Lautaro Martinez copies Lionel Messi's celebration after scoring in the Supercoppa Italiana
Inter Milan and Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez copied his compatriot Lionel Messi's iconic shirt celebration after scoring against AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana on Wednesday (18 January).
Lautaro Martinez netted the third and final goal for the Nerazzurri as Inter secured a 3-0 victory over their fellow San Siro rivals in the Supercoppa Italiana. After scoring the winning goal, Martinez took off his shirt and showed the name and number to the crowd.
This celebration was made iconic by Lionel Messi during his time at FC Barcelona. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner netted a last-minute winner in an El Clasico game against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, which Barcelona won 3-2 back in April of 2017.
As part of his celebration, Lionel Messi took off his shirt and held it in front of the Real Madrid fans. Martinez did the exact same celebration, the picture of which can be seen below:
Many other players have gone on to copy Messi's iconic celebration. Cristiano Ronaldo himself held his shirt in front of the Nou Camp crowd when he played for Real Madrid. Other players doing the same celebration include the likes of Richarlison and Nabil Fekir.
Lautaro Martinez became the latest player to celebrate like Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward is enjoying a great season with Inter Milan. The forward has scored 12 goals. and provided six assists from 26 games across all competitions.
The Inter Milan attacker was part of the Argentina squad which recently won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The forward did not score or assist a single goal at the World Cup. Martinez, however, did play 17 minutes in the final against France and was heavily involved in Messi's second goal of the game.
Lionel Messi faces Cristiano Ronaldo in a friendly game in Saudi Arabia
Lionel Messi will face off against his long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo when Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) take on the Saudi All-Star XI in a friendly match on Thursday (19 January).
Ronaldo will be a part of the Saudi All-Star XI which comprises players from both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. The former Manchester United forward will also captain the side. This will be Ronaldo's first game in Saudi Arabia since moving to Al-Nassr on a free transfer after the World Cup.
Messi is expected to form part of a star-studded PSG attack which could also comprise of the likes of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe.