5 Argentina players who publicly admire Lionel Messi

Possessing unnatural footballing skills, Lionel Messi has been an inspiration to multiple generations of budding youngsters. The Argentine's wide array of talents, coupled with his longevity, has attracted fans from all across the world. Having played his first professional match in 2004, Lionel Messi continues to dazzle his audiences 17 years later, showing no signs of slowing down.

Famous personalities that idolize Lionel Messi

Aside from the common folk, a plethora of popular celebrities have voiced their opinion on the overwhelming talent of La Pulga. Lionel Messi, due to his footballing genius and humility, has earned high praise from the likes of Paul Pogba, Isco and his best mate Neymar.

Despite having decimated his idol's side 8-2 in 2020, Alphonso Davies confessed to being a huge Lionel Messi fan. Youth icons from their respective nations, Frenkie de Jong and Christian Pulisic, have also surrendered to the Messi-supremacy, naming him their childhood hero.

Considering the diversity in Lionel Messi's fanbase, it is only natural that a bulk of it would contain fans hailing from his native country, Argentina. In fact, multiple high-profile professionals have admitted to having grown up adoring the six-time Ballon d'Or winner. With that notion on our minds, let's take a look at five Argentina players who famously adore Lionel Messi:

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#5 Ezequiel Garay

Garay retired from football in 2020

Having faced Lionel Messi in La Liga while playing for Real Madrid and Valencia, Ezequiel Garay knows a thing or two about defending the Argentine talisman. Garay, who partnered Lionel Messi in the national setup for 31 matches, has nothing but praise for his compatriot.

In 2011, the now-retired Argentina defender clearly voiced his opinions about Messi, saying:

"When people ask me who is the best player ever, I say Leo. From the first time I saw him with Argentina Under-15s to this day he continues to amaze me. He has no limit.”

Garay spent the prime of his career at Benfica and Zenit Saint Petersburg, returning to the Spanish top-flight with Valencia in 2016. After playing for the Bats for four seasons, the 32-time capped Argentina international decided to call it quits, hanging up his boots in 2020.

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#4 Emiliano Martinez

Emi Martinez with the 2021 Copa America Golden Glove

Ever since Emiliano Martinez burst onto the scene with Arsenal during their 2020 FA Cup win, the world has been a fan of the Argentina shot-stopper. He immediately earned a bumper transfer to Aston Villa, as well as his first international call-up following his heroics in the said competition.

Martinez was extremely crucial in Argentina's fabled 2021 Copa America win, remarkably saving three decisive spot-kicks in the penalty shootout of the semi-finals against Colombia. A known fan of Lionel Messi, he revealed his admiration for La Pulga after bagging the competition's Golden Glove, stating:

"You say 'he made the players excited', me too and I'm a goalkeeper. I wish I had played every match in a league with him. I would be a much better goalkeeper."

With the 2022 edition realistically being Lionel Messi's last shot at World Cup glory, Martinez will be hoping to bring the trophy home for his idol.

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#3 Angel Di Maria

Di Maria has rescued Argentina many times

The man responsible for two of the most important trophies in Lionel Messi's career, Angel Di Maria famously scored in the finals of the 2008 Olympics and the 2021 Copa America. A Real Madrid veteran, Di Maria has openly stated his admiration for Lionel Messi, praising his compatriot on numerous occasions.

While speaking about Lionel Messi, the 116-time capped Argentina international stated:

"I always had the dream of playing with Messi in a club team. Every time we go to the Argentine national team, it seems very short. I always had the dream of playing with him, having him by my side every day."

Having played alongside the six-time Ballon d'Or winner at international level, Di Maria will now be seen partnering his Argentina team-mates at club level as well. Messi controversially joined PSG earlier this summer after the termination of his 21-year association with Barcelona.

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#2 Paulo Dybala

Dybala is working to return to the national setup

Another Argentina stalwart who grew up idolizing Lionel Messi, Paulo Dybala has always been compared with his role model due to their similar playing style. The Juventus forward has been in and out of the Argentina squad lately, failing to solidify his place in the national setup.

Subsequently, Dybala has only shared the pitch with Lionel Messi, a paltry 12 times. Nevertheless, the baby-faced forward only had heaps of praise while talking about his childhood idol. Dybala recorded,

"Lionel Messi is an amazing player. He's the one that I look at and try to learn from. Since childhood, he's been my idol. I've always admired him and I still admire what he's doing. When you see him play, it's amazing. Luckily, I see him train everyday."

Following Cristiano Ronaldo's untimely departure from Turin, Dybala regained his position in the starting lineup. However, an unfortunate injury once again sidelined the 30-time capped Argentina international. At 27, Dybala still has time on his side to rescue his once-promising career and score more call-ups to the national setup to partner Lionel Messi.

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#1 Lautaro Martinez

Martinez is destined for superstardom

One of the hottest properties in football right now, Lautaro Martinez is the latest attacking superstar produced by Argentina. The Inter forward is on the radar of every top club, with his current contract set to expire in 2023. Martinez has been a long-term Lionel Messi aficionado, publicly naming him his idol. As quoted by Goal, the 24-year-old superstar had stated,

"The fact he's Argentinian is a source of pride for us and we always try to learn from him. For me, he’s on another level – he understands the game in a different way and he’s always a step ahead of everyone else."

Following in the footsteps of his Argentina team-mate, Martinez made his debut on the Ballon d'Or shortlist this year. The forward has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona in the past and could be the ideal heir to Lionel Messi's throne if anything materializes.

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