'I didn't understand' - Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opens up on surprise interaction with Argentina & Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi at Ballon d'Or ceremony

The Napoli star revealed how Messi approached him at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris last month and shook his hands during a commercial break. Kvaratskhelia admitted that he was taken aback by the generosity of a superstar like the Argentine and thanked him for the gesture.

After guiding Argentina to their third World Cup title in Qatar last year, Messi bagged the record eighth Golden Ball of his career. He competed against the likes of treble-winning Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland and French star and Messi's former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe.

Speaking to reporters, Kvaratskhelia said: "Messi was sitting to the right of me. During the commercial break, we were warned not to stand up and move around a lot, so I stayed seated. Suddenly, he got up and came towards me. I didn’t understand what was happening, but he lifted his arm and shook my hand. I appreciate it so much, he is an amazing person."

After a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Uruguay, the Argentine skipper will aim to get back to winning ways against arch-rivals Brazil on November 22 in a 2026 World Cup qualifying game.