In the bottom photo, Lionel Messi is celebrating Giovani Lo Celso after he scored a stunning free kick.
In the top photo, Messi got up from the bench to applaud Lautaro Martínez after he converted the penalty.
If Messi had been on the pitch, he probably would’ve taken both the free kick and the penalty, and he might’ve even scored a first-half hat-trick, extending his lead over Kylian Mbappé by an even bigger margin.
But instead, he was genuinely happy for his teammates and cheering them on because, for him, the team’s success always comes first.
He didn’t resent them or think, “Those goals should’ve been mine.” That’s exactly why his teammates love him.