Lionel Messi was the subject of praise from fans after he gifted teammate Nicolas Otamendi a penalty during Argentina’s 5-0 win over Zambia on Tuesday. It was an emotional moment as the match was most likely Otamendi’s last game on Argentine soil, marking the end of an era for one of the country’s most committed defenders.
In a bid to head into the 2026 World Cup on a high, La Albiceleste started the game strongly and took the lead after four minutes through Julian Alvarez, with Messi providing the assist. Just before the break, Messi doubled the advantage following a one-touch move with Alexis Mac Allister.
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The lovely gesture came after Albert Kangwanda committed a foul on Thiago Almada three minutes into the second half. Rather than take the penalty, Messi signaled to Otamendi and handed the ball to him. The veteran defender seized the opportunity and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score his country’s third of the night and his eighth goal for the national team.
Zambia’s woes were worsened as Dominik Chanda scored an own goal midway through the second half while Valentin Barco added the cherry on top in stoppage time.
While Argentina fans were thrilled with the convincing victory, some were drawn to Messi’s ‘selfless’ act and took to X to laud him for it.
One wrote:
“This is what a real leader looks like.”
Another tweeted:
“This is one of the many reasons players love sharing the pitch with him ❤️”
A third poked fun at Lionel Messi’s archrival, Cristiano Ronaldo, saying the Portuguese would never do something like that.
“Ronaldo would NEVER do something like this in a million years lol,” they remarked.
“That’s why they adore and respect him,” another chimed in.
Otamendi, meanwhile couldn’t hold back his tears after being substituted in the 69th minute, hugging his teammates including Lionel Messi before leaving the pitch.
Lionel Messi reaches goal scoring milestone after scoring in Argentina’s 5-0 win over Zambia
In what was his likely last-ever home game with Argentina, Lionel Messi added another feather to his illustrious cap. His 43rd minute stunner against Zambia meant he has now scored against 40 different countries with Argentina, for 117 national team goals.
Messi is expected to retire from the national team after the World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, he has yet to guarantee his presence at this competition this summer.
The 38-year-old is currently Argentina’s most capped player and all-time leading scorer.
Edited by Ezekiel Olamide
 "Manika Batra, Manika, Batra, Olympic")
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