Lionel Messi kept drawing attention before and after Argentina’s friendly win over Angola, as teammates and rivals tried to capture moments with the star. During the camp, a new squad member even asked Messi for a selfie, and an opposing captain left the pitch with Messi’s No.10 shirt after a swap at half-time.
Messi remains a big attraction at training and at matches. He helped Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Angola and showed his skill on the field, including nutmegging an opponent twice in the first half. Several players who earned their first senior caps used the chance to meet him.
On his debut, Joaquin Panichelli, who earned the call after scoring nine goals for Strasbourg this season, spoke about the moment with Messi: “I grew up watching him, for so long. To be here, to see him in person. Not only him but all the superstars here, it’s really great. It’s still a football team, it’s football, and I tried to be prepared and do my best. I asked him for a photo; it was really nice to be able to share these moments with him.”
Panichelli added: “It’s a dream come true to be here, and today I got to play some minutes. It’s an incredible joy to be here and get some playing time. I consider myself more of a centre-forward. I feel I have the qualities and I can do it well. I’m tenacious; I like to fight and tackle.”
Other young players who made their first appearances included Kevin Mac Allister, Maximo Perrone and Gianluca Prestianni. All had time near Messi before substitutions changed the lineup.
Angola captain Fredy Ribeiro also spoke about his match events and keeping Messi’s shirt: “I swapped jerseys with him at half-time. I’ll keep it for my kids. It’s something they’ll cherish. They asked for a photo, and I brought them a jersey! He nutmegged me twice, but then I nutmegged him. Two against one.” He added a view of the game: “Very difficult. They have a lot of quality, you can see it in their starting eleven . We tried to do good things and I think we had some positives. I believe we showed a good image to the world, but Argentina’s quality is very different.”
Messi is under contract with Inter Miami until 2028 but has hinted that his time with the national team may be nearing an end. He has 196 caps and 115 goals. It is not yet clear if he will play in the 2026 World Cup, though most expect him to take part.
For now, Argentina have secured their place in the 2026 tournament, and the squad will continue to prepare. Teammates and fans are making the most of every chance to be near a player many call the GOAT.
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