The Brighton midfielder has opened up on his first meeting with his Argentina teammate Lionel Messi.
Having spent an impressive campaign at Brighton, Alexis Mac Allister has earned an Argentina call-up for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers. The 23-year-old has made two appearances for the Albiceleste, none of them alongside his idol Lionel Messi.
He will not be able to do so during Argentina’s next two games. Manager Lionel Scaloni has provided extra time off for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner as he aims to fully recover from his recent COVID-19 setback.
In a new interview with The Athletic, the Seagulls midfielder has opened up on his experience of training with Messi.
“I trained with him when I was in the Argentinian squad twice, but I didn’t play with him,” Mac Allister said. “It was fantastic, the same as in the matches he trains. It’s something you cannot believe.
“I remember everyone called me ‘Colo’, which is ginger in Argentina. I don’t like it much and he told the teammates that. He said, ‘He doesn’t like to be called Colo, so don’t call him that!’”
Asked about the first time he met Messi, Mac Allister responded: “I was red, completely red. I didn’t want even to say hello. I was really nervous even to meet one of the best players in the world, but it was fantastic, of course.
“It’s something I’m not going to forget. It was magic when my dad played with Maradona and I could train with Lionel Messi. We are very proud of it.”
Argentina sit second in South America’s World Cup qualifying tournament. Having already secured their qualifications, the Albiceleste will face Chile and Colombia in their next two qualifiers in the absence of their captain.
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