Former teammate: I owed Messi $50 years ago, he never asked me for it, I always felt guilty

Recently, former San Lorenzo defender Pablo Alvarado recalled a past event. He said that he owed Messi $50 years ago, but Messi never asked him for the money.

He had participated in the U20 national team's first overseas trip with Messi, in which they had to share the travel expenses. However, because there was no change to find, Alvarado eventually left the $100 bill alone.

On June 29, 2004, Argentina U20, coached by Hugo Tokali, defeated Paraguay U20 8-0, and this game also marked Messi's official role as a member of the Argentine national team. Subsequently, in preparation for the upcoming South American U20 Championship in Colombia, the team went to Uruguay to play a friendly match. At that time, the reward for representing the country in overseas competitions was US$50 per person.

Alvarado recalled: "They gave me a $100 bill to let Messi share it equally, but there was no change to find it. I walked over and said to him, "Hey, Leo, I have to give you half. But he replied: No, no, don't worry. So I brought that money home, and I happened to need it."

Now, Alvarado has become an assistant coach of the San Lorenzo reserve team, and he expressed his desire to return the money: "Messi never asked me for this money, but I always felt guilty."

Finally, Alvarado also talked about the relationship between Messi and the Argentine national team: "He paid free of charge out of his love for the jersey, and hoped that he could continue to play for the national team for a long time."