Argentine ace was among a number of Catalan stars to pay an unexpected visit to the hospital and put huge smiles on the faces of the children

CHILDREN at a hospital in Barcelona had a day they’ll never forget when Lionel Messi and team-mate Luis Suarez paid a surprise visit.

The Catalan superstar and the Uruguayan striker took time from their hectic schedules to leave kids with beaming smiles on their faces at Sant Pau Hospital.

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were just two Barca stars to visit a children’s hospitalCredit: Instagram, @fcbarcelona
Messi and Suarez were snapped signing photos and handing them to the excited children before having a group snap.

But there was little time to stand on ceremony with the pair having to rush to training for an open session at the Mini Estadi stadium.

Thousands of fans packed into the home of Barcelona B to watch their icons put through their paces.

The morale in the squad looked high as the first-team stars were joking and laughing among themselves.

The duo put beaming smiles on kid’s facesCredit: Instagram, @fcbarcelona

Sergio Busquets also passed through to pay a visitCredit: Instagram, @fcbarcelona

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez signed autographs for the patientsCredit: AFP or licensors
And it is no wonder with Ernesto Valverde’s men cruising to the La Liga title race.

Their win over rivals Real Madrid last month means they are now a remarkable 14 points clear of Zinedine Zidane’s side in fourth and nine clear of Atletico Madrid in second.