Prince Harry was spotted eagerly waiting to meet Lionel Messi after Inter Miami’s victory over Los Angeles FC.
Messi returned to the pitch on Sunday, contributing to his new club’s 3-1 win over LAFC in their Major League Soccer encounter.
The goals from Facundo Faroas, Jordi Alba, and Leonardo Campana secured all three points for Inter Miami at the BMO Stadium.
Although Messi didn’t score himself, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner provided two assists, assisting Campana and former Barcelona teammate Alba.
The crowd included a multitude of celebrities, such as LeBron James and Leonardo DiCaprio, but few seemed as excited as Prince Harry, who appeared enthusiastic at the prospect of witnessing Messi in action.
After the match, the Duke of Sussex was captured on video waiting to meet the Argentine superstar, wisely opting to leave his LAFC scarf behind. You can view the footage below.
El Príncipe Harry y su reacción al hablar de Leo Messi en los pasillos del BMO Stadium. 🇦🇷🐐 pic.twitter.com/qcRB2gYo8J
— ESPN Fútbol Argentina (@ESPNFutbolArg) September 4, 2023
When asked by a supporter if he had a message for Messi, Prince Harry raised his thumb in appreciation before responding: “Message for Messi? Put it in the net!”
Prince Harry is finally getting his wish to watch Leo Messi 😁 pic.twitter.com/ny5dvcKmlg
— Leo Messi 🔟 Fan Club (@WeAreMessi) September 4, 2023
But the 38-year-old wasn’t the only one in awe of Messi, with singer and actress Selena Gomez left stunned by the little Magician’s performance.
While one fan tried to get a little too close to the former Barcelona star, with the pitch invader promptly stopped by Messi’s now-famous bodyguard, who grabbed the offender by the neck and dragged him off the pitch.
Speaking after the victory, Messi praised the team’s performance and spoke of his desire to win the league.
“The group is growing more,” he said. “I’ve been saying it since the beginning of all of this, we were lucky to get in a tournament and get to a final.
“Now, we’re going to look to hit the objective of being among the best eight to try and win the league. This is the way. We continue growing and obviously winning provides a lot of confidence.”