of World Cup glory, who may one day rise to match those feats. For now, the Albiceleste captain stands alone as the only player with a pair of Golden Balls.