Among them, Liu Yuhang, a 26-year-old programmer who has followed the career of the world champion for a decade.
“He’s not just an athlete, he’s an artist,” the young man told AFP on Monday. “He gives my life more meaning. He has become a kind of faith for me,” he admits.
When he found out that Leo Messi would be in China to play a match, Liu Yuhang was already aware that it would not be easy to see his idol up close and in person.
First he joined the group of fans who were waiting for the star in front of the “Albiceleste” concentration hotel. Unsuccessful first attempt.
Liu Yuhang then spent 2,000 yuan (4,842 pesos), a significant sum in China, to reserve a room at the five-star establishment.
But again the attempt did not bear the desired results in the presence of a large security device.
I spent not a little money in the end. But if I hadn’t, I might have regretted it all my life.
His opportunity presented itself on Sunday afternoon, when he saw Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni leaving the hotel to attend the training session.
Liu Yuhang then followed the team bus on his bicycle before, sweating, finding himself alongside the players at a red light.
The reward for his sweat: a brief handshake from Leo Messi as well as a selfie from a distance with the Argentine starHe was sitting in the back of the vehicle.
“I was really happy.” Liu Yuhang explained. “I spent quite a bit of money in the end. But if I hadn’t, I might have regretted it all my life.”
The official prices of tickets for the Argentina-Australia match range from 580 to 4,800 yuan (11,600 Mexican pesos), but they sold out quickly.
“I tried to buy one, but I couldn’t,” said Liu Yuhang, who will watch the match online with his friends.