Lionel Messi and Alexis Mac Allister greeted Jurgen Klopp after Argentina beat Austria 2-0 at Dallas Stadium, and the Liverpool midfielder saved something to gift his former coach
23:15, 22 Jun 2026
Alexis Mac Allister and Lionel Messi greeted Jurgen Klopp after Monday's World Cup game
Alexis Mac Allister and Lionel Messi greeted Jurgen Klopp after Monday's World Cup game(Image: FOX Sports)
Jurgen Klopp reunited with Alexis Mac Allister at Dallas Stadium on Monday, and the Liverpool star had a sentimental gift for his beloved former head coach.
Klopp has signed up for a new career opportunity this summer, joining Magenta TV alongside Thomas Muller to analyze the FIFA World Cup. Klopp has already clashed with fellow analyst Rafael van der Vaart over Virgil van Dijk, with the German defending his former star.
German legend Lothar Matthaus has also disagreed with Klopp during the tournament, but his coverage alongside Muller has been entertaining and has helped boost the network during the World Cup. Klopp witnessed Argentina beating Austria 2-0 on Monday and caught up with Mac Allister.
Mac Allister was seen greeting Klopp moments after Argentina beat Austria to ensure it finished top of Group J. Klopp signed Mac Allister in 2023 from Brighton and Hove Albion, and the Argentine midfielder impressed during his first season at Liverpool.
Klopp then announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of that season, and Mac Allister has spent the past two years under Arne Slot. While Mac Allister won the Premier League in Slot's first season, Andoni Iraola has now taken charge.
Although Mac Allister's tenure with Klopp lasted just 12 months, the two built a close bond, and they were delighted to see each other at Dallas Stadium. After embracing on the sidelines, Klopp was later seen clutching Mac Allister's match-worn jersey.
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Klopp was seen tugging at Mac Allister's jersey when they first reunited, suggesting that he was interested in gaining a sentimental souvenir. However, Klopp looked delighted when Mac Allister agreed to gift his jersey to the former Liverpool coach.
While Klopp was ecstatic to see Mac Allister, Monday's game once again centered around Lionel Messi. The legendary star scored a brace to hand Argentina a 2-0 win and made World Cup history.
Messi is now the all-time World Cup goalscorer after grabbing his 18th in competition history. Messi moved clear of Miroslav Klose to claim the record, and is now the all-time leader across men's and women's World Cups.
Klopp received Mac Allister's jersey after Argentina beat Austria 2-0
Klopp received Mac Allister's jersey after Argentina beat Austria 2-0(Image: @Kloppo / Instagram)
The 38-year-old also missed a penalty in the first half, but has scored all five of Argentina's goals at the World Cup so far. Incredibly, 12 of Messi's World Cup goals have come since 2022, when he was 35 heading into the tournament in Qatar.
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Messi scored his first World Cup goal in 2006, becoming the youngest Argentinian to score on the world stage. Messi failed to score at the 2010 World Cup, but netted four when Argentina reached the final in 2014, before losing to Germany.
He scored just once at the Russia World Cup in 2018, but appears to have hit his stride since lifting his first international trophy. After winning the Copa America in 2021, Messi has dominated at the World Cup, leading Argentina to victory in Qatar.
Now that Argentina has topped Group H, it will face the runner-up. As it stands, Uruguay is the team in that spot, but Cape Verde, Spain, and Saudi Arabia could all still finish second.