Football
Chris Wright, Toe Poke writer 5y

Lionel Messi signs fan's huge tattoo of Barcelona star; joins 'bad body art' club

As well as the standard succession of selfies, Lionel Messi was confronted with a rather strange fan request during a recent impromptu meet-and-greet session at Barcelona.

Indeed, Messi just about managed to just about keep it together when a fan unveiled a massive tattoo of the Argentina superstar and asked the man himself to sign it.

"[Sign] below the shirt number," the fan asked his idol. "I'm going to tattoo it."

Looking only slightly bewildered, Messi obliged and added his autograph -- a squiggle that will presumably be committed to permanent ink at some point in the near future.

Of course, Messi isn't the only footballer to have his likeness immortalised in tattoo form,

Chelsea greats John Terry and Frank Lampard both enjoy the esteemed honour of being forever emblazoned across this fan's rotund midriff.

Back in the summer of 2017, one grumpy Arsenal fan lost a social media wager when, much to his disbelief, the club signed Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon.

This led to him having the French striker's face tattooed on his posterior only for the resulting image to bear an entirely different likeness.

One plucky Seattle Sounders fan celebrated Clint Dempsey's arrival at the club in 2013 by getting this bizarre "Mr. Potato Head" doodle tattooed behind his ear.

Proving he doesn't have any problems with self-confidence, Leroy Sane has an enormous tattoo of Leroy Sane etched across his back.

Rather confusingly, the image is of the German winger celebrating the goal he scored against Monaco in the last 16 of the Champions League last season.

Man City, as you may well recall, were subsequently knocked out of the competition in the second leg.

Back in 2011, this Brazilian fan decided to get a large portrait of Neymar tattooed on her back.

Unfortunately, she obviously hired a tattoo artist who had absolutely no idea who Neymar is or what he looks like.

Funny, but we don't remember Clint Eastwood spending a stint on loan at Liverpool toward the end of his playing career.

How about this Newcastle United-themed masterpiece. The text says "Shearer" but the image positively screams "McClaren."

Some words of advice for all the impulsive football fans out there: Think before you ink.

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