Lionel Messi arrived in China to join the delegation of Lionel Scaloni's Argentine National Team, which will play two friendlies on Asian soil. Of course, on the arrival of the 10th to Beijing there was a curious situation, when the immigration authorities delayed the Argentine captain for almost half an hour due to some inconvenience with his passport.
The scene was recorded on video thanks to the large number of cell phones waiting for the crack that will play in Inter Miami, and quickly went viral on social networks from the other side of the world.
Messi appears in the center of the scene as if without understanding what is happening, although showing a lot of patience and with a ladero that usually accompanies him every time he dresses in albiceleste: Rodrigo De Paul.
It is known that the Atletico Madrid midfielder maintains a special relationship with Leo: they are friends, they traveled together and he does not take off from his side on and off the field.
Leandro Paredes, Ángel Di María, Germán Pezzella and Nicolás Tagliafico, among others, were also part of this new contingent of national stars that set foot in Beijing.
After almost half an hour of waiting, Messi and the rest of the Argentine players were able to enter the eastern country and were transported in a bus to the hotel where the team is staying.
The National Team has already trained in Beijing
The Argentine team, with Lionel Messi present, trained today for the first time in Beijing ahead of Thursday's friendly against Australia, in the opening duel of the FIFA double date.
With the squad almost complete, and waiting for Julián Álvarez (Manchester City) and Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), the group of players present carried out activation work at the hotel where the delegation is staying.
The names that Lionel Scaloni already has are Lionel Messi, Ángel Di María, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso, Enzo Fernández, Nahuel Molina, Rodrigo De Paul, Marcos Acuña, Lucas Ocampos, Guido Rodríguez, Germán Pezzella, Giovanni Simeone, Gerónimo Rulli, Nicolás Tagliafico, Walter Benítez, Nicolás González, Alejandro Garnacho, Leonardo Balerdi and Facundo Medina, arrived at dawn; and Exequiel Palacios, Facundo Buonanotte, Cristian Romero and Nicolás Otamendi.
These players worked in two different groups, with specific tasks to catch up after a few weeks of post-season rest at their respective clubs.
The revolution for Lionel Messi, as observed in social networks, is total in the streets of China and many football fans approached the surroundings with the desire to see him at least for a moment.
In addition, in the afternoon of Beijing joined Emiliano Martinez and Alexis Mac Allister, both from England.
The coaching staff also summoned the goalkeeper of Independiente Mateo Morro, to participate in the tour as a sparring and who also arrived with the first group.
Tomorrow the work will move, at the same time, to the grounds of the Olympic Stadium in Beijing.
Argentina will play two matches on this tour, on Thursday 15, from 9.00, against Australia, in Beijing; and then on Monday at 9.30, in Jakarta, Indonesia, against the local team.
In this way, Argentina and Australia will repeat the duel of the knockout stages of Qatar, which ended with a national victory by 2-1, with goals from Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez and a key final save from Emiliano Martínez.
With information from Agencies
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