- Former goalkeeper of América and the Mexican National Team, Moisés Muñoz, narrates his experiences of acquiring the jerseys of two of soccer’s biggest stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, during significant matches in his career.
- In 2015, Muñoz secured Messi’s jersey during a friendly match between Mexico and Argentina, leveraging his relationship with Tricolor captain Rafa Márquez, who played with Messi at FC Barcelona. Despite the match ending in a 2-2 draw, the jersey made its way home to Muñoz’s son.
- A year later, during the 2016 Club World Cup, Muñoz faced off against Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, Real Madrid. After making several saves against Ronaldo, the star player congratulated Muñoz on his performance and agreed to his request for his jersey.
For the past decade and a half, football fans have been engaged in a passionate debate: who is the superior player, Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Yet, there are those who sidestep the comparison and simply bask in their prowess. Among them is former América and Mexican National Team goalkeeper Moisés Muñoz, who holds the unique distinction of owning jerseys from both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
At the height of his career, Moi narrated on his podcast how he painstakingly acquired the jerseys of the two most exceptional players in soccer history. His tales of obtaining these sought-after mementos are a testament to his determination and the respect he holds for these remarkable athletes.
How he managed to get Messi’s jersey
The story of procuring Messi’s jersey dates back to September 8, 2015. Moisés Muñoz, now an analyst at TUDN Mexico, recounted that securing the Argentine star’s jersey, regarded by many as the best soccer player in history, was a Herculean task. The quest began during a friendly match between the Mexican National Team and Argentina at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Messi scoring one of Argentina’s goals against Muñoz. However, the quest for the jersey began long before the game. Muñoz explained that his son had asked him for Messi’s jersey, and, being a doting father, he moved heaven and earth to obtain it.
His strategy involved leveraging his relationship with his Tricolor captain, Rafa Márquez, who had shared the dressing room with Messi during their time at FC Barcelona. “I spoke to Rafa on the phone, I told him, ‘güey, we’re going to play Argentina, can you ask Messi for the shirt? Help me get it. Please, give him a call first,'” he recalled on his Facebook page. Marquez agreed to help without hesitation.
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At the end of the match, Muñoz recounted, “I immediately saw Messi, I saw Rafa go into the dressing room, and two or three players from the national team approached him, and he left; I went behind Leo and outside the dressing room Rafa was standing, so he arrived and gave it to him.” Thus, he managed to acquire a priceless memento for his son, despite the unusual disappointment of losing the match.
Despite the draw, Muñoz, who was the starting goalkeeper, conceded two goals: one from Sergio Agüero and the other from Messi, both in the final moments of the match. Even though they missed out on the victory, Muñoz managed to secure Messi’s jersey, the number 10 of Inter Miami. Notably, Messi congratulated him for his commendable performance, despite having asked for the jersey long before the match commenced.
Cristiano Ronaldo was also kind to him and scored a goal for him.
A similar tale of sportsmanship and respect unfolded a year later, this time involving Cristiano Ronaldo. In the 2016 Club World Cup, Moisés Muñoz, still the goalkeeper for América, found himself facing none other than Real Madrid in the Semifinals. The match, held in December 2016, ended in a 2-0 victory for Los Merengues, with goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, the latter scoring in the final minute.
Everyone was vying for Ronaldo’s jersey, but Muñoz, dubbed El Arquero del Milagro, was the lucky one. He had made several saves against Ronaldo, who congratulated him after each one. “He comes up to me, hugs me and says: ‘great save, goalkeeper,'” Muñoz recalled. He then asked Ronaldo for his jersey, a request the Portuguese star graciously accepted.