Lionel Messi is no less than a guardian angel for Argentina. The legendary striker has never fallen short of leaving an indelible mark on his country’s fanbase. Forget fans; his unparalleled feats, especially winning the World Cup, often prompt soccer stars to pay tribute in unique ways. In a remarkable display of admiration, a 16-year-old Argentine talent has showcased brilliant gestures for Messi, whom he considers his biggest ‘idol‘ and revealed following him ‘a lot.’

Franco Mastantuono—remember the name. For those who don’t know, the teenager recently made strides after he scored his first senior goal for River Plate during a Copa Argentina match against Excursionistas. Following the match, the youngster was taken aside by TyC Sports journalist Matias Pelliccioni to express his thoughts on his debut. As Franco was expressing his love for River Plate, Pelliccioni questioned his tattoo. To that, the 16YO responded, “I have 12/18/22 tattooed by Messi. He is my idol and I follow him a lot, we all celebrate the World Cup for him.” Interestingly, this isn’t the only gesture for the 36-year-old. 

Franco revealed that he dons the No. 30 jersey due to Messi, which the 8x Ballon d’Or winner wore during his early days at Barcelona and as a PSG player. “The ’30’ is for him. The truth is that I admire him and wearing this number is something very nice,” he concluded. These are indeed quite heartfelt words from the Azul-born star. Notably, the midfielder has also impressed for the U-17 of La Albiceleste, notching a goal as well as an assist in 9 games. 

Nevertheless, it’s clear that soccer stars are not immune to La Pulga’s influence. Interestingly, Franco isn’t alone who is lost in the Messi fandom, with his domestic teammate also in awe of the veteran. 

Claudio Echeverri is a ‘big fan’ of Lionel Messi

Franco Mastantuono’s River Plate teammate Claudio Echeverri also possesses a hardcore fandom for Messi. Speaking to the reporters before the U-17 World Cup and compiled by GOAL, he said, “As well as River, I would like to play for Barça. I’m a big fan of Messi and I used to watch him play for Barcelona, so I’ve had this team inside me since I was very young.”

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Echeverri is another remarkable talent that has caught the eye of the soccer world. He was recently captured by Manchester City as the 18-year-old playmaker is dubbed as the ‘next Messi.’ Either way, Messi holds a significant influence over the younger generation of Argentina, who are eager to track his success and follow in his footsteps.

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