Franco Colapinto meets up with Lionel Messi ahead of Miami Grand Prix

After a dazzling exhibition in Buenos Aires, Franco Colapinto got his wish and met Argentine men’s national football team star Lionel Messi in Miami. The 22-year-old visited the Inter Miami training ground ahead of the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and got to meet the Qatar 2022-winner, as well as teammate Rodrigo de Paul. Images of the meetup were shared by Argentine oil and gas company YPF as part of a campaign featuring the three as ambassadors.  “The best energy in the world: Argentine energy. Thanks to our ambassadors,” the state-owned energy giant wrote on Instagram. The post went viral and generated a huge buzz on social media. Colapinto had mentioned days before that he’d “love” to meet Messi when interviewed during his Buenos Aires F1 exhibition. However, he insisted he’d rather have it happen “as a casual thing, not for a marketing exercise with cameras.” Colapinto’s passion for football It’s not the first time the paths of the two Argentine stars have coincided.  In June 2025, Colapinto sent one of his race helmets as a gift to Messi. The race driver shared the news on his Instagram account, posting a story where the Albiceleste and Inter Miami captain could be seen holding one of the driver’s helmets.  The former Williams Racing man dotted the post with a couple of heart emojis, a show of his excitement at seeing Messi with his gift. “Thanks for so much joy and so many lessons. All the best,” wrote the Argentine motorist on the edge of the helmet’s visor. The 22-year-old hasn’t hidden his love for football. A confessed fan of Argentine giant Boca Juniors, Colapinto has posed with the iconic blue-and-gold jersey many times and even had an exclusive tour of the famous La Bombonera stadium in 2022. In November 2024, while racing for Williams F1, he honored the Qatar 2022 World Cup winners with a special helmet design for the Qatar GP.