'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
A mascot who accompanied Lionel Messi to the field before the game kickoff has revealed that the Argentine superstar does not sing the national anthem, but instead, he hums it.
In case you didn't know...
Lionel Messi not chanting the national anthem before kickoff has been part of the media limelight every now and then. However, in an interview back in 2015, he said,
"Once they started moaning about it, I started doing it on purpose. Whether you sing or not isn't going to change anything. I think it's a load of nonsense."
"The anthem strikes a chord with all of us, but everyone takes it in their own way. I don't need to sing it for it to mean something to me. The Pumas [Argentina rugby team] might cry, but we don't. We take it a different way and that's fine."
The heart of the matter
Meanwhile, Tomas Chavez, a young mascot, got the opportunity to meet his idol before the match against Qatar and the youngster had quite a few things to say about Messi and him not singing the national anthem.
"It was incredible when Messi came in, and it was something that I will never be able to experience again," Chavez said.
"He caressed me and his hand was bigger than my head, that's why he laughed. I hugged him and told him a lot of things: that I loved him, that he is my idol, that I always wanted to meet him and never had the opportunity [to do so]."
"[During the anthem] he has his mouth shut and hums the anthem. It's true that he does not sing the hymn, but he hums it. I heard it."
What's next?
Argentina now face Venezuela in the quarterfinals of the Copa America 2019. Lionel Messi is hoping to win his first trophy in national colors, and he will be doing everything he can from his side to bring the trophy home this time around.
