Substitute surprise! Messi s teammates helped Argentina U20 advance to the World Youth Championship finals, and were congratulated by the football champion after the game

In the 2025 U20 World Cup semi-finals, Argentina defeated Colombia 1-0 with a fatal blow from substitute youngster Mateo Silvetti and successfully entered the final. After the game, the 19-year-old star not only became the hero of the team, but also received congratulations from the "ball king" Messi.

Silvetti is not the main player of the team, but in this tournament, he has repeatedly played the key role of "super substitute". He had scored in the previous quarter-finals against Nigeria and Mexico in the quarter-finals, and also contributed an assist in the opening game against Cuba. And this time, he stepped forward again in the most critical semi-final.

In the 27th minute of the second half, Silvetti, who had just come on as a substitute, received an exquisite through ball from teammate Gianluca Prestani and calmly pushed the ball into the goal with the outside of his right foot. He won with one blow and helped Argentina secure a spot in the final.

This 19-year-old youngster has never started this tournament so far, but he has played a total of 147 minutes and scored 3 goals. He averages "a goal every 49 minutes" per game, which is amazingly efficient. Despite fierce competition with teammate Alejo Salco, he can always seize limited opportunities and become the sharpest substitute weapon in the hands of coach Diego Placente.

It is worth mentioning that Silveti and Messi currently belong to the Major League Soccer team Inter Miami. In August this year, Inter Miami signed the Argentine starlet from Newell's Old Boys for about $6 million. Messi not only takes care of him in the club, but the relationship between the two is also very close.

After Silvetti scored, Messi immediately posted a message on his personal Instagram story to celebrate: "Go! Enter the final! Congratulations everyone!! Great, @toto.silvetti!" This move inspired Silvetti.

Coincidentally, Silveti's name "Mateo Thiago" (Mateo Thiago) is the same as Messi's two sons, which also adds a wonderful fate to the mentor-disciple relationship between the two.

After the game, Silveti thanked his teammate Prestani for the assist in an interview, and said: "Argentina has never lacked excellent players, and we are lucky to have a top player like Prestani." He also revealed the tactical adjustments made by coach Placent during the halftime break - changing to a double forward to enhance the use of space. He said: "We started to use the space better and the game felt smoother. As long as we maintain discipline, we can control the situation."

Currently, Silveti has played 3 times on behalf of International Miami. During this campaign in Chile, his family also came to accompany him and witness his step-by-step growth into a future star of Argentine football.