Serie A star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia shared an amazing experience he had with Lionel Messi during the Ballon d’Or gala in Paris a few weeks ago.
Kvaratskhelia, who admires the Argentine forward, described the encounter as “crazy”.
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The young player expressed his admiration for Messi and highlighted an extraordinary detail he experienced during the event, as the world champion, despite his fame, rose to his feet and went to greet Kvaratskhelia.
“Maybe you wouldn’t believe me if I told you the story,” the player told journalist Andro Kheladze.
“Messi changed completely for me after that as a person.
“Of course I knew him as a player and it is very difficult to find a player like him in the whole history of soccer.”
Kvaratskhelia’s unforgettable moment with Messi
The Ballon d’Or gala is a prestigious event that brings together the best talents of world soccer. The one that recently took place saw the Argentine win his eighth trophy, but with a gesture that the Serie A star will never forget.
“Well, we were sitting at the gala during one of the breaks in the ceremony. He was sitting on my right side,” he explains.
“Leo suddenly stood up and I had no idea why he did that and where he was going while we were there.
“We had been warned to remain seated during the breaks. But he walked straight toward me.
“I didn’t know what was going on, and suddenly, he held out a hand for me to shake.
“I was so confused that I instantly stood up and shook his hand. After this, he waved at me and walked back to his seat.
“He earned my great respect after this. For a player like him to stand up to salute...it was crazy.
“He’s an amazing person, and I respect and appreciate him a lot.”
These types of stories not only reveal the greatness of players on the field, but also their impact off the pitch by inspiring as Messi did with Kvaratskhelia.