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Fans online have reacted to Spain midfielder Jennifer Hermoso's photo with the FIFA Women's World Cup trophy as she recreated Lionel Messi's iconic picture.
Spain's gained a 1-0 victory over England in the 2023 Women's World Cup on Sunday, August 20. La Roja's Jennifer Hermoso then recreated the Argentine ace's iconic photo with the 2022 World Cup trophy.
The 33-year-old attacking midfielder posted a photo of herself in bed alongside the coveted FIFA Women's World Cup trophy. It drew comparisons to a similar image Messi posted after Argentina's long-awaited triumph in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Hermoso, meanwhile, played a pivotal role in Spain's unforeseen run to the final against England, netting three goals on the way.
Fans took to X (Twitter) to express their opinions on the Spanish veteran's image, highlighting Lionel Messi's influence on football in the process.
Lionel Messi's aforementioned photo with the World Cup trophy had previously garnered worldwide attention, fetching him more than 54 million likes on Instagram. It is currently the third-most liked post on the renowned social media platform. The Argentine maestro's other post with the trophy tops the list with 75.6 million likes.
Consequently, Jennifer Hermoso's recreation of the viral image has also amassed a lot of attention from the footballing fraternity.
The Pachuca midfielder had already been in the news after Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales controversially kissed her on the lips following their 1-0 win over the Lionesses. Addressing the incident during a live Instagram session, Hermoso stated (source: Sky Sports),
"I did not enjoy it."
The former Barcelona legend later clarified her take on the said altercation, saying,
"It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings. The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude."
Lionel Messi and Jennifer Hermoso have a lot more in common
Like Lionel Messi, Jennifer Hermoso has also played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), securing a move to the French capital from Catalonia in 2017.
The Spain international is also the all-time top scorer of her national side with 51 goals to her name. Meanwhile, Messi has scored 103 goals for Argentina.
Moreover, the duo are certified Blaugrana legends, scoring the most goals in the history of the club for the men's (672) and women's teams (147) respectively.
Jennifer Hermoso is also the record holder for winning the most Pichichi trophies in the women's division of La Liga. She won five awards with Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and Barcelona.
In comparison, Lionel Messi has won the accolade a record eight times in the men's iteration of La Liga.
