• WHAT HAPPENED?The all-time great, who now has eight Ballon d’Or wins to his name, has become the most-decorated player in football history. After lifting the World Cup and landing another Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi headed to the United States to link up with Inter Miami and helped them to a historic Leagues Cup crown within weeks of his arrival – securing him a 44th major honour.

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DID YOU KNOW?Messi is an official ambassador for eFootball, with KONAMI delivering a simulator to rival the FC offering from EA Sports that previously dominated the market in its FIFA guise. Unsurprisingly, the best player on the planet figures prominently in the promotional material that accompanies an update for 2024 that is now available across all platforms.

WHAT NEXT?Players can put themselves in Messi’s shoes as they chase down domestic and international glory by collecting a series of “in-game Player Cards” that feature iconic moments from the most distinguished of careers, with the man himself embracing the opportunity to get “one step closer to play for that world title, to playing on the world stage for Argentina, getting another chance at being world champions”. Messi has remained coy regarding his plans to grace the 2026 World Cup in America, Canada and Mexico, but KONAMI are giving him a chance to relive what it felt like to enhance his record-breaking medal collection.