Messi Greets Fans From His Hotel Window Ahead of Argentina’s Second Copa America Game

• Lionel Messi celebrated his 37th birthday yesterday, and the football world came together to send him their global wishes
• Argentina fans gathered at many spots yesterday to chant happy birthday to him, including at the team hotel in New Jersey
• The world champions will take on rivals, Chile, in their second Copa America Group A tomorrow at the MetLife Stadium

Lionel Messi celebrated his 37th birthday yesterday, June 24, and when Argentina fans gathered outside his hotel to wish him, the captain was kind enough to wave back.

His birthday falls in the middle of the 2024 Copa America, during which La Albiceleste are aiming to defend their title and win their fourth consecutive international trophy.

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The world champions defeated CONCACAF country, Canada, 2-0 in the opening match, thanks to goals from strikers, Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.

Their next game is against Chile, the team that beat them in consecutive finals in 2015 and 2016. This will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Messi waves to fans outside his hotel

Fans gathered across different centres in the USA yesterday to sing happy birthday to their national hero, with some gathering outside his hotel, as seen in a video shared by Sports Centre.

Messi was magnanimous enough to open his room’s window to wave to the fans, who kept shouting 'Messi, Messi' for him. He was visibly pleased and smiled throughout the event.

The fans extended their chanting to the rest of the team as other players, including Angel Di Maria and Rodrigo De Paul, joined in waving to the fans through the window.

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Some national team staff were at the hotel front to share the Inter Miami star's birthday cake with the fans.

TyC Sports shared another video of La Albiceleste fans at Times Square in New York singing a birthday song for Messi and supporting their team for the ongoing Copa.

Footballers who share birthdays with Messi

Sports Brief has also analysed footballers who share birthdays with Messi, including Argentine legend, Juan Roman Riquelme, one of the players he looked up to growing up.

Fellow South American and Liverpool forward, Darwin Nunez, celebrated his 25th birthday while Real Madrid and Austrian defender, David Alaba, was also born on June 24.