LIONEL MESSI has generously offered up the use of his £12million private jet to his Argentina team-mates for this week’s international break.
Argentina face Bolivia and Ecuador in their first two 2022 World Cup qualifying matches on October 8 and October 13.
Messi offered to take his Argentina team-mates from Europe to South America on his private jet
Messi has frequently used the jet with his family since 2018
The jet seats 16 people, with the chairs folding out into eight beds
And, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Messi has offered up his plane to Argentine stars currently playing in Europe to help them stay safe.
Messi was joined by the likes of Paulo Dybala, Juan Foyth, Marcos Acuna, Lucas Ocampos and Nicolas Otamendi on the jet.
The five Argentina stars will then join Messi on the return trip back to Spain in a bid to limit interaction at public airports.
The Barcelona star, 33, first started using the £12m Gulfstream V jet in 2018 – and he has leased it from an Argentine company on a number of occasions in the past few years.
The plane was infamously forced to make an emergency landing in Brussels due to a technical fault earlier this year.
It boasts a number of incredible features, including its very own kitchen.
There are two bathrooms and enough seats for 16 people.
The chairs can even be folded up and turned into eight beds so the players can get some much-needed shut-eye on the long flight to South America.
Messi has the names of his family adorned on the steps of the jet
Messi ensured he and his Argentina team-mates travelled to South America in style
Messi even has the names of his family adorned on the jet, with wife Antonella, plus children Thiago, Ciro and Mateo all having their names etched on the steps.
The plane also boasts Messi’s iconic No10 on the tail.
Meanwhile, Messi could miss this month’s El Clasico thanks to his participation in international duty.
The game against Real Madrid is currently set to take place just 12 days after the Bolivia clash – on October 25 – two days within the 14-day quarantine timeframe.
Messi would likely miss the game with Getafe a week earlier, on October 18, too.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez reunited for first time since striker’s Barcelona axe as they arrive at airport together
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
