Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi has been in the middle of the action since he burst onto the global football stage and has maintained his image as one of the good guys of the sporting world.

A favourite of football fans around the world, the 68,000 fans who turned up to The Workers’ Stadium in Beijing for Argentina’s 2-0 friendly win over Australia probably would have turned up if no one else was on the field with Messi.

It’s safe to say he knows what it’s like to be the centre of attention.

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So when he leaves you hanging out to dry like he did with 20-year-old Socceroo Alexander Robertson, it’s probably hard not to take it personally.

Vision emerged from the Paramount+ coverage of the game with Robertson trying to get Messi’s attention by grabbing the back of his jersey, but the 35-year-old simply refused to turn around.

It was assumed that he was trying to swap jerseys with Messi, while others speculated he was simply looking for a handshake.

“Tonight is all about Leo Messi – and now the fight is on for his shirt!” commentator Simon Hill said.

“Alexander Robertson having a go, and I’m sure there’ll be a few contenders for it!”

Regardless of what he was looking for, he got next to nothing from Messi as the superstar continued congratulating his teammates until the Aussie walked away.

Messi did appear to look at him at one point but it didn’t help Robertson’s chances at all as he finally accepted the cold shoulder.

Fans said that Messi must have thought it was one of his teammates, while another said the superstar appeared to have promised it to another Socceroo and told Robertson as much.

It comes after last years’ World Cup where Messi swapped jerseys with players throughout the tournament.

When Argentina knocked Australia out 2-1 in the round of 16, it was unused defensive midfielder Cam Devlin who took home the prize.

Socceroos striker Mitch Duke also received a jersey after the Socceroos’ loss in Qatar.

After drinking seven bottles of water in order to provide a urine sample after the match, Duke walked back into the dressing room to find a Messi jersey on his bag.

Robertson, the Manchester City-signed prodigy, who was born in Scotland and eligible to play for his birth country, England, Peru or Australia, did get on the field in the friendly in Beijing, being subbed on in the 73rd minute for Mathew Leckie.

Rubbing salt in the wound over the jersey/handshake snub, it came after a 15-year-old Chinese fan wearing a Messi jersey ran onto the field late in the game and straight into a hug with his hero.

He then did a lap around the field before giving up the chase with security.

Bizarrely, he was then sent back to his seat by security because he was under-18 and was swamped by fans in the stands.

Messi put on a show for the jam packed stands as he set two marks in the 2-0 win against Australia on Thursday night.

The Argentine star scored the fastest goal of his historic career, finding the back of the net after only 81 seconds.

It became his seventh straight scoring game for his country, also setting a new personal record.

Messi has now scored in every minute of a game at some point of his career, except for the opening minute.

And the crowd were all there for Messi, as finding an Aussie in the stands was like playing Where’s Wally?.