Lionel Messi was in stunning form, scoring a goal in Argentina’s 2-1 win vs Australia in their Round of 16 fixture of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022, in Qatar. With the score level at 0-0, the Argentine captain received a pass from defender Nicolas Otamendi, and he drove it sweetly into the bottom-left corner to give his side a 1-0 lead. This was also the PSG star’s ninth World Cup goal and first in the knockout stages of the showpiece event. It was his 789th career goal in all competitions, with Australia the 129th different opponent he has scored against. Meanwhile, Julian Alvarez made it 2-0 for Argentina, with Australia scoring through an own goal late into the match.
After the match, a video went viral on social media which showed some Aussie players following Messi and clicking selfies with him in the dugout. Now it has also been revealed that Australia’s Cameron Devlin received the PSG’s star jersey, although he was a substitute in the match.
Speaking to FOX Sports, the midfielder said, “I went on [the pitch] and consoled all the boys first and then shook Messi’s hand. No one had said anything so I just tried my luck and he said, ‘I’ll see you inside,’ and that’s what happened. I definitely wanted one of the other boys to have the opportunity first, but no one took it, so I thought why not?”
“I don’t know if it will be on his wall at home or maybe still on the ground in that changing room but I’m not fussed — it’s more that I got his. I was surprised he even took mine. He definitely wouldn’t know who I am, but he’s a nice enough bloke and a humble enough bloke to still show that respect, and that’s obviously super nice, but I wasn’t too worried about what my jersey was doing at that stage”, he further added.
The South Americans will now face Netherlands in the quarter-final at the Lusail Stadium. Netherlands defeated USA in their Round of 16 fixture and manager Louis van Gaal will be seeking revenge. He was the Dutch manager in the 2014 World Cup, where Argentina defeated them on penalties in the semi-final.
