A fan of Lionel Messi was about to experience one of the best moments of her life when Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo went out of their way to stop and take a photo with her, but she almost missed it when she nearly passed out in front of her idol.
In a video circulating on social media, Messi’s generous attitude was on full display when a group of fans saw his car drive through on a sunny day in Miami.
His wife, Antonela, was driving the black SUV, but made the decision to slow down so they could greet the fans. She pointed over toward the window where the Inter Miami captain was sitting to encourage the small group to come around and snap a photo with him.
A woman in the group rushed over for the first picture, followed by two men, one in an Argentina jersey. The excitement was so much that toward the end of the video, the female fan seemed to have a panic attack and trouble breathing when it hit her that she really just got a photo with Messi.
It’s unclear exactly when the video was recorded, but the original post described it as “a while ago.”
The Argentinian star has shown off his patience and generosity to American fans countless times since his arrival to Miami in summer of 2023. Whether at the local supermarket, his son’s training at Inter Miami academy, or even here on the street, he is often willing to take pictures as long as fans are respectful.
Inter Miami’s next match is a home MLS regular season contest against Colorado Rapids on Saturday, April 6th.
Four days later, the Herons have to travel to Mexico to face Rayados in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal. Inter trails 2-1 after the first leg played on Wednesday, which Messi missed through injury.
Head coach Tata Martino gave an update on Messi’s injury status after the CCL match on Wednesday, stating that Messi’s availability against Colorado and Monterrey in the coming week will be a game-by-game decision, but that “he’s feeling better every day.”