‘I slept for months in a filthy Lionel Messi shirt!’ – Former La Liga player discloses mad crush on Inter Miami star and claims he wouldn’t let his mother wash match-worn Barcelona jersey Brotherton, Alex

A former La Liga player has admitted he was so obsessed with Lionel Messi that he kept the star’s unwashed shirt under his pillow for months.

• Vargas tells Messi shirt swap story
• Player kept unwashed jersey under pillow
• Player’s mother tried to wash shirt

WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Espanyol winger Matias Vargas is certainly not the only player to be starstruck while facing Messi, although it’s fair to say he took his obsession with his fellow countryman to new levels. After he swapped shirts with Messi following Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Espanyol in January 2020, he kept Messi’s unwashed shirt next to his pillow for months.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Vargas, now playing for Shanghai Port FC, came off the bench in the second half as Espanyol held Barca to a 2-2 draw. Barcelona’s second club eventually finished rock bottom of La Liga, but the young winger will certainly never forget that season.

WHAT VARGAS SAID

Speaking to Fox Sports, Vargas said: “I slept with a Messi shirt next to my pillow for two or three months. Dirty, as it was. I played against him and we changed them. My mother told me ‘let me wash it’. I told her not to touch it.”

WHAT NEXT FOR VARGAS AND MESSI?

Vargas helped Shanghai Port to win a second Chinese Super League title last month, but it looks unlikely that he will ever add to his two senior Argentina caps.

Messi, who won the MLS Leagues Cup with Inter Miami in August, will look to lead his side to an improved MLS showing in 2024 after they failed to make the playoffs in 2023.

Get Related Articles On Sportzonenews