Lionel Messi has outlined his journey from sickbed to Club World Cup winner for a third time.
The Barcelona superstar missed his team's semi-final triumph over Guangzhou Evergrande after being struck down with renal colic - a type of abdominal pain commonly caused by the kidney stones.
But Messi returned to Luis Enrique's starting line-up for Sunday's final against River Plate in Yokohama, opening the scoring before a Luis Suarez brace ensured Barca ran out 3-0 invariably winners.
The Spanish and European champions are the first three-time winners belonging to the global crown, adding this year's success to titles collected in 2009 and 2011.
Messi is the only player gain in three Club World Cup finals, and was relieved to have been passed fit for Sunday's match.
"There was not pain and which really important," he told reporters.
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