'My hands were shaking!' - Messi meeting left Argentina teammate Mac Allister sweating

Alexis Mac Allister could well be one of the keys to Lionel Messi winning the World Cup, but it wasn’t too long ago that he was terrified to meet him.

The Brighton star has shined to a whole new level in Qatar – having been unselected in an opening loss to Saudi Arabia, he’s since started every game and been integral as Argentina reached the final.

Getty

Mac Allister is well on his way to becoming a star

Getty

But he was still terrified to meet Messi

Mac Allister, who signed for Brighton in 2018 before loan stints back home, even has a goal in Doha, scoring in a 2-0 win over Poland to make it through a tough group, bailing Messi out of trouble after he missed a penalty.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner clearly adores his new teammate, but that’s even more true the other way, as Mac Allister revealed in a recent interview.

In a clip while taking to CNN, the midfielder was seen discussing his first meeting with Messi, and just how star-struck he was.

“I was so nervous, my hands were shaking,” he said. “I’m a very shy guy, so, yeah, I was really nervous, but then you realise how humble he is.

“In that moment I was playing in Boca Juniors so we had arrived from Argentina, to, I think it was Spain for a friendly.

“We arrived and he was having dinner so yeah I went to the table and said hello with my hands – were shaking, I was sweating but it was an amazing moment.

CNN

Mac Allister recalled their first meeting

Getty

But now the two are peers

IN THE DIARY

When is the World Cup final? Date, kick-off time and venue

CURSE

Argentina handed kiss of death as 'Drake Curse' threatens to strike with $1m bet

QUIRKY

Superstitious Deschamps 'planks for an hour a day and shaves his assistant's head'

confirmed

Southgate stays on as England manager after taking time to consider future

STUNNING

Brentford star Toney emulates Beckham with stunning strike from near halfway line

CHAOS

Ex-Spurs man hit with metal bin as Melbourne Derby turns ugly and fans storm pitch

“As I said he’s my idol, he’s the best football player in the world so it was fantastic to meet him and play with him.”

Mac Allister, 23, featured in two international friendlies back in 2019 when he first met his hero, but had to wait almost three years until he was invited back into the squad.

Now, with World Cup glory in his sights, Mac Allister won’t be going anywhere when it comes to the global stage – which might be a concern for Brighton…

talkSPORT World Cup 2022 Coverage

talkSPORT is bringing you wall-to-wall coverage of the 2022 World Cup.

We are broadcasting all 64 games in the tournament live, with over 600 hours of coverage across our network.

You can tune in to talkSPORT and talkSPORT 2 via our free online streaming service at talkSPORT.com.

talkSPORT is widely available across the UK via DAB digital radio and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

You can also download the talkSPORT app, or ask your smart speaker to play talkSPORT.

Originally Posted By Talk Sport