Lionel Messi returned to Inter Miami training with a clean shave, saying goodbye to his famed ‘lucky’ beard.

The Argentine superstar returned to training this week following an international break, but it was his sleek appearance that sparked a social media frenzy.

While Messi usually sports a classic bearded look, this new and refined style has revitalized his image, making him appear more youthful.

According to GOAL, the Argentine has decided to go shaved for the first time since his days at Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, shortly before the Ballon d’Or presentation.

Messi shaved his beard for the Ballon d’Or photos?

According to Barca Worldwide, there are several compelling reasons to consider this as a possibility.

Messi came in Paris as a leading contender for the Ballon d’Or in 2021, following a fantastic season with Barcelona in which he helped secure the Copa del Rey and Argentina’s victory in the 2021 Copa America.

A few weeks before being named the winner that year, he missed a training session with the club for’medical reasons’ and returned the next day with a clean-shaven appearance.

This change in his appearance appeared to be in preparation for the annual photoshoot for the Ballon d’Or winner. Messi was pictured with another clean-shaven look just two days before the ceremony in late November of the same year.

As a top candidate for the 2023 Ballon d’Or after winning Ligue 1 and the World Cup with Argentina, he did not play in Inter Miami’s away loss to Atlanta United on Sunday.