Lionel Messi has become immortal during his time with Barcelona.

Say what you like about his status in the GOAT conversation or the endless debate against Cristiano Ronaldo, but there can be no denying that his legacy at Camp Nou is the stuff of legend.

Even if Messi does kiss goodbye to the Catalan giants at the end of his contract this summer, it's hardly as though there are many records left for him to shatter in La Liga.

Messi's iconic status in Spain

Besides, Messi surpassed Xavi's record for the most Barcelona appearances during the Real Sociedad win, standing clear above the rest just as he does in the club's goalscoring charts.

And all of that makes for a mere snapshot of Messi's remarkable achievements in Spanish football, leaving so many of the opponents he comes up against starstruck in his presence.

You only have to look at Eibar's goalkeeper Édgar Badía doing a double-take when Messi asked for his jersey in February to grasp how much of a walking deity he has become in Spain's top flight.

Real Betis vs Barcelona in 2018

However, of all the special moments to have emerged from Messi's status in La Liga, we're not sure any of them are more wholesome than an encounter after Barcelona's 5-0 win at Real Betis in 2018.

That's because behind-the-scenes footage from an Amazon documentary on La Liga showed the heartwarming moment that Betis' Andres Guardado brought his son, Maximo, to Messi.

After approaching the Barca dressing room, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner himself eventually emerged and shared a special moment with the youngster who immediately recognised his idol.

Messi's beautiful moment with Maximo

It truly is a special moment that young Maximo will never forget and one that has gone viral on Twitter once again this week because, well, who doesn't want content like that in their lives?

So, be sure to brighten up your day by checking out Messi's beautiful moment with Maximo below:

Football really is the beautiful game, ladies and gentlemen.

It was such a classy act for Messi to take some time out of his post-match routine to spend time with one of his opponents' children and it really resonated with the Betis midfielder himself.

Messi shows his class

According to Marca, Guardado later explained: "Maximo adores football, one day he is wearing a Betis jersey, another Madrid, Barcelona, Mexico, it doesn't matter. 

"He does not stop talking about Cristiano (Ronaldo) and Messi. He asked if he could meet Messi and it will be a great memory for him. I'm not sure who was happier in this moment, Maximo or me, because Messi is the best in history."

However, even the greatest player in football history still has time for those who adore him...