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Lionel Messi: From shy genius to 'bad boy' leader – his Qatar transformation

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By Tom Reynolds
BBC Sport
Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy in QatarGetty Images

The closest Messi had come to winning the World Cup before 2022 was an extra-time defeat by in the 2014 tournament in Brazil

When Lionel Messi won the World Cup at the fifth and, seemingly, final attempt in Qatar last December, it was the last jigsaw piece in arguably the greatest footballing CV of all time.

But victory was only part of the story.

Behind the scenes and then on the biggest stage, Messi's transformation in the Middle East became evident.

The 35-year-old's genius has long been beyond doubt and debate. But his character had changed. As a teenager, Messi was so painfully shy he would get changed in the corridor to avoid his team-mates in the Barcelona youth set-up.

"This World Cup he was different," said Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

"We are probably more aggressive than the players in the national teams he's played with before. So he's probably becoming a little more like us - that bad boy."

Here, some of the stars from the recently-released BBC Sport documentary Lionel Messi: Destiny, unpack and dissect that final evolution of Messi - from shy teenage genius to talismanic "bad boy".

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