With South American giants Argentina gearing up for a friendly with Bolivia on Friday, USWNT star Carli Lloyd got the unforgettable opportunity to meet idol Lionel Messi.
The entire Albiceleste crew, icluding the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, and Angel Di Maria, were in the States, training at the Compass Stadium in Houston, home of MLS side Houston Dynamo.
La Pulga was pictured signing a shirt for Lloyd, a Houston Dash star, before posing for a picture with the World Cup winner, which went up on her Twitter account.
“Dream come true to meet the greatest player to ever play the game! Thank you @Argentina and Messi,” Lloyd said on social media.
Dream come true to meet the greatest player to ever play the game! Thank you @Argentina and Messi. pic.twitter.com/ffz0R8JBDS
— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) September 1, 2015
Carli Lloyd & Lionel Messi, your 2015 World Players of the Year, meet up in Houston. https://t.co/ocYluC2vl4
— Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) September 1, 2015
You know women's soccer is getting real when Carli Lloyd meets Lionel Messi. #itsabouttime
— Rachel Collins (@rachel_mcollins) September 1, 2015
PHOTOS: Messi signing a shirt for U.S. women's player Carli Lloyd at training in Houston, Texas (via @Argentina) pic.twitter.com/LtXMbRCU1T
— FC Barcelona Fl (@FCBarcelonaFl) September 1, 2015
Carli is not the first USWNT star to have crossed path with a Barcelona superstar. Back in July, Portland Thorns sensation Alex Morgan met up with Blaugrana maestro Andres Iniesta, and shared a kiss with La Furia Roja ace.
Of course, Carli Lloyd and Lionel Messi share a lot in common. Other than being leading names in the beautiful game, one a dominant figure in men’s football and the other a legend of female football, both the American and Argentine stars have won an Olympic gold medal.
Carli Lloyd has long been a fan of Messi
Messi is a true legend. Unbelievable scoring 86 goals in a season. Glad I am able to witness watching him in my lifetime.
— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) December 10, 2012
Leo in 2008 guided his nation to first place after seeing off Nigeria 1-0 in the final, with the USWNT grabbing top prize on two occasions, in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, scoring the winning goal in both finals.
Lloyd does have one over the four-time Ballon d’Or winner, and that is the 33-year-old midfielder has a World Cup title under her belt.
In the summer, Lloyd and Co. made history in the 2014 Women’s World Cup by becoming the first nation to lift the title three times, beating Japan 5-2 in Vancouver, a game which saw Carli bag a hat-trick in 16 minutes.
