Playing in Dallas, Lionel Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a composed first half using his left foot. The Argentina captain then completed his brace in the fourth minute of injury time following a chaotic situation inside the penalty area.
Shortly after the final whistle, several Austrian players approached Messi to congratulate him. Sabitzer especially attracted attention after having a long and friendly conversation with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Cameras showed Sabitzer smiling, gesturing and talking repeatedly to Messi. Although their conversation was not overheard, viewers and media speculated that the Austrian midfielder may have asked for the shirt worn by Messi.
However, Messi seemed reluctant to part with the shirt. Subsequent footage showed the former Barcelona star walking towards the tunnel while still wearing it, leading fans to believe he wanted to preserve the shirt from the historic match.
Social media users reacted to the exchange with humor. Some suggested that Sabitzer recognized the opportunity to obtain a particularly valuable piece of football memorabilia, while others claimed that Messi was almost certain to keep the shirt for himself.
The shirt had additional meaning because Messi reportedly reached 18 World Cup goals with his two goals against Austria. The total put him ahead of Miroslav Klose as the tournament’s all-time top scorer. Messi has reportedly equaled the achievements of Just Fontaine and Jairzinho by scoring in six consecutive World Cup matches.
Despite previously missing a penalty during Argentina’s second Group J match, Messi still ended the night with another decisive performance and a new place in World Cup history. It has not yet been confirmed whether Sabitzer actually requested the jersey, but their post-match conversation quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the game.
Sources: Znews
Related articles
