Featured Image Credit: Twitter
Topics: Football, Football World Cup, Argentina, Lionel Messi
Ryan Sidle
Topics: Football, Football World Cup, Argentina, Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi showed his influence on the Argentina goes beyond the football pitch, getting one of his teammates to sit down during the World Cup trophy parade.
Messi's influence on the pitch has never really be in question, although he certainly proved it during the World Cup win in Qatar.
Never has a man scored in each knockout round of a World Cup tournament before, including the final, but that's what the 35-year-old managed, as he slotted home the penalty that kicked off the scoring in one of the best finals ever.
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The win over France sparked off some marvellous scenes, even at 4 am the following morning, when they arrived back in the country.
Of course they still had to have the official trophy parade, which unfortunately ended with several injuries and a fan jumping onto the bus.
So it's no wonder that Messi told off teammate Rodrigo de Paul for standing up on the bus, with the midfielder immediately sitting down when being told by his captain, as you can see in the video below.
It's actually a pretty wholesome moment that the 35-year-old clearly cared enough about his teammates wellbeing to tell him to sit down.
As well as it being a pretty human thing to do, to look out for his friends health, Messi has a pretty special relationship with De Paul.
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The Atletico Madrid midfielder has been called the seven time Ballon d'Or winner's 'bodyguard' in the past, after helping look after him.
During a game in September, as part of their preparations for the World Cup, Argentina took on Honduras, in a 3-0 win where Messi scored twice.
De Paul was first on the scene to berate an opponent who fouled Messi, as a mini scuffle broke out between the two teams.
After the final whistle, an official from the opposing side tried to get a picture with the PSG superstar and tried to grab the forward, only for the midfielder to once again be on site to break it up.
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The former Udinese player was also keen to make sure that Messi won the World Cup, leaving his captain a note during those games in September to say that they would win it.
De Paul did a hell of a job during the game with France at the weekend, with his constant running leading to him being fouled several times during the game.
Messi might have needed his bodyguard when he arrived back to his house in Rosario, with lots of fans lining the streets as he got back from winning the country their third World Cup, and first since 1986.