5 heartwarming gestures made by Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi's rise to superstardom over the last couple of years is worth applauding. The Argentine broke through the ranks at Barcelona in the mid-2000s, and has gone on to establish himself as one of the greatest players in football history.
The attacker has had a very successful career, claiming six Ballon d'Or awards, six European Golden Shoes, four Champions League crowns and one Copa America trophy, to mention a few. But behind the trophies and accolades, stands a man with a great heart and amazingly warm personality.
Lionel Messi's incredible personality has been on display on several occasions, both on and off the pitch. The Argentine has proven to be a great person, making some heartwarming gestures over the last few years. Below are five of his most notable ones.
#5 Lionel Messi took a picture with Andres Guardado's son
Ahead of a La Liga clash between Barcelona and Real Betis in January 2018, Betis midfielder Andres Guardado promised his son that he would take him to meet Lionel Messi. The game ended 5-0 in favour of the Blaugrana, with the Argentine bagging a brace.
When Guardado’s son met Messi.
😍😍😍😍
Ig sandralv (Guardado’s wife) https://t.co/vEeIQZBc93
Despite the heavy defeat, Guardado didn't hesitate to take his son to the Barcelona dressing room after the game, with TV cameras closely following him. After a brief wait, Lionel Messi stepped outside to meet the young admirer.
There was inexplicable joy in the face of Guardado's son on seeing his idol face-to-face. After some warm words, Messi carried him, and they both posed for a photo that later went viral on social media.
#4 Lionel Messi helped Fabian Vargas to raise funds for Colombian flood victims
Ahead of a La Liga clash between Barcelona and Almeria in 2010, Colombian native Fabian Vargas asked Lionel Messi for his shirt. He planned to auction it to raise funds for victims of a terrible flood in his country. The Argentine readily obliged, and the game kicked off.
Fabián Vargas on an incredible Lionel Messi gesture in 2010:
🗣️ "Before the game, some friends called me to ask for my shirt to auction it for the the victims in my country because of the floods that year. I went to look for Leo before the game to tell him the situation." https://t.co/Wp7eZsRuDZ
Barcelona came out on top with a massive victory, beating the opposition by eight goals to nil. Vargas was left so disappointed with the result that he forgot to collect Lionel Messi's shirt.
However, the Colombian was massively surprised when Messi approached him at the end of the game with a bag in his hand. When Vargas collected the bag and opened it in his dressing room, he found Messi's jersey, with other Barcelona stars, including Dani Alves, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol.