Lionel Messi seen sleeping with his World Cup trophy after dreaming about winning it for years

An understandably tired Lionel Messi has snuggled up with his Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy for a snooze after years of dreaming about the epic win.

Messi shared the sleepy snaps to Instagram that showed him curled up with the 18 carat gold prize as the little spoon in a hotel bed.

Bless his heart.

And, for a player that made his competitive debut at age 17 way back in 2004, it has been a dream decades in the making that is now a reality.

He posted the three sweet shots on social media alongside the caption: "Buen día!"

The phrase translates to 'good day', which we would bet our bottom dollar that it was a ripper of a day.

Fans in Buenos Aires certainly went wild, if that is any barometer to go by.

On Tuesday, the team returned to Argentina’s capital to parade the trophy for the millions of people who lined the streets to welcome their heroes home.

However, one brave individual was willing to risk anything to get closer to the players out of sheer excitement.

As the bus approached, the fan, who was seen on a bridge above the bus, decided to jump into the open-top vehicle that was carrying the Argentina players.

However, despite starting their victory parade on an open-top bus, the team were soon forced to abandon the vehicle as the streets were simply too busy for the bus to drive through.

The power lines almost took out Messi! Who put those there! They should’ve known!!!! pic.twitter.com/VyEh5ha8IU

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) December 20, 2022

The players were separated and were taken in helicopters to fly over the city that was swamped with fans wearing the famous blue and white jerseys.

A fan amongst the crowd, Matias, said as per SPORTbible: "It's crazy, it's incredible, it's the best thing that can happen to you in life.

"It is an enormous joy to see all these happy people, all together, one with the other, holding hands, giving each other hugs and kisses. We are all one today."

So it's easily understood why Messi might be a little bit pooped after receiving such a bonkers hero's welcome from his home crowds.

Argentina's World Cup victory is the first time the cup has returned to the South American nation in 36 years.

After their triumph in Qatar, Argentina are now three-time world champions, adding to their victories in 1978 and 1986.