A reporter gifted Messi a good luck charm after the Argentine superstar missed a penalty kick in the opening match of the tournament. When he followed up after the team qualified for the knockout round, Messi revealed he had kept the charm on him.
- Argentina's poor start to the World Cup prompted one reporter to pass along a good luck charm to the team's superstar Lionel Messi.
- After Argentina defeated Nigeria to escape to the knockout round, the same reporter asked Messi if he had kept the amulet, only for Messi to reveal that he was wearing it at that very moment, leaving the reporter stunned.
After a rough start to his 2018 World Cup campaign, Lionel Messi has settled in a bit, showing off his otherworldly abilities with his opening goal against Nigeria on Tuesday to help Argentina secure a spot in the knockout round of the tournament.
There's plenty of potential reasons for Messi's turnaround - the best players in the world don't stay out of form for long - but as an interview after the match showed, Messi may have had luck on his side also.
Argentina had opened the tournament with a disappointing draw against Iceland, prompting one reporter to pass along a good luck charm to Messi, a charm the reporter had received from his mother. After Argentina defeated Nigeria to advance to the knockout stage, the reporter brought up the good luck charm, only for Messi to reveal that he wore the charm around his ankle during the match.
Here is a translation of the conversation seen below, via Luis Mazariegos:
Journalist: In the first match I gave you the good luck charm that my mother gave me, I'm not sure if you kept it or threw it away.
Messi: Look (he shows he has it around his ankle)
The two exchanged a few more words before Messi ran off, leaving the reporter stunned.
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- Neymar drew a penalty with a ridiculous dive - but the World Cup's new replay system overturned the call
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