“I still have his voicemail” - Real Madrid star Tchouameni says Barcelona legend was first to support him after missed penalty in WC final

France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni revealed Barcelona legend Samuel Eto'o was the first to support him after his penalty miss in the 2022 World Cup. The Real Madrid star opened up on the unlikely source of support he received.

The 24-year-old, along with Kylian Mbappe, Randall Kolo Muani and Kingsley Coman, faced vile abuse on their social media in the aftermath of the match. This prompted the players to disable comments on their Instagram accounts. Tchouameni was one of two to miss a penalty against Argentina in the shoot-out.

The Real Madrid defensive midfielder shared that Samuel Eto’o reached out to him after the World Cup. The Cameroonian, who spent four years in his formative days for Los Blancos, is considered a legend at Barcelona, a club he played for during his peak between 2004 and 2009.

Tchouameni revealed that he still has a voicemail from Eto'o offering support. The Real Madrid defensive midfielder was quoted as saying via a club fan account on X (formerly Twitter), MadridXtra:

"When I missed the penalty in 2022, Samuel Eto’o was the first to support me. I still have his voicemail he left for me."

After the tournament, he took accountability for the miss and issued an apology to fans via his X account:

“It will take time to digest the bitterness and frustration. We tried everything. I take my responsibility, it didn’t work and I’m the first to be sorry. I am convinced that the future of @equipedefrance looks bright, especially if we can count on you."

Tchouameni is currently on international duty with Les Blues for their UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Belgium.

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"Now it's war between us" - Real Madrid's Tchouameni to France teammate and Barcelona star Jules Kounde

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde was also part of the France squad that lost to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. The right back, who played five matches at the tournament, shares a close bond with the Real Madrid midfielder.

The two began their careers at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, winning the French Under-17 championship together. They made their senior team debuts in 2018 and won their international caps in the summer of 2021.

While Kounde moved to Spain in 2019 with Sevilla, Tchouameni's journey took him to Monaco in 2020. Their paths crossed again In the same summer of 2022, with Tchouameni signing for Real Madrid and Kounde joining Barcelona, their arch-rivals.

"Congratulations, brother. Now it's war between us," wrote Tchouameni after Kounde signed for the Catalan giants.

The two players, who have the same agent, share a bond off the field as they travelled to the USA together to watch an NBA game.