Messi mania in Argentina as soccer star mobbed at restaurant

By DÉBORA REY and DANIEL POLITI
Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A steakhouse in the trendy Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo was mobbed by hundreds of frenzied soccer fans late Monday night when word spread that Lionel Messi was inside having dinner. People rushed to the exclusive Don Julio restaurant eager to get a glimpse of the man who led Argentina to its third World Cup title. Messi eventually needed a police escort. Fans on the street corner chanted “Messi, Messi” and sang the words to “Muchachos” which became the unofficial anthem for the Argentina squad that beat France in a thrilling final in Qatar. The scene illustrates how Messi has now become like Diego Maradona and he can no longer walk through Argentina’s streets without being mobbed. Argentina plays a friendly match against Panama on Thursday.