The Argentina national team's training facility has been renamed after talismanic captain Lionel Messi in recognition of his World Cup heroics and star-studded career, the country's football association (AFA) said on Saturday.

The Casa de Ezeiza in Buenos Aires, which houses the national team set-up, will now be known as Lionel Andrés Messi "in tribute to the best player in the world," AFA president Claudio Tapia wrote on Twitter.

"Welcome to the world champion's house," Tapia said at the unveiling ceremony attended by current and former Argentina players.

BUENOS AIRES, March 23 (Reuters) - Argentina beat Panama 2-0 in a friendly on Thursday with goals from Thiago Almada and Lionel Messi amid a festive atmosphere in their first game in front of their home fans after winning the World Cup in December.

Lionel Messi in tears

What a moment as Argentina welcomes back its World Cup winners. pic.twitter.com/Pn9lHAw7uV

Un tiro libre sublime en un partido especial. 

Lionel Messi llegó a 800 goles en su carrera como futbolista profesional, luego de marcar en la victoria 2-0 de Argentina sobre Panamá, en un partido que le sirvió a La Albiceleste para celebrar junto a sus aficionados el título conseguido en la Copa Mundial de Catar, en noviembre pasado.

If you’ve played enough of the FIFA video game series with friends, then you’re probably familiar with randomizing the teams before a game. Sometimes you’ll get a strange matchup where one player gets a national team and the other gets a club. 

That would never happen in real life, right? 

Friday will see a situation just like that as the Argentina national team announced it will play a friendly against Primera División leaders River Plate. The game is part of a national celebration for Argentina’s triumph in Qatar.

Argentina worships Leo Messi. It always has been the case, but after the World Cup title, the adoration only multiplied. The love, the obsession, it's so unleashed that when people found out he was eating at a steakhouse in Buenos Aires on Monday night, hundreds gathered around the restaurant to chant his name and police had to come to keep everybody safe.

BUENOS AIRES - Two people on motorcycles shot at a supermarket belonging to the family of Antonela Roccuzzo, wife of Lionel Messi, in Rosario, in Argentina's Santa Fe province early on Thursday morning, local media and the city's mayor reported.

A threatening hand-written message for 35-year-old Messi, Argentina's captain and seven-times World Player of the Year, was also left on the shop door.

"Messi, we are waiting for you, (Pablo) Javkin (the mayor) is also a narco, he is not going to take care of you," it read.

PARIS - Lionel Messi was named FIFA player of the year 2022 on Monday as Argentina scooped all major men's awards after winning a vintage World Cup final last December.

The 35-year-old forward scored two goals in the final against France, with the South Americans emerging triumphant on penalties following a 3-3 draw after extra time in Qatar.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni has extended his contract until 2026, the country's FA said on Monday after he led the team to their World Cup triumph in Qatar last year.

Scaloni renewed his contract after meeting with AFA president Claudio Tapia in Paris on Monday, taking him through to the next World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

"Claudio Tapia and Lionel Scaloni met to close the extension of the contract as coach of the Senior Selection until 2026," the AFA said in a statement.