Lionel Messi's return to Argentina after the World Cup win has been much celebrated, and now Mexican paper El Financiero has reported that the Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina could put the little magician's face on the thousand peso bill.
The Mexican daily added that the officials made the choice of note since the figure starts with '10' - Messi's jersey number.
The entire Argentine team, nicknamed La Sclaoneta after their coach Lionel Scaloni, would feature at the back of the bill. The Argentinian bank believes the team has done enough to earn their spot — including winning the 2021 Copa América, the Finalissima (the match against Italy), and the World Cup.
While the Mexican paper reported that the proposal was only 'jokingly' made by members of the Argentine central bank, Lisandro Cleri - one of the bank's more enthusiastic directors - agreed that having Messi and the Argentine team on the banknote would awaken the spirit of the nation.
Argentinian paper El Cronista also reported the news, saying that the meeting saw some jokes being made about issuing a ticket to commemorate the Argentine national team. The daily business newspaper added that the South American nation has issued commemorative coins at key moments including the 1978 World Cup win, the Bicentennial in 2016, and former First Lady of Argentina Eva Perón's 50th death anniversary.
Following the Albiceleste's return to Argentina, some football fans decided to rename a street in Buenos Aires 'Lionel Messi Avenue', as per widely circulated social media videos. Tattoo artists in the country have also been swamped with an increased demand for Messi tributes.
The Qatar World Cup marked the time after Spain when a team lost its first match of the World Cup campaign but went on to win the ultimate prize. Messi and co faced stiff competition from France, especially Kylian Mbappe - whose hattrick ensured the nailbiting final went to penalties. However, Argentina emerged victorious, winning the World Cup in almost 40 years.