Messi surprises fans with first public appearance since WC final

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has made his first public appearance since the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, turning up at a lower-division football match in Rosario—not as a player, but as a spectator supporting his family's club, Leones FC.

Following Argentina's World Cup campaign, Messi returned home to Rosario, where he has been spending time with his family. On Saturday evening, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner attended Leones FC's match in Arroyo Seco, marking his first public outing since the World Cup final.

Leones FC was founded by the Messi family and is currently presided over by his elder brother, Matías Messi. The club competes in Argentina's fourth division and has become a symbol of the family's long-standing commitment to grassroots football.

A video shared by Argentine radio station Cadena 3 Rosario showed Messi watching the match from a stadium balcony, dressed casually in a black hoodie. As fans recognized him, chants of "Messi, Messi" echoed around the venue. The Argentine superstar responded with a smile, waving warmly to supporters who had gathered to catch a glimpse of him.

Posting the footage on its official X account, Cadena 3 Rosario wrote: "Messi was in Arroyo Seco. He left a special greeting for Cadena 3. Lionel Messi attended Leones' match this evening."

Saturday's appearance was Messi's first in public since Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19. Unlike the rest of Argentina's squad, he did not return home on the team's charter flight, arriving in the country two days later. Since then, he had remained out of the public eye until his visit to Leones FC.