As the saying goes; anything can happen in football. Well we just witnessed that when Lionel Messi won a penalty and let Sergio Ramos take it. A few years ago, if you’d have said to your mate that Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos would become teammates and that Barcelona’s record goal-scorer would let a Real Madrid legend take a penalty then they would have told you where to go.
But that is the bizarre and unexpected reality we are in, with the pair going from long-time rivals to colleagues at Paris Saint-Germain after both joined on free transfers last summer.
Leo Messi won a penalty in PSG’s first pre season game and gave it Sergio Ramos to take.
What a time to be alive ???? pic.twitter.com/cWZ3d3xy5s
— Malomo (@baloo1010) July 16, 2022
The Ligue1 champions returned to action on Friday with a friendly against Ligue 2 outfit Quevilly-Rouen and both Messi and Ramos started the first game under new manager Christophe Galtier.
And the opening saw Messi win a penalty after being fouled inside the area. But instead of stepping up from 12 yards as we’ve seen him do for club and country he let Ramos, a reliable penalty taker, assume the honors.
Messi giving penalty to Ramos even after he use to do this to him…
Most unselfish player ever. pic.twitter.com/ZMAO7aAFQv— Diya (@Diya1030) July 15, 2022
Messi giving a penalty to Ramos.
I’ve seen it all in my life.
— 769 ⚽ (@FCBarcaCulers_) July 15, 2022
Ramos did the business from the spot and rolled the penalty in off the post. But Messi giving Ramos the penalty was still very much an unusual sight that couldn’t quite be comprehended by some:
Last season, Messi missed a costly penalty in the Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid, with Thibaut Courtois getting down low to make the save.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner appears to have dropped down the spot-kick order as a result.
Messi and Ramos played against each other 45 times in Barca-Real El Clasico fixture and regularly got into it in the heated encounters.
Ramos seemed to make it his mission to injure Messi and was sent off twice for hacking down the Argentine.
But then after their contracts in La Liga ran out, they both moved to PSG and were all smiles at the official unveiling event.
