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Meet Leo Messi's biggest fan and greatest supporter Celia Olivera Cuccittini
When Gonzalo Montiel stepped up to take the most crucial penalty vs France at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Leo Messi looked up to the heavens and appeared to say 'Puede ser hoy, abu', which translates to 'It could be today, grandma'.
An emotional Leo Messi appeared to look up to the skies and speak to his late grandmother who played an influential role in his career and probably deserves all the credit for who Leo Messi is today - arguably the greatest footballer.
In an interview with Diario Ole, Leo revealed a heartwarming story about his grandmother's influence.
'I was small, we would all go to the neighbourhood club where the whole family always went; my brother and cousins would all play, each in their respective category as we were all of the different ages.
'I was one of the youngest ones and therefore there were no categories for me yet. The ‘86 team, a year older than me, was playing and they needed a player — so my grandmother told the coach 'put him [Leo] in the team'.
'No, how am I going to put him in the team, look how small he is, you’re crazy, he’s going to get hurt,' the coach said. But she [Leo’s grandmother] kept saying 'put him, put him'.
'Apparently, when I went, I did some things and from then, my grandmother came back and told him [the coach]: ‘Buy him football shoes and next week I will bring him here for training’ - and that’s when I started. It was an amazing time.”
'I scored two goals although truthfully, I do not remember much as I was quite young, but that is the story as my grandmother used to tell it.'
Celia Cuccittini was supportive of Messi's desire to become a footballer but she died when her grandson was just 11.
It's believed that Messi's iconic celebration where he looks up and points to the sky is a tribute to his grandmother.