Watch Lionel Messi ‘send magician into retirement’ as he brutally shuts him down mid-trick at Fifa Best Awards

AS if Lionel Messi’s magic wasn’t enough on the pitch, it seems he is more than capable of some off it.

While in attendance at the award ceremony for Fifa’s The Best, Messi was confronted by magician Julius Dein.

ReutersLionel Messi was named Fifa’s The Best Men’s Player[/caption]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpNykZ5uwk0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3DMagician Julius Dein attempted a magic trick on Messi[/caption]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpNykZ5uwk0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3DBut Messi saw through the trick[/caption]

The Mega AgencyHe attended alongside wife Antonella Roccuzzo[/caption]

The Londoner took Messi’s phone and attempted to play a trick with the flashlight on the phone.

Dein seemingly took the light off of it directly before putting it in his mouth, chewing it and then blowing it back onto the phone.

However, Messi was not to be fooled and simply responded: “I know this one,” before producing a gleaming smile.

The shutdown left Dein joking: “Well that didn’t go according to plan ,” before admitting: “I’m retiring.”

But fans were left perplexed as to why he would challenge a fellow “magician”.

One fan said: “U were challenging a magician.”

A second remarked: “Trying to show magic to a magician.”

A third wrote: “Mate you can’t fool a magician .”

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While a fourth asked: “Are you trying to teach magic to the greatest magician ever?”

The 35-year-old Argentine, who attended the Paris ceremony with wife Antonella Roccuzzo, won his second Fifa Best Men’s Player title following his World Cup heroics in Qatar.

The gong puts him level with Cristiano Ronaldo‘s record of two wins.

Messi was also named in the FIFPRO World XI alongside Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

In the women’s award, Beth Mead was pipped by Alexia Putellas but was named in the women’s World XI alongside Lionesses team-mates, Lucy Bronze, Leah Williamson and Keira Walsh.

England boss Sarina Wiegman and Manchester United’s Mary Earps won best women’s coach and goalkeeper respectively following their Euro 2022 glory last summer.