WATCH: Lionel Messi stares down fan with Cristiano Ronaldo shirt as Inter Miami superstar is mobbed during trip to Naples to watch son Thiago in action

The Argentine icon has been spending time in Naples, Florida prior to jetting to France for the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday. The World Cup winner is expected to be presented with his eighth Golden Ball at that event.

Former PSG star Messi has been trying to relax prior to returning to the French capital, but his every move generates mass hysteria. That was certainly the case when visiting the North Collier Regional Park alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo on Saturday.

Messi was in Naples to watch his son Thiago take part in a youth football tournament. He had to be escorted through crowds of people in order to reach his intended destination, with some fans – including one carrying a yellow Al-Nassr jersey with Ronaldo’s name on the back - getting a little too close for comfort.

Messi is accustomed to being the centre of attention, but he clearly did not appreciate being bumped into by a young fan that was trying to generate a reaction by waving a Ronaldo shirt around. Messi has been locked in a battle for supremacy with Portuguese icon Ronaldo for well over a decade, with the GOAT debate continuing to rage despite the pair now plying their respective trades in America and Saudi Arabia.