Here is a great story for you. Lionel Messi had stood up against bullies in the Argentina squad to protect Alexis Mac Allister.
The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder remembered earning his first call-up for Argentina in 2019.
The 23-year-old first and foremost admitted he was wholly star-struck during the moment he met Messi.
“I was red, completely red,” he told The Athletic.
“I didn’t want even to say hello. I was really nervous even to meet one of the best players in the world, but it was fantastic, of course.”
“It’s something I’m not going to forget. It was magic when my dad played with Maradona and I could train with Lionel Messi. We are very proud of it,” the Seagulls star added.
Additionally, Allister went on to reveal a very disappointing experience, but luckily, Messi was there to literally become his hero.
With Irish descent, Mac Allister has ginger hair, and this is what caused his Argentian teammates to start calling him “Colo” (ginger).
“I remember everyone called me ‘Colo’, which is ginger in Argentina. I don’t like it much and he told the teammates that. He said, ‘He doesn’t like to be called Colo, so don’t call him that!'” Mac Allister explained.
Alexis Mac Allister on Lionel Messi in the Argentina national team: “I remember everyone called me Colo, which is ginger in Argentina. I don’t like it much and he told the team mates that. He said “He doesn’t like to be called Colo, don’t call him that!” This via The Athletic. pic.twitter.com/SXvu63Xf31
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) January 28, 2022
Meanwhile, Brighton will travel to Tottenham Hotspur next weekend for FA Cup action.
