Lionel Messi Mistakes His Teammate For A Fan, Poses For A Photograph Without Recognizing Him

Lionel Messi

Shutterstock / Christian Bertrand


Lionel Messi is not only the best soccer player in the world right now, he might be the greatest player in the history of the sport. He has already earned $80 million this year alone and has made tens of millions every year of his career. Even if you aren’t a soccer fan you know the name ‘Messi. Abroad, he and Cristiano Ronaldo are some of the most marketable people on the planet. Suffice it to say, Lionel Messi lives a busy life.

When he’s not juggling time between playing for F.C. Barcelona or the Argentinian National Team, Lionel Messi has sponsorship obligations, charitable causes, and in between that he has to find time to live his life. He meets more people in one month than you or I meet in a lifetime. That’s a lot to keep track of, and something that recently caused him some problems.

Sebastián Driussi is a teammate of Messi’s on the Argentinian National Team. He’s a forward for Zenit St Petersburg, but he’s also not the biggest name in soccer. He recently spotted Messi at a hotel bar in Russia, approached his fellow teammate and asked if he could get a picture. Messi agreed to take the photo and didn’t have a fucking clue that the guy was his teammate.

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Gracias por la foto IDOLO👏🏻 @leomessi

A post shared by Driussi Sebastian (@sebadriussi.11) on

Business Insider reports that Messi later realized what happened, that he knew the guy and they were teammates. He apologized profusely according to MARCA:

“I feel bad about it because I did not recognise him, even though I know him,” Messi said. “When he asked for a photo I thought it was one of the guys who are always waiting for a photo and I apologised after.”
“When I saw him in the lobby of the hotel I was thinking of something else and I did not realise.”

When you’re among the top 2 or 3 most famous athletes in the world and meet millions of people on your travels I think you deserve some slack. So what if he forgets a face or name from time to time. He’s one of the busiest men alive. And he does seem genuinely embarrassed about the mistake. I’ve been lucky enough to see Messi play in person and if you ever get the chance, go to the game. It’s a chance to see a living legend in action.

Coincidentally, posing for photographs while pretending not to know who the person is is also how I got Matt to leave me alone in the BroBible NYC office.

[h/t Business Insider]