Lionel Messi refrains from resting even on his birthday

Lionel Messi, the Argentine football prodigy, turned 37 on Monday and spent his birthday preparing for Argenina's Copa America clash with Chile, scheduled for Tuesday.

The Inter Miami star took to his Instagram to share an image of himself holding a birthday cake while being surrounded by his team in a hotel room.

He captioned the post with a humble message, that read: "Thank you very much for all the greetings and congratulations!! Another year that coincides with my birthday being with the National Team... So just a little celebration and we continue preparing for our next game. Hugs!"

The official Argentina social media accounts, along with Fifa, also paid their tributes, Marca reported.

The Argentina account on X, posted a a video of Messi's crowning moment lifting the World Cup in Qatar 2022 and wrote: "Today is the birthday of the one who fulfilled our dream of seeing him champion.”

David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami, also wished the eight-time Ballon d'Or award winner on his birthday on his Instagram, writing: "Happy Birthday to the greatest. Happy Birthday my friend."

Born on June 24, 1987, Messi's birthdays have often been shared with the Albiceleste, from the World Cups of 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018, to the Copa America tournaments.

This time, he was busy preparing for their Copa America clash against Chile at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday.

The venue holds a bittersweet place in the former Barcelona star’s heart as it is the same venue where Argentina fell to Chile on penalties in the Bicentennial Cup final on June 26, 2016.

However, fans are eager to see if Argentina can turn the tables this time.