According to L'Équipe, Argentine fan Gabriel Goldak fulfilled a crazy bet and finally met Messi.

To commemorate his grandfather who passed away before Argentina won the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Gabriel Goldak set a goal: to have all the players of the Argentine national team who won the championship in Qatar sign a replica trophy. After sending hundreds of emails that went unanswered, he finally found his last target – Messi.

“When I flew to Miami in May, three weeks before the FIFA World Cup, I had no certainty of meeting Messi. I had contact with an Inter Miami FC employee, who said he would try to help me, but he didn't have much authority and couldn't make any promises.”

“For months, I tried every possible way to get Messi's attention, but the vast majority of the nine, nine hundred, or one thousand emails I sent went unanswered. The few people who did reply said similar things: 'Your story is touching, but I can't help you, I'm sorry.'”

“I felt a little sad, but on the other hand, I understood them. Messi is Messi. He is too important, and those who are fortunate enough to have access to him are afraid of bothering him with such trivial matters, and thus losing that channel. I had long prepared myself for the fact that his signature would be the hardest to get.”

From a logistical perspective, the situation was also different. “Previously, my girlfriend and I drove a camper van to many places, saving on accommodation and food. But that wasn't feasible in the US. We had to rent a car, find accommodation, eat out... So, for over a year, we saved money to cover a week's expenses there.”

“We also knew there was a high probability of going home empty-handed, but we tried not to think about it. Never give up, even if it seems impossible – that's our belief.”

“I told Messi in the letter that we would wait for him outside the Inter Miami training center for a whole week.”

“My plan was to ask that club employee to deliver a letter I wrote to Messi. In the letter, I explained everything: I wanted to commemorate my grandfather who passed away before the 2022 FIFA World Cup victory, and that I had already gotten all the FIFA World Cup winning team members to sign this replica trophy, and he was the only one left... The envelope also contained two photos, one of the trophy and one of my girlfriend and me.”

“I told Messi in the letter that we would wait for him outside the Inter Miami training center for a whole week, even if the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius, and I begged him to stop for just two minutes if he saw us, so I could complete this story. I also hoped to finish this before the FIFA World Cup in the US, hoping it would bring good luck to the national team.”

“I don't remember the exact day I arrived in Miami, but it was the week of the match against Philadelphia Union (May 25th, the last round of the MLS season). The day after arriving in Miami, we went to scout the training center, just as we did for other players, to figure out where they entered and exited. The next day, when we returned, I handed the letter to the club employee. From then on, everything moved incredibly fast, far exceeding our expectations.”

“I was so shocked I could barely speak.”

“Two hours later, to our great surprise, that contact person came back to us. We picked up our luggage, the Argentine flag that had traveled with us all over the world, and the replica trophy, and followed him in. We first waited in a small room for a while, with a security guard watching the surveillance footage. Then we were led to a room that looked like an office and a storage room, used by the club's logistics staff.”

“There, the employee who received my letter asked us to wait a bit longer, saying that Leo had just finished training and would come over after showering. I still couldn't believe what was happening. Ten minutes later, Messi walked in through the door and introduced himself like any ordinary player. He said, 'Hi, I'm Leo! How are you?' This man's humility was truly incredible.”

“I had imagined a scenario where he would roll down his car window, I would hand him the replica trophy, and we'd talk for thirty seconds. Instead, I had an exclusive moment with him, and he was enthusiastic, open, and curious about my story and me. It completely exceeded my expectations. I was so shocked and nervous that I could barely speak. I just tried my best to answer his questions, but I honestly can't recall what he asked me. Everything happened so quickly, I feel like my brain didn't even have time to register what was happening. (laughs)”

“I remember we talked about Mendoza, the city where I was born, and the Godoy Cruz club that my grandfather and I supported. I gave him a jersey, and he seemed genuinely touched. We also talked about the FIFA World Cup, which I remember very clearly.”

“At that time, we didn't know if he would participate in the FIFA World Cup, at least it hadn't been officially announced. I told him that we were pushing this project hard before the tournament because I felt it could bring them good luck. He smiled and looked at me and said: 'Thank you, I am well prepared.' At that moment, I understood, it was fine, he would go. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief and wait for the first game. (laughs)”

“It felt like being with a neighbor, or an old high school friend.”

“There's a saying, 'never meet your heroes,' and even though I'd seen all the positive reports about him, I still felt a little apprehensive. The outcome was absolutely not disappointing; quite the opposite. I don't know if he had heard about me or talked to other players about me before reading my letter, but that day he was 100% engaged with us. He wanted to know more about the replica trophy, and how we got to this point, and his humility really touched me. After all, what a normal person he is. For many, he is a living legend, but at that moment, I felt like I was with a neighbor or an old high school friend. It was incredible. I think if I hadn't been so nervous at the time, he probably would have suggested we go for pizza and continue talking.”

“I somewhat regret not being better prepared, but I am also incredibly grateful for this experience and everything I've encountered since starting this project. After all, I'm just an ordinary person. Someone who grew up in a very poor family, working for money (assembling bicycles) to live life as best as possible. I have no fame, no connections, and to achieve this under such circumstances – mostly sleeping in my car, balancing work, my recently resumed studies (second year psychology), and the charitable organization I founded – makes me very proud.”

“But the story isn't over yet. After Messi bid us farewell, that club employee came back to us. He asked us how we felt, and I showed him my still trembling hands. Then we talked about the game against Philadelphia, the last round of the season. He asked if we would go, and we said we couldn't because the tickets were too expensive, and we only had enough money to stay in Miami for a week. So he said: 'Give me your number, I'll text you.' A few hours later, we had two tickets, which was incredible.”

“If I remember correctly, that game ended 6-4 (Inter Miami won), and it was my first time actually watching Messi play live, whereas I had seen him hundreds of times on TV before. He didn't score, and I even swore at him twice – he chose to pass to a teammate when facing the goalkeeper instead of shooting himself. (laughs) But of course, I was perfectly satisfied.”

“I think if my grandfather were still alive and I told him all this, he would be both happy and incredibly surprised. He would smoke cigarette after cigarette – he was a heavy smoker – and then say: 'I can't believe my eyes, Gabo. Once you set your mind to something... it might take longer than you expect, but you really did it.' Thinking about it, this story truly is crazy.”

“I've always wanted to write it into a book. Not necessarily for money, but to give to those around me, those who helped me. And for future children to see, to let them know that nothing is impossible if you believe. I've already written the first chapter, but the FIFA World Cup is ongoing, and my emotions are too intense to write anymore. After every Argentina match, it takes me three days to recover. This is too grueling. (laughs)”

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com