Messi’s Global Impact: Autographs and Fan Invasions
There is no denying that Lionel Messi is a living soccer legend who leaves his mark wherever he goes. This was evident during Argentina’s recent victory against Australia in Beijing’s worker stadium, where Messi showcased his global appeal. The Argentine captain’s influence knows no boundaries.
Find out more: The memes after Argentina’s victory against Australia: the furor over Garnacho’s debut and Messi’s dribble that drove the fans crazy
One moment that captured the adoration for Messi in Asian territory occurred during halftime. As the Argentine players made their way through the stadium corridors to return to the field for the second half, the TV broadcast showed Messi, accompanied by Rodrigo DePaul and Angel Di Maria, being approached by a linesman requesting an autograph. Even officials don’t want to miss the chance to get a souvenir from the greatest player of all time.
In the midst of the second half, before German Pezzella scored the second goal, Messi found himself approached yet again, this time by a fan who managed to bypass security and invade the field. In the 20th minute of the second half, as Messi prepared to take a corner, a young man ran towards him in an attempt to hug his idol.
Find out more: With a magnificent match by Lionel Messi, Argentina beat Australia 2-0 in the first friendly of the Asian tour
While the official transmission chose not to show the incident, a camera from TyC Sports revealed the fan briefly hugging Messi before attempting to escape. The security forces swiftly intervened and removed the intruder from the pitch, allowing the match to continue unaffected.
These incidents were not the only encounters Messi had with Chinese fans. Upon his arrival in Beijing, hundreds of people gathered at the airport displaying national team shirts and banners featuring Messi’s face. The excitement spilled over into the hotel, where fans crowded at the entrance chanting “Messi! Messi!” and even managed to enter the lobby, hoping for a photo or autograph.
Find out more: Lionel Messi arrived in Beijing to play with the Argentine team: from the problem with his passport to the madness in the hotel
As the Argentine national team prepares to travel to Jakarta for a friendly against Indonesia, where 77,000 tickets were sold within 5 minutes, Lionel Messi will take a well-deserved break after a season that has solidified his place in history. “I want to go on vacation and then we’ll start again,” he said after the game.
THE PHOTOS OF THE FAN INVASION OF MESSI
Keep reading:
:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/AETL4A52AVFBFAGZTXECSRB3PA.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Alejandro Garnacho summoned to the Argentine National Team for friendly matches in Asia")
