Lionel Messi received the shock of his life back in 2014 when a Ronaldinho lookalike invaded the pitch after an Argentina training session in the famous Estádio Independência stadium, Brazil.
At the time of filming, Ronaldinho was playing at Atletico Mineiro, so it would be certainly plausible for the Brazilian to turn up and meet his former teammate, but Robinson Oliveira shook his hand instead.
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Oliveira, who works as a professional lookalike of the legendary forward, told GOAL that Messi indeed thought he was the real thing.
"When he saw me he was shocked because he thought I was the real Ronaldinho and he told me that I didn't need to run on the pitch to see him." Oliveira said.
He went on to speak about how emotional it was to meet the five-time Balon d'Or winner in person, saying he didn't plan the meeting:
"He (Messi) said: 'What are you doing running on here to see me?' When he held my hand, I went down on my knees [and bowed]. It was so emotional.
"I didn't plan this. I just thought to myself that I have to hold his hand because this is the only opportunity I will have to see him."
Another lookalike, Iranian football fan Reza Parastesh, has come into prominence thanks to his uncanny resemblance to the five time Ballon d'Or winner, and Messi's doppelganger was spotted at the Camp Nou last year,
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Barcelona came up against Malaga in the league and managed to secure a 2-0 victory, as Reza Parastesh looked on with a smile on his face.
Parastesh was pressured to don the number 10 Barcelona jersey after his dad thought he looked like the football superstar. He chucked on the jersey and sent a few pictures to a sports website.
The life of a Messi and Ronaldinho lookalike will be interesting, to say the least.
Featured Image Credit: GOALTopics: Ronaldinho, Football, Lionel Messi, Argentina, Brazil
