Unpacking the Viral Photo of Lionel Messi in a Joy Division Shirt

PSG superstar Lionel Messi requires little in terms of an introduction, the 35-year-old is easily among the most famous individuals on the planet.

There’s no underselling the Argentine’s fame, he is a well-known figure across the globe, and also the second-most followed person on Instagram with nearly 460 million followers.

The legendary footballer will remain a marketable figure long after his playing days are over, while his legacy will undoubtedly persist for centuries to come.

With fame as surreal as his, there’s bound to be an obsession with his various likes and dislikes.

Messi’s adoring legion of stans are usually scampering to learn more and more about Argentina International, and by the looks of it, they’ve stumbled upon an intriguing image which actually reveals one of the forward’s more unexpected preferences.

The Barcelona legend is normally a reserved figure, who does most of his talking on the pitch.

Off of it, he is known to keep a low profile, and aside from occasional posts on Instagram, there aren’t many sources of information regarding the 35-year-old’s hobbies and preferences.

His music taste is another subject cloaked in obscurity.

By piecing together bits from various sources, fans have managed to surmise that Messi mostly prefers Latin Music, a theory that was confirmed by the man himself.

The World Cup winner has admitted to being a fan of traditional music known as Cumbia, which is quite popular throughout Latin America.

But besides this, there wasn’t much in the public domain about his music preferences, until these interesting images popped up online.

They originally surfaced back in 2016, when the forward was still playing in Blaugrana colours.

The pictures were made public by a sports program on a Spanish TV channel, and they displayed Messi at a restaurant in Castelldefels in Barcelona.

As seen in the image, the Argentine wasn’t alone, as he was joined for dinner by best mate and former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez.

Aside from the duo’s night out, the images also gained popularity due to the shirt Messi wore for the occasion.

It can be seen clearly in this picture, which displays the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner posing next to a fan.

The t-shirt appears to have a graphic that directly references postpunk juggernauts Joy Division.

Never had Messi down as a Joy Division fan. pic.twitter.com/pyGbvdvvwV

— No Context Brits (@NoContextBrits) May 1, 2023

For those uninitiated, Joy Division were an English Rock outfit that initially emerged out of Salford in 1976. 

Composed of 7 members, Joy Division pioneered the post-punk movement, and offered up timeless hits including ‘Love will tear us apart’ and ‘Disorder’.

Credited for their role in the promotion of alternative music, Joy Division are among the most famous English bands of all time.

This fact makes it less surprising to see Messi wear a shirt featuring the cover art of their classic album ‘Unknown Pleasures’, but the question still beckons: Is Messi a Joy Division fan?

The answer is probably not, as the album’s cover art has actually turned into a popular t-shirt design, one that has been picked up by a number of labels and manufacturers.

This makes it likely that Messi wore the t-shirt purely for its aesthetic, as opposed to a possible expression of his Joy Division fandom.