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Fans have lauded Lionel Messi for his gesture with a young fan following Paris Saint-Germain's 4-0 win against Nantes in the in the Trophee des Champions in Tel Aviv on Sunday. He allowed the fan, initially stopped by security, to take a picture with him.
Messi, Sergio Ramos and Neymar Jr. (brace) were the scorers on the night. Messi opened the scoring in the first half with an excellent finish. The 35-year-old used his pace to round out the Nantes goalkeeper and score from an acute angle. That wasn't the only Messi highlight from the game, though.
Following the game, a young fan tried to take a selfie with the Argentine forward but was whisked away by security. Messi, though, stopped the security and allowed the fan to click a picture with him.
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The video for the same can be seen below:
The gesture was widely appreciated. Some contrasted Messi's heartwarming actions to Cristiano Ronaldo's, who smashed a young fan's phone trying to take a picture with the Portuguese star following a Manchester United defeat last season.
Here are a few tweets in that regard:
Messi has now won his second trophy in France since joining PSG last summer, adding to the Ligue 1 title he won last season. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has now won 41 trophies in his illustrious career in club and international football.
Messi will, however, want to add one more title with Argentina later this year - at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. It could be Messi's final opportunity to win the quadrennial competition as he approaches the twilight of his career.
Lionel Messi's form holds promise for PSG ahead of new season
Lionel Messi's form in pre-season and in the Trophee des Champions looks promising ahead of the new season. The Argentina captain has been heavily involved in attack this summer and is expected to continue his good form in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League too.
Messi scored twice in three pre-season games in Japan, scoring against Kawasaki Frontale and Gamba Osaka. He continued his pre-season form into the Trophee des Champions with a superb finish.
Last season was a disappointing one for Lionel Messi, as he scored just 11 times across competitions, including only six times in the Parisians' victorious Ligue 1 campaign. He'll hope for better returns this season.
