Lionel Messi mobbed by fans while out at dinner in Argentina

There is celebrity, there is fame, and then there is whatever Lionel Messi’s status is in Argentina now after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Messi and his teammates on the Argentina men’s national team have come back together in their home country for the first time since celebrating their triumph at the World Cup in Qatar, preparing to play their first international matches since the tournament with friendlies scheduled against Panama and Curacao.

Messi took a night off from training in Buenos Aires to go out to dinner — and was promptly mobbed by a massive crowd of local onlookers hoping to get an in-person glimpse of their country’s most famous living sports hero.

The 35-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star needed security to get in and out of the restaurant as fans tried to reach out and touch Messi as though he was a divine figure. Overhead shots of the crowd showed it stretching for blocks around the restaurant in which Messi was dining.

[Messi, Mbappé, PSG face uncertain future following Champions League flameout]

Check out more videos of the incredible scene below:

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