He’s arguably the world’s most famous footballer... and recently he’s had a bit of bother with the taxman.

But what you probably didn’t know about Lionel Messi is that he’s also a huge fan of cult Macclesfied band Joy Division - or at least, that’s what it seems after the star was snapped wearing the band’s iconic T-shirt.

Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi

The Argentinean was snapped with fellow Barcelona star and three other friends in what appears to be a bar or restaurant setting.

Messi, who has routinely been named the best player in the world, is seen wearing a T-shirt with the iconic cover of the band’s Unknown Pleasures album.

The player, a married dad-of-two, has previously spoken about his love of the traditional music known as cumbia, a genre that originated in Colombia and Panama and that is very popular in Latin America.

His love for hits such as Love Will Tear Us Apart or Atmosphere were previously undisclosed.

When and where the picture, which began circulating on the Twitter account of @toni_yoyoman, was taken remains unclear.

The 29-year-old footballer, who this summer announced that he would be retiring from international football, was convicted of tax fraud earlier this year along with his father. Both were handed suspended 21-month prison sentences.

Earlier this year, Messi joined the Barcelona team on a visit to Manchester to play against City at the Etihad as part of the Champions League.

Whether he was able to sneak out of his hotel to make a pilgrimage to Salford Lads’ Club remains unknown...