Lionel Messi: Clip of Barcelona legend comforting opponent after cup final

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest player to have ever played the game.

The Argentine has a record seven Ballons d’Or to his name following an incredible 17 seasons in Barcelona’s first-team.

During that time, he scored 672 goals in 778 appearances in all competitions.

But even before he signed for Barcelona at the age of 13, Messi’s quality was evident.

At the age of six, he signed for Newell’s Old Boys in his native country. During the six years he played there, Messi scored almost 500 goals. Everyone knew he was destined for great things.

But despite being far and away the best player whenever he took to the pitch at such a young age, he was also incredibly humble.

And nothing sums that up better than a clip that’s going viral this week.

The clip, from 1997, is filmed from the Friendship Cup, which was held in Peru.

Messi had just helped Newell’s Old Boys win the final, scoring a hat-trick in the meantime. As Messi and his teammates celebrated the victory, he saw a devastated opponent collapse to the floor in sadness.

Messi, wearing the No.10 shirt, saw it and immediately ran over to comfort him. His gesture was copied by the rest of his teammates. The opponent was eventually helped to his feet in a fantastic show of sportsmanship.

Take a look:

It's the final of a friendship cup. At the end of the game, a boy from the rival team collapses from sadness. The number 10, who had scored three goals, realizes it and goes to comfort him.It was Messi when he was 9 years old. pic.twitter.com/RknXvOD9uF

Footage of a 9-yr-old Lionel Messi (number 10) consoling a player from the losing team after the final of the 1997 Copa Amistad in Peru, which Newell's Old Boys won.In the semi-final & final, Messi scored 10 goals in 2