Madrid (AFP)

From his ex-teammate Neymar to his Argentinian compatriots Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi, Leandro Paredes or Mauricio Pochettino through the former residents of the Catalan training center Xavi Simmons or Rafinha, Lionel Messi already knows a lot of people at Paris Saint-Germain .

Neymar, whooping cough

Since the Brazilian left Barcelona in 2017, the two men have remained very close, and calls from the foot have multiplied to reform the duo in Paris or Catalonia.

"They said we would not get along. The rest is history," Neymar summed up in a tweet accompanied by a photo of the two stars, in 2017.

"Leo was a very special guy for me at Barcelona. At the moment when I needed the most support, the man of the team, the best player in the world, gave me his support," had breathed. Ney ", very moved, in an interview with the Brazilian show Esporte Espetacular in March 2019.

In June 2019, two years after Neymar left PSG, Messi told Fox Sports that he was still in contact with the Brazilian prodigy: "We continue to talk and we even have a WhatsApp group, Luis (Suarez), him and I. He's called the South Americans, the three + Sudacas +, something like that. "

Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar during the 2021 Copa America Final at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July 10, 2021 in Brazil.

MAURO PIMENTEL AFP

The albiceleste connection

In addition to his friend Neymar, Messi will find a large concentration of Argentines in Paris.

Starting with his sidekick Angel Di Maria, the only scorer in the Copa America final won (1-0) by Argentina against Brazil in July, the first title of this generation in the albiceleste jersey.

An old friendship with a player born in the same city as him, Rosario, but passed through rival Newell's Old Boys, Rosario Central.

Messi will also get closer to Leandro Paredes, whom he rubs shoulders with in the national team, just like Mauro Icardi, whom he had already met when the latter was playing in the Barça training center (2008-2011).

Lionel Messi celebrated by his Argentinian team-mates after the victory in the final of the Copa America 2021 at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 10, 2021. CARL DE SOUZA AFP

And it will above all be led by a technician from the same crucible as his: Mauricio Pochettino, another Argentinian who also passed through Barcelona, ​​but by Espanyol ... who has repeatedly said that he "would dream of training "Messi, the 'best player in the world'.

The heritage of the Masia

In addition to Icardi, whom he has already seen at the Masia, Messi will also meet former nuggets of the Catalan training center, Xavi Simons and Rafinha.

Even if sixteen years separate Messi from Simons, the Argentinian crossed the great Dutch promise on the grounds of the Masia between 2010 and 2019, the date of his departure to PSG.

On September 18, 2019, for his first Youth League match with Paris, Simons scored a goal in the 2-1 loss to Real Madrid, then said in the wake: "Everyone dreams of playing with Messi. But sometimes "You have to know how to choose another path. I decided to embark on another adventure", confided the young prodigy, who then believed to have said goodbye to his dreams of one day evolving with the "Pulga".

Paris-SG midfielder Xavi Simons with the ball in his foot during the friendly against Seville FC on July 27, 2021 at the Algarve stadium in Loule, Portugal.

PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA AFP

Regarding the Hispanic-Brazilian Rafinha, Messi knows him well: trained at Barça, he was his teammate in the Blaugrana first team between 2014 and 2018, then in 2018-2019.

Ramos and Navas, ex-best enemies

In Paris, Messi will also find two of his "best enemies" who will remind him of the golden years of the Barça - Real rivalry: Keylor Navas, the goalkeeper of the three consecutive Champions Leagues gleaned by the "White House" under Zinédine Zidane ( 2016-2018), and especially Sergio Ramos, the emblematic captain of Real Madrid for almost ten years and who also made the trip to the French capital this summer.

The two men, who have often crossed paths in Spain and on the European scene, left a few hugs, but also a strong image, head to head: on March 2, 2019, just before the break of this clasico, Ramos s 'was split with a nudge that left Messi on the ground, his mouth bleeding.

© 2021 AFP