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| Guido Rodriguez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Lionel Messi of Argentina in action during a training session at Julio H. Grondona Training Camp on March 21, 2023 in Ezeiza, Argentina. |
Lionel Messi has been pictured training alongside his Argentina team-mates ahead of their upcoming friendlies against Panama and Curacao.
The Argentina squad reconvened on Tuesday afternoon for their first training session back together after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The 35-year-old was already a national hero before the tournament in the Middle East but their success cemented his status.
Messi guided his country to World Cup glory after beating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties after a pulsating 3-3 draw.
The Argentina captain wanted to give his team-mates a personal memento to remember their success with and opted for personalised phones.
Messi splurged £175,000 on 35 individual devices – which were all 24-carat gold and engraved with ‘World Champions 2022’.
The World Cup winning squad have been in regular communication following the tournament but reconvened for training on Tuesday.
Messi was seen smiling alongside his team-mates as they took part in a series of drills and exercises.
However, this is not the first time Messi has been spotted since returning to Argentina for the international break.
Messi was mobbed by fans in his native Argentina whilst having dinner with his family on Monday evening.
Messi, his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their children were eating dinner at Don Julio, a restaurant in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires.
However, they were unable to end their meal in peace after news spread that Messi was in the area.
Messi and his family were escorted from the restaurant by local police officers amid a throng of adoring fans, but the PSG star looked in high spirits.
The player previously attracted enormous crowds in his home city Rosario, 180 miles northwest of Buenos Aires, in the aftermath of the World Cup final.
Messi was forced to evacuate the team’s winners’ parade in Buenos Aires due to safety concerns.
Messi will be looking to keep the Argentina fans happy when they face Panama and Curacao in their international friendlies.
