Lionel Messi bids farewell to Omar Souto, the man who shaped his destiny in the Argentina National Team

Argentine soccer is in mourning. On Sunday, November 23, the death of Omar Souto was confirmed. He was a historic National Team Manager and one of the people who made it possible for Lionel Messi to play for the Argentine national team. He passed away at the age of 73.

He worked at the Argentine Football Association (AFA) for more than three decades, leaving an indelible mark on fans and the history of Argentine soccer. The team captain bid a fond farewell to Souto.

Leo remembers Omar on social media

"It is with great sadness and sorrow that the Argentine Football Association announces the death of Omar Souto, the legendary manager of Argentina's national teams. Simply thank you, Omar. Thank you for your solidarity and your unparalleled commitment to the Albiceleste," the AFA said on social media.

The Inter Miami star also shared a post on Instagram to pay tribute to Omar Souto. Leo posted three photos of the two of them: in the first, they are posing together with the World Cup trophy won in Qatar in 2022; in the second, he is hugging Souto during a recreational match; and in the third, he is posing with the trophy from the 2022 Finalissima against Italy at Wembley.

Lionel wrote: "You were always present, and you were the person who paved the way for the AFA to spot me. A huge human being, impossible to forget for all of us who had the privilege of passing through the National Team. Your imprint stays forever. We will never forget you, Omar. May you rest in peace."

The truth is that, although Messi was born in Argentina, he was able to play for the Spanish national team due to his time at Barça. However, Souto was the person who followed Leo's footsteps in 2003 when he was starting to make a name for himself at Barcelona's La Masía and was responsible for calling Messi up for his first call-up to the Under-20 national team.

In Ariel Senosiain's book "Messi, el genio completo" (Messi, the complete genius), this story is recounted in which Omar obtains a directory with the phone numbers of people who lived in Leo's hometown, Rosario. He managed to get in touch with Lionel's grandmother, who gave him the contact details of his uncle, who in turn gave him the contact details of Messi's father, Jorge.

However, he changed the Argentine star's name: "I called his father, introduced myself, and told him that we wanted to sign his son, but I got his name wrong: I had always heard that Leo was the nickname for Leonardo. 'His name is Lionel,' Jorge told me, 'and he's been waiting for the call from Argentina.'"

Souto was also responsible for pressuring Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez when he was a substitute at Arsenal. He gave him tickets to a national team match but, in exchange, asked him to introduce himself as the goalkeeper.

Julián Álvarez, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, and other players on the Argentine national team followed Leo's example and paid tribute to him on social media.

The AFA declared three days of mourning with flags at half-mast in Viamonte and Ezeiza. In addition, a minute's silence will be held at all matches on the day in question. Souto had been battling an illness for a couple of years.

Today, the world of soccer and Argentina remember this hero without a cape.