Messi Heads to 6th World Cup, Faces Son of Former Teammate

(Central News Agency, Buenos Aires, 11th - Special Report) Argentine football star Lionel Messi, who will soon turn 39, is set to challenge for the World Cup for the sixth time in his career. A post-match conversation between Messi and a young Icelandic player after a friendly match on the 9th has drawn attention from Argentine media, as the player turned out to be the son of Messi's former Barcelona teammate, Eiður Guðjohnsen.

Argentina defeated Iceland 3-0 in the friendly on the 9th. Daníel Guðjohnsen, an Icelandic national team player who plays for Swedish club Malmö FF, approached Messi after the match to chat. According to Argentine media reports, Daníel first asked Messi, "Do you remember who I am?" Messi later revealed with a smile that he did not recognize him at first.

Messi said, "He told me he is Guðjohnsen's son. I remember seeing him at the training ground with his father, but that was many years ago. It really surprised me."

This conversation drew attention because Daníel's father was a key teammate early in Messi's career. Eiður Guðjohnsen played for Barcelona from 2006 to 2010, spending four seasons alongside Messi, during which they won multiple titles including La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.

The two were also teammates during Barcelona's "Sextuple" era. In 2009, Barcelona made history by winning six titles in a single calendar year, including La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, becoming a classic in football history.

Now, the little boy who once appeared at the training ground with his father has become a member of the Icelandic national team and came on as a substitute in the friendly against Argentina. From being the son of a teammate to becoming an opponent on the pitch, this coincidence has been described by many Argentine media outlets as a microcosm of football's generational transition.

Now 38, Messi will turn 39 on June 24th. If he plays in this World Cup, it will be his sixth appearance, spanning a 20-year international career.

He made his World Cup debut in Germany in 2006, led his team to the final in 2014, and lifted the trophy in Qatar in 2022, establishing himself as one of the few figures in world football to span multiple generations. For many young players, Messi was once an idol on TV; now, they stand on the same pitch with him as opponents or teammates. (Editor: Chen Huiping) 1150611