LIONEL MESSI has had a stand named after him by a football club – even though he never played for them.
Messi, 38, is considered by many as the greatest player of all time after winning a record eight Ballon d’Or honours throughout his glittering 21-year career.
A football club named one of its stands after Lionel Messi
Newell’s Old Boys gave Messi the ultimate honour
That is despite the fact Messi never played for Newell’s Old Boys
Fans were frustrated with that decision and many complained about the paint job
The star forward’s brilliant legacy was carved out at Barcelona where he won ten LaLiga titles, seven Copa del Rey honours and four Champions League trophies.
The Argentina captain didn’t enjoy the same level of success at Paris Saint-Germain where he played for two years after his heartbreaking exit from Barca in 2021.
And now the Inter Miami superstar is enjoying the winter of his career in the MLS where he has fallen off the radar despite a string of impressive performances for David Beckham‘s club.
But it is Newell’s Old Boys that has given Messi the ultimate honour by naming one of their stands after him.
The Argentine great has history with the club as he joined their academy at the age of eight and spent five year in their youth ranks before moving to Barcelona’s esteemed La Masia set-up.
However, the legendary footballer never picked up a senior appearance with the Argentine outfit.
Nevertheless, Messi has always been a fan of the club and has repeatedly expressed his support.
Old Boys issued photos of their new stand on social media and added the following caption: “Our home. The house of football history.”
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Some fans were left baffled and expressed frustration with the club for honouring a player that never competed for the team at senior level – even if it is someone of Messi’s calibre.
And a section of the fanbase was also angry with the powers that be as they didn’t bother to repaint the bottom part of the stand.
One fan tweeted: “@Grok how many senior appearances has Lionel Messi made for Newells Old Boys?”
Another commented: “I thought it was us messing around, but no, they’re just that clueless.”
A third wrote: “Can you give me the info on the number of official goals scored by Messi?”
Another said: “How sloppy, they didn’t even paint below!! No wonder Messi didn’t even thank them.”
And a fifth admitted: “I feel second-hand embarrassment.”
Messi started out at Newell’s Old Boys’ academy and is a big fan of the club Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
