Lionel Messi experienced a heartwarming moment during Argentina’s friendly match against Australia, when a fan wearing an Argentina No. 10 shirt ran onto the field to embrace him. It happened in the second half while Messi was near the corner flag. Initially surprised, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner quickly put his arm around the fan before security guards intervened. The fan sprinted across the field, exchanged a high-five with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, and then stumbled before being carried off.
Shortly after this incident, Messi played a pivotal role in setting up the second goal for German Pezzella in the 68th minute at Beijing’s Worker’s Stadium. Prior to that, Messi had already made an impact by scoring the fastest goal of his career, just one minute and 19 seconds into the game. This came only a week after his decision to leave Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami.
The Chinese fans, adorned in the iconic blue-and-white national team shirts, greeted Messi with immense applause as he emerged onto the pitch. His goal came about after Enzo Fernandez fed him the ball, allowing Messi to maneuver past Aiden O’Neill and curl the ball into the net, evading the diving Mat Ryan.
Despite coming close to scoring again, Australia rallied and created opportunities of their own, with Mitch Duke’s shot hitting the post thanks to a save by Martinez. Messi had another chance before halftime, but unfortunately shot over the goal when faced with only the goalkeeper to beat. In the second half, he came close once more, this time from a well-taken free kick in the 65th minute.
In a separate news piece, Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe expressed his frustration when questioned about his future with the club. Mbappe had previously sent a letter stating his intention not to extend his contract, but clarified that he had not specifically asked for a transfer to Real Madrid. Mbappe dismissed the influence of French President Emmanuel Macron on his career decisions and reaffirmed his commitment to PSG, emphasizing that staying with the club is his primary objective at the moment.