After Cristiano Ronaldo dressed up as a beggar and played football with a kid in Madrid’s city centre, Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri put up an almost similar makeup to trick the Swiss Youth team.
The tricky winger was introduced to the players as a legendary coach whose wish was to train younger players one more time — and Shaqiri put them through the paces proper.
The kids were exhausted as the old task-master Shaqiri took the whistle and conducted some basic drills before starting the shooting and passing exercises.
The Inter Milan player then surprised his wards with some pinpoint long passing and freekicks before zipping past a couple players and clipping the ball over the goalkeeper to leave the Swiss youngsters awestruck.
Then of course came the reveal — Shaqiri ripped off his mask and fake beard and the kids all ran over to him on realising this was the Alpine Messi.
Quite brilliant.