An Instagram photo of Lionel Messi holding the Copa America trophy following Argentina's win over Brazil has become the most liked sports photo on the social media platform, surpassing a record 20 million likes.
Despite competing against rival Cristiano Ronaldo for two decades, the Barcelona forward has toppled the Portuguese international in the most likes on a sports Instagram post.
Superstar Lionel Messi won his first trophy with his national team as the victory at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium ended Argentina's 28-year wait for a major trophy, and also ended Brazil's unbeaten home record that stretched back more than 2,500 days.
In the wake of the victory on July 10, Messi took to Instagram to toast their triumph with a picture of him in the changing room proudly holding the trophy alongside the caption: "What a beautiful madness! This is unbelievable! Thank you, God! We are the champions!
Messi, a six-time Ballon d'Or winner, was voted the top player of the Copa America after his four goals and five assists in the competition.
The record was previously held by the Juventus star Ronaldo when he uploaded a picture of of him and the late Diego Maradona in a black and white theme that raised a whopping 19.9m likes.
Ronaldo wrote: "Today I'm saying goodbye to a friend and the world is saying goodbye to an eternal genius. One of the best of all-time. An unparalleled magician. He leaves too soon, but he leaves a legacy without limits and an emptiness that will never be filled. Rest in peace, ace. You will never be forgotten."
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