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What does it feel like when the greatest footballer alive calls you his hero? Pablo Aimar knows — and the emotion still overwhelms him every single time. When a young Lionel Messi was honing his craft in the youth academies of Newell's Old Boys, he didn't dream of becoming a legend — he dreamed of becoming Pablo Aimar. The boy who would conquer the world wanted nothing more than to walk the path El Payaso had already blazed. Back in those golden days, Aimar wore the iconic No10 at River Plate, forming a devastating triumvirate with Juan Pablo Angel and Javier Saviola that terrorised defences across South America with breathtaking flair and audacity. Aimar's own brilliance had already shone on the grandest youth stage, orchestrating Argentina's glorious conquest at the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ in 1997 alongside the mercurial Juan Roman Riquelme of Boca Juniors. A quarter of a century later, the reverence between these two Argentine icons has transformed rather than diminished. They shared a dressing room at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ and the 2007 CONMEBOL Copa America, then faced each other as adversaries when Aimar starred at Valencia while La Pulga was igniting his revolution at Barcelona. Now they pursue the same magnificent obsession once more. As Lionel Scaloni's trusted lieutenant, Aimar treasures multiple sources of pride — chief among them being the man Messi considers his inspiration, and the extraordinary vantage point from which he has witnessed the maestro's genius since 2018. Season after season, Messi shatters every conceivable benchmark while performing with the exuberance of a rookie on his debut. In Aimar's own immortal words: "Messi has made us expect the unexpected." At 46, Aimar stands as Scaloni's most trusted advisor, part of an elite brain trust featuring fellow Argentine warriors Walter Samuel and Roberto Ayala. The former Valencia and River Plate maestro contributes not only technical and tactical wisdom but also serves as the vital bridge connecting the coaching staff and the playing squad. "Knowing that I was Messi's idol fills me with overwhelming pride," Aimar confessed to FIFA. "I once read something Zinedine Zidane said about Enzo Francescoli, and I wondered what it must feel like to have such an extraordinary talent speak about you that way. Hearing those words from Messi — it's beyond anything I could ever describe." He continued: "We shared the pitch as teammates and later stood on opposite sides. There's a bond that transcends rivalry, a mutual admiration that only football can create. And now, to be part of this journey together again, chasing the ultimate prize — it's destiny unfolding before our eyes."
