Messi’s ‘Baby’ to tattoo face on her calf

Tashine Wright plans to get a tattoo of Lionel Messi's face on her right calf. She has always been mesmerised by the little Argentinian, and his exploits on the pitch yesterday - leading his country to their first World Cup win since 1986 - served to cement his place in her heart.

Sharon and Chenab endz on Molynes Road, Kingston, where scores of persons gathered to watch the game, was not big enough for the leading Messi fan. Wright said that although her team squandered a 2-0 lead and required penalty kicks to put daylight between Argentina and France, she had no doubt that the maestro would lift the trophy.

"When Argentina and France deh 2-2 mi phone just a ring suh," she said in reference to naysayers who felt her team would lose.

"We go 3-2, nobody nuh call, then 3-3 everybody call. Mi affi call Messi and seh 'Babes, mi heart weak. Babes, memba mi heart weak.' Messi affi call a congregation and say 'come do this fi me baby', and them did affi do it fi me!"

Messi, playing in his fifth World Cup, scored twice. However, Kylian Mbappe netted a stunning hat-trick for France in a game that had patrons at Sharon and Chenab endz on the edge of their seats. Although she appeared worried at times, Wright said she was never in doubt that football's greatest prize would be heading to South America.

"Mi did believe! Believe nuh man! Mi a guh get a big tattoo today ... [a tattoo] of the one G.O.A.T, Messi!" she said slapping the area she plans to get inked later.

Messi, 35, won the player of the tournament award after scoring twice in his team's win yesterday. It was the first time a player has won the prize twice. The little maestro was player of the tournament in 2014 when Argentina finished runners-up to Germany. In Qatar, the Argentina star scored seven goals in the tournament and got three assists.