5 interesting observations from Lionel Messi's shirt collection

3. Notable absentees

There were a few notable absentees from Messi's collection

A quick look at the picture would tell you that many household names from the world of football, including legendary Barcelona players, are missing.

Messi is understood to be close friends with Neymar and has always shared an excellent relationship with Xavi and Andres Iniesta. However, the trio's shirts are nowhere to be seen in the collection, which is somewhat surprising.

Additionally, Ronaldinho, who helped Messi settle into the Barcelona dressing room, is another notable absentee.

In an interview in 2017, the Barcelona sensation had claimed that he is not particularly fond of exchanging jerseys and has rarely asked an opposition player for their shirt, barring one occasion.

“I don’t ask for shirts. If there is an Argentine, I will swap with an Argentine. If not and there is someone else that asks me, I will swap it with them. If not, I do not look and do not ask. I asked, once. I asked Zidane.”

Despite conceding that Zidane is the only footballer he asked to swapped shirts with, his jersey is nowhere to be seen in the majestic collection. Maybe Zizou didn't oblige Messi's request?

Other notable absentees include former Barcelona teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic and compatriot Gonzalo Higuain.

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2. Why is Cristiano Ronaldo not there?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the greatest footballers in the modern era

A rivalry that has defined an era, two god-gifted footballers who have re-written history books in a decade of absolute dominance, while pushing each other to their absolute limits. It is not that surprising that Cristiano Ronaldo's jersey is not present in Messi's collection, but why is it not there?

It is not like the duo are sworn enemies as the media would have you believe, but it is also not that they are the best of friends. They respect each other's work and aspire to be the best at what they do. Even this doesn't answer why Ronaldo's jersey is nowhere to be seen.

Well, the answer to that lies in the statement that Messi gave about swapping shirts. He has never asked a player, barring Zidane, for their jersey. They may not be enemies, but then again they don't fancy each other so much also, apart from Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. who is reportedly a Messi fan.

The answer to the question of why Ronaldo does not feature in Messi's majestic collection is because the duo have never actually exchanged jerseys. And to be fair, why would they?

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1. Pablo Aimar

Pablo Aimar was Lionel Messi's idol as a child

In the first row of jerseys, between two Messi shirts (i.e. between the orange Barcelona one and the blue Barcelona one) is the jersey of Pablo Aimar.

The wizard, as he was nicknamed, is not the most popular player around. However, Aimar's shirt is part of Messi's shirt decorated collection.

The Argentine was Messi's idol growing up. While the six-time Ballon d'Or winner might have outdone his hero, football is a game of emotions and it is clear that holds a special place in his heart.