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It was a pinch-me moment wrapped in a head pat.

University of Virginia soccer alumnus Leo Afonso had just scored his first goal as a professional player when, amid the teammates crowding him in celebration, he felt a tap on his noggin and heard a “Let’s go!” in an Argentinian accent.

Lionel Messi, perhaps the greatest soccer player of all time, had acknowledged Afonso’s achievement.

“Life didn’t feel real at that point,” Afonso said.

Messi on Sunday completed his record sixth and, most likely, final World Cup when Argentina fell to Spain, 1-0, in the tournament’s championship game at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. The 39-year-old was his typical magnificent self throughout the event, at times willing his native team to victories with last-minute magic. Eight goals and four assists later – many arriving in crucial moments – Messi had added another remarkable chapter to a legacy few players have ever matched.

🐐—Second-most goals in history (21)
🐐—Most wins in history (23)
🐐—Longest scoring streak (9)
🐐—Oldest hat trick scorer (38)
🐐—Joint-most tournament appearances (6)
🐐—Argentina’s top scorer at World Cup
🐐—Most goals from outside the area (7)
🐐—Most World Cup appearances…

— B/R Football (@brfootball)

Watching this last month unfold from afar returned Afonso to a time when he witnessed Messi perform up close.

Afonso was a member of Messi’s current club, Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer, for parts of the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

“His greatness, it’s just expected for me, honestly,” Afonso said late last week. “I mean, after seeing the stuff he does in training, it’s like three times what he does in games.

“There were times during training when people would just stop and look around and be like, ‘Did that just happen?’”

Afonso, now a member of Rhode Island FC of the United Soccer League, remains fond of the time he spent as Messi’s teammate. “He makes everyone around him a better player,” Afonso says. “You play him the ball, and you run, and he’ll somehow find you in between two, three guys. Other players don’t even see that pass. … He does everything perfect.” (Contributed photos)

Afonso, a 2024 foreign affairs graduate and , joined Inter Miami a year after . By then, Messi was an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner – given annually to the world’s best player – and a 2022 World Cup champion.

Afonso was a teammate of an A-list celebrity.

“Everywhere we went, we had the craziest security and people waiting everywhere,” Afonso said. “You couldn’t go outside the hotel. They shut down the whole floor of the hotel for us. It was just crazy stuff that I had never been part of before.

“I was like, ‘I just want to go outside and get a coffee,’ but I couldn’t walk outside because there were 2,000 people outside of our hotel waiting for him.”

Despite his status, Messi maintained a down-to-earth persona, Afonso said. He was approachable in the locker room and attended the team’s monthly cookouts.

“If he weren’t who he is, you wouldn’t think he’s ‘Messi,’” Afonso said. “He doesn’t act like he’s Messi. He’s always training, always nice to the young guys, always trying to help – a silent leader.”

Little moments will always stick in Afonso’s mind, like April 7, 2024, when Messi hustled over to congratulate the rookie after he scored his first pro goal during Miami’s game against the Colorado Rapids.

Or, earlier that season, when Messi went out of his way to greet Afonso during his first practice with the team.

“He just came over and winked at me and shook my hand,” Afonso said. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy.’”

Afonso now plays for Rhode Island FC of the United Soccer League, but his time in Miami with Messi will endure.