Copa America: Messi receives many birthday wishes

Social networks have become the main way for thousands of soccer fans to congratulate Argentine star Lionel Messi on his 29th birthday.

Two days before the 2016 Centennial Copa America final, which will take place in the United States between Argentina and Chile on Sunday, the hashtag "FelizCumpleMessi" ("HappyBirthdayMessi") has become one of the main trends on Twitter, reports Xinhua.

The captain of Argentina's national team has received an enormous amount of greetings, including the following hashtags "Happy birthday Leo!," "Thank you divine magic!" and "ThisIsYourHome."

Argentine soccer club Newells Old Boys, where Messi started his days as a soccer player, published in their official Twitter account: "ElMejorEnElMundo" ("TheBestInTheWorld")

At the same time, the television host and vice president of soccer club San Lorenzo de Almagro, Marcelo Tinelli, joined the well-wishing and he wrote: "Happy birthday to the best! Happy birthday dear friend Leo Messi."

The United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef) in Argentina, which Messi is a goodwill ambassador for, published on the social network: "Everyday we celebrate your commitment to the boys and girls in the world. Today we celebrate your birthday. Happy birthday Messi."

Instagram was another social network that was filled with messages for the star who currently plays for Spain's Barcelona. Messi's Argentina teammate, Sergio Aguero, took to Instagram to give his best wishes.

"Happy birthday my friend. We are always together in the team. Now in a mini bus and without dinner... I love you my friend," wrote Aguero below a photo of the two soccer stars together wearing their national team's jersey.

Barcelona's soccer club also did not pass up on the opportunity to congratulate the best player in history and they published a message in Spanish, English and Catalan: "Leo Messi turns 29 today! Happy birthday Leo!"

It is not the first time that the Argentine player has celebrated his birthday in the middle of an international competition with the national team, which will play in the 2016 Centennial Copa America final on Sunday in the United States.

When he turned 18 years old, the player was in the Netherlands waiting to play in the quarter-finals of the Under-20 Youth World Cup in 2005.

Two years later, he was playing in the Copa America in Venezuela and then in 2010, his birthday coincided with the World Cup in South Africa, when the national team's coach was Argentine soccer legend, Diego Maradona.

In 2011, Messi was in the middle of preparing for the Copa America to be played in Argentina and in 2014, he celebrated his birthday in Porto Alegre during the World Cup in Brazil.

Messi's birthday coincides with Juan Roman Riquelme's birthday, a former player for Argentina's national team who also played for Barcelona, and was part of the South American country's gold medal winning team at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Both players casually celebrated their birthdays in 2007 when they were both part of the national team that lost to Brazil in the Copa America held in Venezuela.

--IANS

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