The UEFA Champions League clash between PSG and Bayern Munich attracted a lot of interest from a variety of fans. The hardcore football fans just couldn’t wait for the return of the elite European championship and were all over the game.
The prospect of watching Lionel Messi in action itself is an event that can attract millions of eyes. Moreover, the prospect of watching him try to lead his side against one of Europe’s best clubs in Bayern guarantees enough incentives for casual watchers to tune in.
Interestingly, there was quite a lot of celebrity presence at the Parc des Princes during PSG’s 0-1 loss to Bayern. Chelsea owner Todd Boehly reportedly travelled to the stadium to watch and game and even speak to the French club’s owners over a potential move for Neymar.
However, a prominent non-football-related presence at the stadium during the game was Hollywood superstar Jenna Ortega. The 20-year-old American actress is high on the popularity charts these days because of her role in Netflix hit series ‘Wednesday’.
In the series, Ortega plays the mysterious Wednesday Addams and shows her trying to blend in with modern society. The eight-episode first season of the show has been a major hit among demography of all ages, becoming the second-most watched English-langue series in Netflix history only three weeks after its launch.
Ortega even earned a Golden Globe nomination for her impressive performance and has seen the series renewed for a second season. She is also set to appear in the next movie in the ‘Scream’ series and seems to have a really bright career ahead in Hollywood.
However, something which a lot of fans might not know is that the 20-year-old is actually a prominent footballer (or soccer as they call it in the USA) fanatic. She’s a big fan of Lionel Messi and only travelled to the Parc des Princes to see her favourite footballer in action.
She travelled with her mom to watch the game in PSG’s stadium, getting some very good seats for the show as well. Ortega even posed with a Messi shirt for the occasion, making it clear about the player for whom she had made the long journey.
Interestingly, Ortega actually shares a real passion for the beautiful game and used to play it at a school level too. She has spoken about how her career almost turned out to be something very different because of football.
In a past interview with Hollywood Access, the 20-year-old spoke about her love for football and said: “I actually almost stopped acting to pursue soccer instead. Yeah, it was that much of a thing. I was any position in the forwards and occasionally midfield because I like to run.”
It appears that Ortega used to love playing football (or soccer) as a kid and thought about going through the ranks in the US Women’s National Youth teams. Considering that the USWMNT is arguably the best international football team in its field, it wouldn’t have been too foolish of her to pursue a career in the beautiful game over acting.
However, she seems to be apt with developing as an actor and is pretty good at what she does. When she’s not acting, she takes time to watch her ‘GOAT’ Messi in action and become a beloved figure among a lot of football fans in the process.
