Three Argentine clubs Lionel Messi kept a close eye on this year 👀 | OneFootball

As Lionel Messi prepares to play his last World Cup qualifier with the Argentina National Team in the country, this Thursday at 8:30 PM against Venezuela, a domestic player who recently visited him in Miami revealed details about the captain's fanaticism for Argentine football.

Iván Tapia, one of the captains of Barracas Central and son of the president of AFA, was in charge of recounting a conversation with the best footballer in history in which he mentioned three Argentine teams he has been following this year.

"He told me: 'Come and say hello'. He was sitting on the bench, asked me to stay and we talked for a while. That moment was impressive and speaks to how great he is. We talked about everything. I didn't know he watched our football and I was surprised because he talked to me about the River vs. Platense match, at the Monumental when River was eliminated", the player of El Guapo told ESPN about Messi's reference to the quarterfinals of the past Apertura 2025 that ended up being won by El Calamar.

Without Tapia mentioning any reference to Boca, the other giant of Argentine football, or to Newell’s, where Messi trained from a very early age and where they still dream that he will come to play professionally, he did surprise with his opinions on much more humble clubs, like Deportivo Riestra.

"He's aware of everything that happens. He told me: 'Look at Platense, they have to push because anyone can make it. Look at how Riestra complicates the matches'. It caught my attention because the guy could be doing something else and he watches our football. That speaks to how enormous he is", the Barracas midfielder said.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.