Lionel Messi was mobbed by fans recently during a restaurant visit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has, amid more questions regarding his future at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), wasted no time in heading home after reaching the latest international break.
While he has been facing criticism from pundits and jeers from the stands in France, the 35-year-old World Cup winner remains a hero in the eyes of his compatriots in South America and everybody wants a piece of him whenever he leaves his family bubble.
Messi has, as an all-time great in the football world, grown accustomed to generating such elaborate shows of emotion from those in Argentina, but it is still a little scary to see a mass of people surge their way forward as you endeavour to leave an eating establishment.
Argentina, who brought Messi’s long wait for global glory to a close at Qatar 2022, have two friendlies to take in during the March break in domestic action – with those contests set to see them take on Panama and Curacao.