"He's bigger as a person than as an athlete" - Padel legend Fernando Belasteguin hails 'extraordinary' PSG superstar Lionel Messi's simplicity

Padel legend Fernando Belasteguin has waxed lyrical about Lionel Messi after having dinner with the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar in France.

Messi returned to PSG's lineup in their 5-0 Ligue 1 win against AC Ajaccio on Saturday (May 13). The forward was suspended by the club for two weeks after he traveled to Saudi Arabia for commercial purposes without permission on May 1. The punishment was reduced after the Argentinian issued an apology.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner will now hope to get his name back on the scoresheet when Les Parisiens face Auxerre in Ligue 1 on Sunday (May 21). Messi has not scored in three consecutive games for the club.

Meanwhile, the former Barcelona talisman took some time off to have dinner with padel legend Belasteguin on Monday (May 16). The compatriots met at PSG midfielder Marco Verratti's restaurant in France, Le Giuse.

Belasteguin took to Instagram to express his delight at meeting the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner. He also thanked Verratti, who is a fan of padel tennis, for facilitating the dinner.

"A dinner that I will remember all my life," Belasteguin wrote on Instagram. "Thank you very much Marco Verratti for making it possible! I will always be in debt to you. Lionel Messi, your simplicity in closeness is much bigger than sporting achievements, eternally grateful captain."

In an interview with Argentinian sports daily Ole, Belasteguin further said that he was wowed by Lionel Messi's simplicity. The padel star also hailed the PSG forward's abilities as an athlete.

"In the short deal, he (Lionel Messi) is bigger as a person than as an athlete. I swear," Belasteguin said. "I was conquered by the simplicity. A normal kid. We all know that in sports he is extraordinary but the simplicity he has in the short deal, I've never seen anything like it."

Messi is a fan of padel himself and has previously said that he likes to play the sport in his spare time.

---

Who is Fernando Belasteguin, the padel player that had dinner with PSG superstar Lionel Messi?

Fernando Belasteguin was the No. 1 padel in the world for 16 years between 2002 to 2017. He is now ranked eighth in the World Padel Tour and fourth in Premier Padel. The Argentinian's achievements in the sports earned him the nickname, The Boss.

Padel is a racquet sport played on an enclosed court. It is usually played in doubles, with the court being slightly smaller than a doubles tennis court. Although the rules are similar to doubles tennis, the walls are used as a part of the game like in squash.

In 2020, Belasteguin expressed his desire to play padel with tennis legend Roger Federer. The rules of the two sports being similar and the two athletes being sponsored by Wilson made it plausible. However, they are yet to lock horns.