Tennis icon Rafael Nadal received a special jersey from Lionel Messi to mark Argentina's World Cup victory, and he proudly displayed it at his academy on the event's first anniversary.
Messi's Argentina secured a momentous win against France, emerging triumphant with a 3-3 (4-2) scoreline in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup held at Qatar's Lusail Stadium on December 18.
This victory held immense significance for Messi, fulfilling his enduring ambition to claim the world title with his national team.
On this memorable occasion, Messi exhibited a stellar performance, scoring two crucial goals that propelled his team to victory. Despite an impressive hat-trick by Kylian Mbappe for France, it fell short in securing the win for his side.
On the first anniversary of their World Cup victory, Messi dispatched a signed Argentine jersey to Rafael Nadal, who happens to be an ardent football fan as well.
The Spaniard's academy in Mallorca took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared the news, announcing that the jersey had been exhibited inside the Rafa Nadal museum.
Regarding Nadal's passion for football, he has long been an unwavering supporter of the Spanish football club Real Madrid. It's worth noting that Real Madrid stands as the arch-rivals of FC Barcelona, where Lionel Messi plied his trade for 17 seasons, scoring an impressive 672 goals before making a move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been the subject of numerous speculations about potentially assuming the role of the club president at Real Madrid. In his professional life, Nadal is preparing for his farewell year, with the 2024 season anticipated to mark his final stint as a tennis player.
Meanwhile, Nadal's former coach and uncle, Toni, recently affirmed that the Spaniard's love for tennis remains undiminished, expressing his continued desire to compete on the court and emerge victorious.
Toni also stated that even though his 37-year-old nephew's physical abilities have waned over the years, he remains unfazed in his mind.
