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Owen Wilson says meeting Lionel Messi made him feel like ‘a kid on Christmas’

Wilson met Messi in his last game, with the two hugging after the match ended.


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 3:46 PM EDT

Lionel Messi can add Owen Wilson to his list long of fans. The actor recently spoke about Messi and the fact that he kept up with his performance at the world cup. In a video shared on social media, he shared how much he admired him and that he couldn’t wait to see him play in person.

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"Messi is my favorite player in the world. I was so happy when Argentina won the World Cup. I met the reporter who was shouting, 'Argentina world champion' as he started crying. I can't wait to see Messi in person tonight,” said Wilson to ESPN. “I'm as excited as a kid on Christmas.” Wilson revealed that meeting Michael Jordan was similar to what he was experiencing now that he had the chance to meet Messi.

Wilson also compared Messi’s impact on soccer in the US to Pele. “I remember as a kid it was such a huge deal when Pelé played for the Cosmos, and it feels like that again with Messi except maybe even bigger,” said Wilson, per the Daily Mail. Wilson reveals that Messi’s presence in the US has made a lot of people interested in soccer, something that hasn’t happened before. “Even my mother is now really into it,” he said.

After the match, Messi walked towards the stands and greeted Wilson. He also greeted Wilson’s kids and signed some jerseys for them, who seemed wowed to be in his presence.

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Inter Miami CF’s last match was attended by a variety of celebrities, including Prince Harry, Xolo Maridueña, Selena Gomez, and more. Despite not scoring, Messi’s work resulted in two assists for his teammates Jordi Alba and Leonardo Campana.