Anya Taylor-Joy forms part of Lionel Messi’s celebrity fan club, with the Furiosa and Peaky Blinders actor hoping to meet with the Inter Miami icon.

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Global title captured in QatarHollywood star among those tuning inAll-time great worshipped in his homelandWHAT HAPPENED?

Taylor-Joy was born in Florida, where eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is currently plying his club trade, but is of Argentine descent and spent part of her childhood in Buenos Aires. She has come a long way from humble beginnings, much like the sporting superstar that enjoys hero worship in his homeland.

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Messi completed his medal collection in 2022 when inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, and Taylor-Joy was among those watching on as the all-time great emulated the achievements of fellow legends such as Pele and Diego Maradona.

WHAT TAYLOR-JOY SAID

Taylor-Joy was in California at the time, meaning that she faced an early-morning alarm call in order to catch a thrilling contest with France, and has told of being one of Messi’s many admirers: “I want to meet Messi. Also because I was in Los Angeles watching the World Cup and that moment, thank you for talking about that. I couldn’t sit down. I was walking like that (back and forth) and, yes, I woke up all my friends who watched it with me because it was, I think, at six in the morning in Los Angeles. It was a match!”

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

Messi is preparing to open another quest for international glory with the Albiceleste, as they look to defend their Copa America crown in 2024. There have also been suggestions that he will extend a record-breaking international career through to the 2026 World Cup finals that will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.