Messi mania gripped Buenos Aires as the Argentina national team led by Lionel Messi beat Panama 2-0 in a friendly match that was essentially a celebration of their World Cup victory last December.
There was a party-like atmosphere outside the Monumental Stadium from early in the afternoon as children almost universally donned Messi’s No. 10 jersey and street sellers hawked Messi dolls.
Tickets to Thursday’s match were sold out quickly but the game was just one chapter of the celebration that included local musicians and a trailer of a documentary about the World Cup-winning squad.
Messi received a massive ovation when he and his Argentina teammates entered the stadium, and his 89th-minute goal proved to be the icing on the cake for all the fans present there.
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