Patrick Stewart walked past Ronaldo to get his wife a photo with Messi

Sir Patrick Stewart, the legendary British actor best known for his roles in Star Trek and the X-Men franchise, died at his Los Angeles home at the age of 86 following a short battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Among the many tributes paid in his memory, one story has resurfaced that captures his warmth and wit: the night he navigated FIFA Awards security, walked past Cristiano Ronaldo, and tracked down Lionel Messi — all for his wife.

At the 2017 Best FIFA Football Awards in London, Stewart was invited to present the FIFA Fair Play award alongside former Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly and actor Idris Elba. After the ceremony, he made a decision: his wife, Sunny Ozell, was going to meet Messi.

“I decided when the show was over, I’m going to make a run for it,” Stewart later recalled on stage, four days after the event. He turned to Ozell, told her to follow closely, and pushed along the front row, announcing himself to security with “I’m Patrick Stewart, I’m Patrick Stewart” — hoping, he admitted, it might help.

The security cordon was protecting a remarkable cluster of football royalty. Messi, Ronaldo, and Diego Maradona were all in the same section. Stewart spotted Ronaldo, who glanced up and acknowledged him, but Messi was nowhere to be seen — until Stewart realised the Argentine had bent down behind his seat and, being relatively short, had simply disappeared from view.

“He stood up and turned around and we were face to face,” Stewart recounted. “This is emotional to me. He just breathed into my face and I said: ‘Señor Messi. Por favor. Mi esposa.’” Messi obliged without hesitation and posed for a photograph with Ozell — not a selfie, Stewart was careful to note, but a proper photo he took himself.

The moment took one final, charming turn. Messi’s partner, Antonela Roccuzzo, recognised Stewart and insisted on a photograph of her own. The evening ended with both couples posing together — a memory Stewart clearly treasured in the years that followed.