Five years on: How Brighton star bizarrely helped Lionel Messi make history
On this day in 2020, Neal Maupay played a major role in football history.
20.06.25, 14:50 Updated 22.05.26, 14:52 3 Minute Read
Charlie Parker-Turner
It’s the 20th of June 2020 on a sunny afternoon at the Amex. Referee Martin Atkinson has just blown his whistle for full time after Brighton forward Neal Maupay delicately tucked home a last-gasp winner to secure all three points for the Seagulls, and now Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi has grabbed the Frenchman by the neck.
However, the Gunners’ frustration did not stem only from the late goal and their European hopes being dented. It was also that Maupay, the match winner, had been the one to send their goalkeeper Bernd Leno off the pitch in a stretcher. But amidst the full-time emotion, both sides were unaware that that moment would prove integral in leading Lionel Messi and Argentina to the elusive World Cup glory that they longed for. We call it a butterfly effect, and in this instance it is one of football’s most mind-blowing.
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Charlie Parker-Turner Editor