Barcelona fanboy players queue up to take photo with Lionel Messi

How do you know when you're the best footballer in the world? It's probably when your own teammates queue up one by one to have their picture taken with you and a trophy, isn't it?

Barcelona won their first trophy of the Joan Laporta era on Saturday night, hammering Athletic Club 4-0 in the Copa del Rey final. Lionel Messi was in unstoppable form, dazzling in the first half and scoring two wonderful goals in the second.

The Barça players were so awestruck by their number 10's devastating display that they all decided to immortalise this moment forever by having their photo taken with their captain and leader, as seen in this video from L'Equipe.

Much like a group of wee mascots nervously waiting to meet their favourite player, the Blaugrana stars sheepishly edged over to the captain, who sensed he was in for a long night. Fair play to the little man though, he didn't break the hearts of any of his fanboys, greeting them all with a smile and gifting them a picture they'll treasure forever.

Messi probably put them at ease, asking them what they would like to be when they grew up and joking that he was going to get his haircut like Riqui Puig after the game. Little Sergino Dest almost burst into tears through anxiety, but a calming hand on the shoulder from the magician and he was the happiest boy in the world.

Even Serie A winner Miralem Pjanic couldn't help himself - possibly aware that he's unlikely to be pictured on a pitch with Messi anytime soon. Clement Lenglet watched on, perhaps too frightened to pluck up the courage and ask the captain to do him the honour. He'll regret that moment for the rest of his life.

The reaction to this Lionel Messi Fan Club was mixed, to say the least. Some thought that it was a signal of just how inspiring Messi is and how much his teammates adore him.

Others, however, thought it was incredibly cringe and a little bit embarrassing. But you cannot deny that Messi's stature in the game is so grand that even his superstar teammates went home and kissed their LM10 posters on their wall before going to sleep on Saturday night.

One day, when I grow up, I want to be Lionel Messi - or a caterpillar.