Many Panama players were seen posing with Lionel Messi after their team’s 2-0 loss to Argentina in a friendly game. The La Albiceleste played their first game on home soil at river Plate’s Stadium El Monumental following their victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In the second half, Lionel Messi put on a display with two unbelievable free kicks which churned out both the goals of the game.
Thiago Almada scored to make it 1-0 on the night with 12 minutes remaining after Messi’s initial attempt from a freekick hit the bar and fell into his path. The PSG forward then scored with a superbly hit freekick on in the final minutes of the friendly. In a sight which has become no surprise, the Panama players then mobbed Messi for photos and autographs at the full-time whistle.
Panama players throng Lionel Messi after final whistle
The Panama players realised they might not have had another chance in their lives to play on the same field as Lionel Messi. After all, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner had faced Los Canaleros just once before in his illustrious career. At the 2016 Copa America Centenario, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 5-0 group-stage victory in their first encounter. Argentina reached the final game all the way but fell to Chile on penalties.
The Panamanian players didn’t appear to be upset about losing to the world champions in a friendly match. Once the game ended, some of them, including Edgardo Isaac Farina Wynter and Ivan Anderson, could be seen grinning and posing for pictures with Lionel Messi on the field. The video of the post-game exchanges between the Paris Saint-Germain playmaker and his rivals has now gone viral.
Everyone wanted a photo with Lionel Messi ? pic.twitter.com/NAwfGPQQwj
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 24, 2023
Messi marked the game by scoring his 800th career goal in some fashion. As the game drew to an end, the 35-year-old prepared to celebrate his nation’s World Cup victory as the crowd chanted his name. But he had to put all of his preparations on wait because the Panamanian players all wanted to take home a souvenir from the day they faced the greatest in the world.
As can be seen in the video, Iván Anderson of Panama went above and beyond by approaching the winger with a pen and asking him to sign his shirt instead of just requesting a picture. It was quite understandable that the Panama players can’t be blamed for wanting to remember the day they played the GOAT, as Messi took time for all the players that approached him.
More than 80,000 people gathered inside the stadium in Argentina on Thursday night, creating a festive mood. Messi’s pregame emotional breakdown left him in tears, setting the mood even before the game began. But, the real fun began as the Argentina team got ready to hoist the World Cup in front of their supporters. With the mic in hand, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni spoke to the audience and even led their shouts for Lionel Messi.