Lionel Messi snubs Socceroos young gun Alex Robertson as he tries to get the Argentina star’s jersey

You can’t blame a chap for trying, but Socceroos star Alex Robertson was left empty-handed when he tried to get hold of Lionel Messi’s threadbare shirt after Thursday night’s friendly in Beijing.

The Socceroos were brave in their World Cup defeat as they faced eventual champions Argentina and showed another strong performance in the friendly against Messi and his men as they recovered from a 1-0 deficit in just the second minute.

Rising star from Manchester City, 20-year-old Robertson got valuable playing time and then tried to win an even bigger prize.

Throughout his illustrious career, Messi achieved numerous records and accolades, including winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or award seven times and leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup trophy in Qatar.

He spent most of his career with FC Barcelona, ​​where he won multiple national and international titles before making a sensational move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami in the United States’ MLS league.

So Robertson took the opportunity to try and get his hands on Messi’s game-worn shirt.

The Socceroos talent touched Messi’s back and tugged at his top to get his attention, but the superstar was having none of it as he completely brushed Robertson.

However, he was left red-faced and empty-handed as the Argentine superstar brushed him off

Messi tore the Socceroos apart with his fastest ever international goal, but the Aussies bravely fought their way back into the game

While Robertson missed out on Messi’s game-worn jersey last night, two Australian players managed to get their hands on it at last year’s World Cup.

Although Cameron Devlin was not allowed to play in any matches during the tournament, the midfielder left the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium wearing Lionel Messi’s shirt following Australia’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina.

A video shared on Twitter showed Messi making his way to the dressing room after receiving the Player of the Match award.

He stopped and had a brief conversation with someone off-camera before taking his shirt off. The camera then focused on Devlin, who shook hands with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and handed him his own folded competition shirt.

Devlin quickly tucked Messi’s shirt under his training shirt, while Messi did the same with Devlin’s kit.

Alex Robertson (right) battles for the ball against Argentina’s Leandro Parades during Thursday night’s friendly in Beijing

Robertson (left) sits on the substitute bench with Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland (centre) and John Stones during a Premier League game at Gtech Community Stadium, London

Cameron Devlin didn’t get a minute of playing time at the World Cup in Qatar, but went home with one of the biggest prizes: a worn Lionel Messi jersey

In addition to Devlin, Socceroos striker Mitchell Duke also received a priceless Messi shirt as a memento of Australia’s brave defeat in Qatar.

After consuming seven water bottles to deliver a urine sample, Duke returned to the Australian dressing room to find a special gift on top of his bag: the coveted jersey, courtesy of the Argentine equipment man.

Some Socceroos fans suggested that Robertson was just trying to get a simple handshake from the Argentina star after the Beijing game.

“I honestly think he was just trying to shake his hand,” one wrote.

“Yeah sure looked like he wanted a handshake… haha ​​poor dude,” added another.

While he didn’t get away with Messi’s jersey or a handshake, it was still a turning point for Robertson, who was also eligible to represent England, Peru and Scotland.

The teen prodigy chose the Socceroos and was injected into the huge game late in the play.

“There would really only be one team I would play for: Australia,” he said in March.

‘I’ve been playing for England since I was young… it was a really good experience. But Australia is my home and has been since I was young. There was only one answer.’