Youngsters Are Starstruck After Meeting Lionel Messi During Training Session With Argentina

Lionel Messi is putting behind some of Barcelona's disappointing moments of the season as he focuses on international duty.

The Argentina captain won La Liga with his side, but he watched the Spanish club be humiliated in the Champions League semi-finals and also missed out on capturing the Copa del Rey.

However, the 31-year-old Barça forward has turned his attention towards the upcoming Copa América, meeting up with his fellow Argentines in their training camp at Buenos Aires as he prepares for the competition.

While Messi will be hoping to put the memories of last summer's disappointing World Cup behind him, it's safe to say that his presence with the international side has had an impact on the Argentine youngsters.

After all, a video has surfaced online showing how excited they were to meet the five-time Ballon d'Or winner as he poses for photos with several of them.

Check it out below.

Amazing, right?

Ahead of the Copa América, Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero said on Thursday that the Barcelona captain still "loves" the national side, despite missing out on the chance to capture some major silverware with his country.

"We all know the desire that Leo has when he comes here," he said.

"The happiness he transmits is fundamental for us because we know very well how much he loves the national team."

PA

Messi has admitted himself that Barcelona's season didn't end the way that he had hoped, mainly for their exit in the Champions League.

While former Argentina head coach César Luis Menotti said that he could tell that Barcelona's season had affected Messi, Agüero looked beyond his failures and praised his fellow Argentine.

"No-one likes to lose. Obviously, he's been disappointed in the last competitions after the Champions League and Copa del Rey defeats," he explained.

PA

"But he's great, he's experienced, he knows football is like this, that there is joy and in some moments there is sadness... He knows that better than anyone."

The 2019 Copa América will be hosted in Brazil and will run from 14th June to 7th July.

How far will Argentina progress in the Copa América?

Let us know in the comments.

Topics: Football News, Football, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Argentina, Copa America, La Liga, Barca, Camp Nou

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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