Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi revealed his shirt collection and it definitely is as extraordinary as the footballer himself….
Messi took to Instagram to post a picture of himself and his son, Thiago, with the astonishing assemblage of his shirt collection at his home in Spain..
At the center of the collection is the 29-year-old’s World Cup Final shirt from 2014, where Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Germany in Rio de Janeiro.Shirts of Manuel Lanzini, Sergio Aguero, Oscar Ustar
Alongside a plethora of his own shirts, a smorgasbord of jerseys from across the footballing world are spread across his room and it’s a sight to behold
Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique has a good spot, as does PSG winger Angel Di Maria and Roma legend Francesco Totti, but plenty of people picked up on the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Of course West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini also features in a prominent position…wait, what?
Apparently the pair met in 2016 and swapped shirts, but lord knows what it’s doing in such a lofty position, they’ve not even played together at national level but clearly Lionel thought the Hammers player was a lovely bloke.
Pique once showed off his collection and it’s pretty good, but it’s nothing on Messi’s:
Although this guy’s collection of every shirt Ronaldinho has ever worn is quite some attempt.
Which also reminds us of how Ronaldinho brought up his 10 millionth Instagram follower:
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi put his majestic jersey collection on display for his Instagram followers three years ago. Unsurprisingly, the Argentine possesses the shirts of some of the greatest players in the game.
In this segment, we have analysed his collection and made some interesting observations.
5. Why are Messi’s Barcelona shirts turned backside?
Messi’s shirts have been turned upside down for sponsorship reasons
Messi is sponsored by Adidas and by the looks of it, the picture has been taken as part of an Adidas campaign or something similar, given that the 32-year-old is seen wearing a shirt by the global merchandising giant. All of Messi’s Barcelona shirts, 3 to be precise, are hung in a manner with the backside facing the camera.
This is probably done to hide the Nike logo featured on all of these jerseys. Barcelona are sponsored by Adidas’ most significant rivals – Nike – and as such, the three-striped brand will never allow their biggest rivals to feature in such an iconic picture.
Interestingly, Messi’s Argentina jerseys, which are sponsored by Adidas, have their front facing the camera – which helps endorse the brand’s iconic ‘three-stripe’ logo.
4. Pavel Nedved’s shirt and the importance of the occasion
Pavel Nedved and Lionel Messi have competed in a competitive game of football
Pavel Nedved’s shirt can be seen on display in a showcase on the roof of the room which houses Messi’s enormous collection of shirts, along with the jerseys of Thierry Henry, Deco, Cesc Fabregas and others.
However, at first, you can’t recall when the two played against each other. That is because the two haven’t faced each other in a competitive match, least of all in the UEFA Champions League.
However, there is one instance when the two have taken to the field together, in a Joan Gamper trophy match in August of 2005. At the time, Lionel Messi was no household name and instead, was unheard of in most parts of the world.
It was that game against Fabio Capello’s Juventus that he first showcased his brilliance to the world and caught the eye of one and all. Messi dazzled against the stars of Juventus and captivated those watching so much that Capello requested Barcelona if he could take the then 18-year-old on loan, while Inter Milan were ready to pay his buyout clause.
The diminutive Argentine received a standing ovation from the Camp Nou crowd while the Juventus manager declared that he had never seen a player that good at that age.
“In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the ‘heavy’ shirt of one of the world’s great clubs.”
It is possibly after this match that Messi exchanged jerseys with the 2003 Ballon d’Or winner.
3. Notable absentees
There were a few notable absentees from Messi’s collection
A quick look at the picture would tell you that many household names from the world of football, including legendary Barcelona players, are missing.
Messi is understood to be close friends with Neymar and has always shared an excellent relationship with Xavi and Andres Iniesta. However, the trio’s shirts are nowhere to be seen in the collection, which is somewhat surprising.
Additionally, Ronaldinho, who helped Messi settle into the Barcelona dressing room, is another notable absentee.
In an interview in 2017, the Barcelona sensation had claimed that he is not particularly fond of exchanging jerseys and has rarely asked an opposition player for their shirt, barring one occasion.
“I don’t ask for shirts. If there is an Argentine, I will swap with an Argentine. If not and there is someone else that asks me, I will swap it with them. If not, I do not look and do not ask. I asked, once. I asked Zidane.”
Despite conceding that Zidane is the only footballer he asked to swapped shirts with, his jersey is nowhere to be seen in the majestic collection. Maybe Zizou didn’t oblige Messi’s request?
Other notable absentees include former Barcelona teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic and compatriot Gonzalo Higuain.
2. Why is Cristiano Ronaldo not there?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest footballers in the modern era
A rivalry that has defined an era, two god-gifted footballers who have re-written history books in a decade of absolute dominance, while pushing each other to their absolute limits. It is not that surprising that Cristiano Ronaldo’s jersey is not present in Messi’s collection, but why is it not there?
It is not like the duo are sworn enemies as the media would have you believe, but it is also not that they are the best of friends. They respect each other’s work and aspire to be the best at what they do. Even this doesn’t answer why Ronaldo’s jersey is nowhere to be seen.
Well, the answer to that lies in the statement that Messi gave about swapping shirts. He has never asked a player, barring Zidane, for their jersey. They may not be enemies, but then again they don’t fancy each other so much also, apart from Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. who is reportedly a Messi fan.
The answer to the question of why Ronaldo does not feature in Messi’s majestic collection is because the duo have never actually exchanged jerseys. And to be fair, why would they?
1. Pablo Aimar
Pablo Aimar was Lionel Messi’s idol as a child
In the first row of jerseys, between two Messi shirts (i.e. between the orange Barcelona one and the blue Barcelona one) is the jersey of Pablo Aimar.
The wizard, as he was nicknamed, is not the most popular player around. However, Aimar’s shirt is part of Messi’s shirt decorated collection.
The Argentine was Messi’s idol growing up. While the six-time Ballon d’Or winner might have outdone his hero, football is a game of emotions and it is clear that holds a special place in his heart.
SRC: https://www.sportskeeda.com/
