Pauline Kana, a 98-year-old grandmother from Ohio who creates content with her grandson Ross Smith, went viral after attending a World Cup match in a wedding dress and holding a sign for Lionel Messi that read, “Messi, will you marry me?” The video, shared on Instagram, drew tens of millions of views.
In the clip, Kana stood at the front row near the pitch while Messi noticed her during warmups, smiled and waved. She later joked, “Messi, age is just a number.” The post quickly spread across social media, prompting thousands of comments.
Many users joked that Messi could not read English and suggested she write her next sign in Spanish. One commenter wrote, “Lady, join the queue, we all want to marry him.” Kana, known online as “Granny,” has become a viral figure through playful videos with Smith.
The article also noted Messi’s latest milestone at the tournament. Earlier in the week, he scored twice in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria, reaching 18 World Cup goals and breaking Miroslav Klose’s previous record of 16. His two goals also raised his international tally to 121, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo’s 143. Argentina’s broader goal is to secure a knockout-stage place and continue defending its world title.
