Lionel Messi confused an Argentinian teammate for a fan and posed for a photo with him

Lionel made an embarrassing Mess-take this week as he confused an Argentina player for a fan.Getty Images

• Lionel Messi confused an Argentina player for a football fan wanting a photograph.
• Argentina under-20 player Sebastián Driussi spotted the national captain while on international duty this week.
• Driussi uploaded the photo to Instagram and Messi sent the player an apology when he realised his mistake.

Sebastián Driussi could be forgiven if he was tempted this week to utter that immortal celebrity phrase: “Don’t you know who I am?”

Zenit St Petersburg forward Driussi, 21, spotted Lionel Messi in a hotel in Russia, where he is on international duty with Argentina, and requested a photograph with the FC Barcelona star.

Messi accepted and took the photo with Driussi as he thought the youth team player was a football fan. He later apologised to Driussi for not recognising him.

When Driussi uploaded his photograph to Instagram, Messi realised his mistake and, according to MARCA, sent a message to the player to apologise.

“I feel bad about it because I did not recognise him, even though I know him,” Messi said. “When he asked for a photo I thought it was one of the guys who are always waiting for a photo and I apologised after.”

“When I saw him in the lobby of the hotel I was thinking of something else and I did not realise.”

Messi recently dragged Argentina to the World Cup with a heroic hat-trick in October.

Argentina’s preparations for the tournament continue on Saturday when the team takes on World Cup hosts Russia in a friendly at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.