Before Argentina took the field against Jordan in their Group J finale, Lionel Messi did something that has become as predictable as his left foot: he found Maxi Rodríguez on the sideline and pulled him into a long embrace. Cameras caught it. Fans shared it. And somewhere, an ARG fan token ticked.
The moment happened at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where Argentina played their final group-stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Rodríguez, a former Argentina teammate now working as a commentator for Telemundo, has become a fixture in Messi’s pre-match ritual at this tournament.
The man behind the embrace
Maxi Rodríguez is not just a familiar face from the broadcast booth. He played alongside Messi during Argentina’s earlier World Cup campaigns and is one of the players Messi credits as formative influences on his international career. Rodríguez now serves as an expert analyst, which puts him in Messi’s orbit at every Argentina match in this tournament.
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