Lionel Messi’s Priceless Reaction to Enzo Fernandez’s Attempt Goes Viral, Video

• Lionel Messi was left speechless by Enzo Fernandez's ridiculous attempt on September 12
• Fernandez hit the woodwork with a long-range effort to the approval of his national captain
• Messi did not make the squad for the game but Argentina still ran out comfortable winners

Lionel Messi was in unfamiliar territory on September 12 as he was forced to watch Argentina's game against Bolivia from the bench.

The national team captain faced a late fitness test to assess his readiness for the game in La Paz after coming off last week against Ecuador, citing fatigue.

He made the trip to the highest capital city in the world nonetheless but head coach, Lionel Scaloni opted against naming him in the squad.

However, Messi had the best seat of the encounter as he sat on the bench with the substitutes.

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In his absence, the World Champions made light work of Bolivia with Angel Di Maria running the show. The Benfica man set up Enzo Fernandez and Nicolas Tagliafico as they raced to a 2-0 lead before half-time.

The home side's woes were deepened when they were reduced to 10 men after Roberto Fernandez's rash challenge on Christian Romero, as captured by Reuters.

Messi's reaction to Fernandez's attempt

Despite being on the bench, Messi's reactions were spotted in real-time.

In the 10th minute, Fernandez made a chance out of nothing as he sent a ferocious shot from way out. The Chelsea star saw his effort graze the bar and ricochet out of play.

Messi, like the rest of the fans watching the game, was left astounded by the attempt.

In the video shared on X (formerly Twitter), the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner was spotted looking for a better angle to watch it. He then put his hands on his head and gasped after it clipped the bar.

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Nico Gonzalez added a third goal in the second half to maintain Argentina's perfect start in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Angel Di Maria vs Bolivia

Sports Brief also reported that Angel Di Maria possesses pure magic in his boots. Regardless of any criticism about his time at Manchester United, there's no disputing he stands among the world's elite playmakers.

The 35-year-old certainly put on a show for his teammates regardless of the altitude in La Paz. Di Maria whipped in a low pass to Fernandez, who slotted home beautifully for Argentina during their game versus Bolivia.