Lionel Messi has provided football fans across the world with memories that will last a lifetime.
The Argentine dazzled Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain supporters week in, week out for nearly two decades in Europe, and continues to shine across the pond after joining Inter Miami in 2023.
Messi has made a big impact on Major League Soccer and left a lasting impression on both fans and officialsGetty
But it isn’t just those in the stands that he’s impressing in America’s MLS.
Honduran referee Said Martinez, who officiated Messi‘s first game with Miami, recently revealed how he was taken aback by a ‘humble gesture’ from the star.
“The whole stadium was chanting his name and he came to shake hands with four Honduran referees,” Martinez recalled during an appearance on Rely Maradiaga’s YouTube channel.
“The stadium was chanting ‘Messi, Messi, Messi, Messi’, and he went to shake our hands and congratulated us and gave us a pat on the back and said what a good game and what a good job.
“That kind of thing is worth more than anything else.”
Martinez also revealed that Messi took the time to sign a special memento for his daughter after the match, which has given him an ‘invaluable memory’.
“There is something I’ve never revealed in the media. There is a very special object I have saved for when my daughter turns 15. I’m not someone who takes photos with players; for me, all players are the same. I’m there to do my job,” he said.
“However, I went with the dressing room delegate to check some things during a match involving Messi.
“At that moment he was there signing some things. I decided to take out the FIFA card with which I officiated in the Gold Cup final between Mexico and Panama. It would be a memento for my daughter, not me.
“On the card, it says: ‘For Siham Martínez, with love, Leo Messi’. This is Messi’s original signature; this is the precious object I have from him.
Said Martinez spoke warmly of the interaction he had with Messi, one of the greatest players ever
“It’s Messi’s handwriting. He took the time to write it. These details are worth gold; it’s an invaluable memory.”
When the Argentine World Cup winner penned a two-and-a-half year deal with David Beckham’s Inter Miami last year, he become the most high-profile recruit in MLS history.
His first 12 months in the US have been going well both on and off the pitch.
Messi has scored 30 goals and provided 17 assists in 35 games, and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo has recently revealed how well their family is adjusting to life in Florida.
“It has actually been very easy, and we’re all happy about it. Our main concern was that the kids might not like it or adjust well, but from day one, they adapted very well,” she said.
“We love being able to enjoy outdoor activities, to spend the day at the beach or at home with friends.
Messi and his family are settling into life in Miamiantonelaroccuzzo
“If we can, we also enjoy getaways to Orlando to visit Disney or Universal and have fun with the kids.”
