World Champion And Guest Of Honour! Lionel Messi To Headline Angola’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration

Lionel Messi. (AP Photo)

Lionel Messi and World Champions Argentina football team, reigning world champions, are anticipated to be distinguished guests this week as Angola commemorates the 50th anniversary of its independence from Portugal as the festivities commenced on Wednesday.

Angola has scheduled an exhibition match between its national team and Argentina for Friday, reportedly spending $13 million to secure the presence of the World Cup holders. The match will take place at Angola’s 11 November Stadium, named after its independence day.

Argentina’s squad is set to arrive in Angola on Thursday, according to the Argentine football federation.

The celebrations in Angola began with a ceremony at Republic Square in the capital city, Luanda, where soldiers raised a large Angolan flag in front of President João Lourenço.

Angola declared independence from Portugal on Nov. 11, 1975, but soon entered a brutal civil war that resulted in the deaths of between 500,000 and 1 million people and concluded in 2002.

Angola, rich in oil, has been governed by one party, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola, since gaining independence.

Messi achieved his crowning moment in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar with an emphatic win over France as Argentina bagged their third title. The epic encounter between Argentina and France was tied at 3-3 after extra time before penalty shoot-outs were required to determine the winner.

Messi netted twice for Argentina while Angel Di Maria added the other while Kylian Mbappe struck thrice to deliver a stunning game.