The reason Argentina make 650 Lionel Messi shirts every international break

You can't blame people for wanting to get their hands on one

Argentina have to produce 650 Lionel Messi shirts every time there is an international break due to the high demand for the forward's jersey. Evidently, there is only one (or maybe two) match-worn shirt per game, however, people are still desperate to get their hands on the Paris Saint-Germain man's Argentina shirt. Players, staff and sponsors are all eager to come away with a Messi jersey, and Argentina teammate and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has admitted that he was curious to find out exactly how many shirts were made. Speaking on Amazon Prime Video, he said: "One day I asked how many Messi shirts they have to make per game and they told me that between 200 and 300 for all the people who ask for them. "We played two internationals and they made 650 Messi shirts ready to wear. "The sponsors, players, staff, technicians, everyone wants one. It is a shirt of Messi." At the weekend, Messi and Neymar were jeered by large sections of the home crowd during their win at the Parc Des Princes against Bordeaux. PSG fans even cheered - ironically - in the first-half when a free-kick from Neymar flew over the bar, also booing the Brazilian when he scored the French side's second in the 3-0 win. It led to the club's ultras demanding the resignation of president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, as well as questioning the commitment of the Parisians' high-profile stars. Messi has scored 80 goals and registered 49 assists in 158 appearances for Argentina, also winning the Copa América in 2021. However, the attacker has endured a difficult time in Paris following his move from Barcelona in the summer, despite registering 18 goal involvements in 26 appearances. Related links:

• Pochettino says Messi and Neymar were affected by PSG fan boos
• Spanish media claim Messi close to agreeing return to Barcelona
• Jamie Carragher says Lionel Messi called him a ‘donkey’ after PSG comments