The report says Messi followed the greeting with another decisive performance for Argentina, scoring against Austria and continuing a strong tournament for his country.
It also credits the captain with extending two remarkable age-related records: becoming the oldest player to score a World Cup hat-trick and later the oldest Argentine to find the net at the tournament. Those claims remain attributed to the report, but they fit the broader picture of Messi’s extraordinary longevity.
Even in the latter stages of his career, the forward remains central to Argentina’s attacking identity. His influence is measured not only in goals, but in the attention, belief and fear he continues to command whenever he takes the field.
The embrace also revived memories of Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final against Klopp’s Liverpool in 2019. Messi scored twice in the first leg, including a memorable free-kick, before Liverpool produced one of the competition’s great comebacks at Anfield.
That contrast makes Klopp’s tribute especially entertaining. Their footballing history includes pain, brilliance and a famous reversal of fortune - yet the latest chapter was simply a hug and a punchline.
Argentina are reportedly set to face Jordan next, with Lionel Scaloni expected to weigh Messi’s workload against the pursuit of further records and the Golden Boot.
The storyline to watch is whether Messi’s birthday tribute becomes another reminder of his past, or the prelude to another defining moment in his remarkable international career.