Since the Albiceleste’s coronation at the World Cup in Qatar, the Argentines have not stopped getting tattoos of their idol Lionel Messi kissing the World Cup.
They have Lionel Messi under their skin. Or rather on the skin: since the coronation of their national football team in Qatar, Argentinians have been tattooed with the image that has become emblematic of their idol kissing the World Cup trophy.
«The next two weeks, I only have World Cup tattoos. Some had previously made appointments to get tattoos of snakes or skulls, but changed to Messi or the Cup. I already have two or three appointments a day on my schedule“, explains to AFP Esteban Vucinovich, nicknamed “Cobra to you».
The World Cup, Messi and Emiliano Martinez
According to this tattoo artist from Buenos Aires, the World Cup trophy is the most in demand, followed by Messi of course, but also by goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez who was decisive in the final against France in extra time and in the penalty shootout (3-3 ap, 4 tab to 2). These supporters are inspired by the examples given by certain Argentine players, freshly crowned world champions, such as Angel Di Maria who has recently sported a World Cup tattoo on his right leg.
«On the skin for eternity. Thank you very much my friend. You said it when we won the Copa America (in 2020). I had kept the other leg for this occasion. It was written. Go Argentina!“Wrote Di Maria on his Instagram account in caption of a photo of the tattoo and its author. “I got a Messi tattoo as a sign of thanks“, explains to AFP Nicolás Rechanik, a civil servant. “It represents not only who Messi is but also the team that brought us a third World Cup and all the years of effort to achieve that goal.».
Before having Messi on his left leg wearing the white jersey striped with blue and kissing the Golden Cup, he had already had a tattoo of the other idol of Argentine football, Diego Maradona, crowned world champion in 1986 and died in 2020 .
Argentinian fervor
«It’s a perfect representation of what Argentine football is and what Argentina is to us.“, he summarizes.
Alma Ocampo, a 20-year-old girl who has been playing football since she was a child, decided to get a tattoo when Argentina surprisingly lost their first World Cup match against Saudi Arabia (2-1). “When everyone was losing confidence, I told myself that I would get the Cup tattooed if Argentina won it. So I did, with the date December 18, 2022“, that of the third Argentinian world title, she specifies.
Ariel Sacchi, a physical education teacher, tattooed a playing card representing five World Cups, as many as those disputed by Messi, with the Argentine superstar in the center kissing the trophy. “I decided to get a tattoo of Leo (Messi, editor’s note) because he gave all of us Argentinians the greatest joy. I think he deserved it (the world title, editor’s note) and after failing so many times, he finally won it»,
But not all tattoos are equal: on social networks, people laugh at the one who sports a slightly too thick Messi or another with a mistake in the name of goalkeeper Emiliano “Back» Martinez.