Lionel Messi received a t-shirt with a message written by Pope Francis | PHOTO

Lionel Messi received a very special gift that will surely add to his enviable and extensive collection. Last Sunday, the day he returned to the pitch with PSG after overcoming the coronavirus, the striker was given an Athletica Vaticana shirt autographed by Pope Francis.

On the 30th of Paris Saint Germain he added minutes in the win over Reims (4-0) in Ligue 1. Immediately, the gunner received the jacket signed by the pontiff from Monsignor Emmanuel Gobilliard, auxiliary bishop of Lyon and delegate for the Holy Venue of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“A man of faith, Messi confirmed to me how important this step was for him. We pray together”Monsignor Gobilliard wrote on social networks along with a photo of the former Barcelona player holding a shirt in his hands and another next to the Brazilian Neymar.

“The exchange of shirts between the Pope and the Argentine star has been completed”, adds Athletica Vaticana. As it is recalled, in October, the French Prime Minister Jean Castex gave Pope Francis the shirt dedicated to Messi, silk-screened with number 30, in the colors of ‘Les Parisiens’.

The Argentine pontiff, -since his childhood a fan of the San Lorenzo club in Buenos Aires- had expressed his gratitude and had congratulated him for his “simplicity”. Likewise, Leo Messi and Jorge Bergoglio, elected Pope in March 2013, had met in August of that year at the Vatican.

the return of crack

Leo Messi started the actions on the bench of the substitutes. In the complementary stage, with the result almost assured, coach Mauricio Pochettino ordered the entry of the attacker. The footballer replaced his compatriot Ángel Di María. Already in action, during the 30 minutes that he had to play, he gave an assist for the 3-0 goal against Reims.

The star, who has not been called up by the Albiceleste team for the qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia, contracted COVID-19 during his stay in Rosario. The athlete and his entire family traveled to his hometown to celebrate the end of the year holidays with his loved ones.