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The Socceroos have been criticized for ‘fanboying’ about Lionel Messi after Argentina knocked Australia out of the World Cup.
Locker room footage saw Australian players Keanu Baccus, Joel King and Marco Tilio pose for photos with Messi after the match.
Subsequently, each player uploaded their photos with the Argentine captain to their Instagram accounts, where their followers shared their delight.
Soceroos player Marco Tilio told his Instagram followers Messi had been his ‘idol’ growing up
King was seen proudly showing off his photo with Messi to his teammates and a reporter, while Tilio took to Instagram to share the special moment.
“To be a part of something so special and to have learned so much,” she wrote.
To then meet my idol as a child and the best player in the world. I am very grateful and feel blessed. Thanks Australia, what an experience.’
However, some Australian fans said the photos came too soon after Australia’s devastating 2-1 World Cup loss to Argentina on Sunday morning.
“They should be suspended from the national team,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Locker room footage saw Australian players Keanu Baccus, Joel King and Marco Tilio pose for photos with Messi after the match.
“I think a lot of people would still be upset about leaving the World Cup to worry about a selfie with Messi,” a second agreed.
‘He deserved to lose. Imagine being the reason your country is out of the World Cup and you don’t even care and you’re smiling,” said a third.
“Totally an un-Australian thing to do,” added a fourth.
Others said that posing for a photo with one of the best players in the world was understandable, despite the World Cup loss.
‘Why are people upset about this? It’s after the game, and most of our players grew up watching it,” another fan wrote.
However, some Australian fans said the photos came too soon after Australia’s devastating 2-1 World Cup loss to Argentina on Sunday morning (pictured)
“It’s not every day you see a goat or play with it,” another agreed.
“Those players will one day show these pictures to their grandkids and tell them I played against the GOAT (greatest of all time).”
‘Absolutely nothing wrong with this! The man is an icon! another wrote.
However, many would say that it was Australian player Cameron Devlin who won, securing the shirt Messi wore during the match against his team.
Images shared on Twitter show Messi heading towards the dressing room shortly after collecting the Man of the Match award, before stopping and exchanging words with someone off the pitch.
Messi removed his shirt after collecting the Man of the Match award in the tunnel
As the Argentina captain proceeds to remove his shirt, the camera pans over to Devlin, who shakes Messi’s hand and hands over his still-folded shirt.
Messi does the same with his, which Devlin, one of six Socceroos who didn’t see a minute of action in Qatar, quickly tucks under his training jersey, before the two go their separate ways.
A prized possession under normal circumstances, the shirt Messi wore against Australia could be a true collector’s item.
It had been the 1,000th game of the Argentine maestro’s career, who scored with a superb finish to give his team the lead 35 minutes into the first half.
The goal was Messi’s ninth World Cup goal, one behind Gabriel Batistuta, La Albiceleste’s record goalscorer, and his first in the round of 16.
Devlin did not play a minute in the World Cup in Australia
It could be the last Argentina jersey Messi wins a game in, if Lionel Scaloni’s men meet the Netherlands in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Socceroos boss Graham Arnold has admitted to being in awe of Messi’s brilliance, after the Argentina captain put in an excellent performance.
“He’s one of the greatest of all time,” he said.
‘We really work hard not to be in awe of him, for the great player he is.
‘But wow, he’s remarkable.
“I had the privilege of playing against Diego Maradona, and now I train against Messi. They are both wonderful players and Argentina should be very proud and happy to have players of that caliber.”