Otamendi’s tattoos aren’t subtle. His back, chest and arms are filled with large, detailed designs tied to things he cares about, from favorite TV shows to Argentina’s biggest football wins. The collection doesn’t look like one matched set; it has the feel of a scrapbook that has grown over time.

The Messi tribute drew attention after Argentina won the 2022 World Cup, but it’s only one part of the collection. Photos show ink on his arms, chest, neck and legs, while his back keeps revealing new details. Here’s what the clearest images show.

The full-back tattoo is an online cinema of favorite shows

Most people start with the back, and it’s easy to see why. Clear photos show large black-and-gray portraits and scenes filling the space, rather than one repeated symbol. Faces sit beside one another, with lettering and shading tying them together into a mural.

Photos and reports identify characters from Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders, Prison Break, Vikings, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. With so many shows represented, the piece moves between recognizable faces, costumes and darker moods as you look across it.

More than one photo helps show the full tattoo. A straight-on shot gives a sense of the overall layout; closer views make individual portraits easier to recognize. Otamendi appears to have added images over time while keeping them within the same television-inspired theme.

Walter White and Tommy Shelby give the mural its sharpest portraits

Walter White from Breaking Bad and Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders are two of the first faces to stand out. Both are instantly recognizable, and the tattoo portraits keep the serious expressions that made them memorable on screen. Careful shading around the eyes and hair helps the faces read even from a distance.

The choices also give the mural a particular tone. These aren’t just random celebrity portraits: the characters are associated with pressure, loyalty, survival and ambition. Other reported portraits, including Ragnar Lothbrok, Michael Scofield, Rick Grimes and the Night King, bring in a mix of anti-heroes and fantasy figures.

The portraits share a black-and-gray style, with no bright cartoon panels breaking up the design. Faces, clothing and background textures blend into one piece that looks dramatic from across a room and more detailed up close.

His Messi tattoo turns a World Cup memory into a tribute

The Messi tattoo is one of the most personal additions to Otamendi’s collection, linking him to Argentina’s World Cup win. ESPN and Argentine outlets described a design showing Messi with the trophy, capturing the image many fans associate with the Qatar final. Close-up photos show it alongside the other ink on Otamendi’s side, with detail in the faces, the cup and the lettering around them.

This isn’t just a portrait of a teammate from afar. Otamendi shared the pitch with Messi throughout the tournament, so the image marks an achievement they experienced together. The tattoo came after the title and reads as a way to preserve that moment.

Messi saw the design and publicly thanked Otamendi, calling it something special from a friend and teammate. That response became part of the story: the tattoo was a tribute to a football icon from someone who had shared the tournament with him.

“Gloria Eterna” and the trophy details fill out the Argentina story

The Messi portrait sits among other details tied to Argentina’s major wins. Photos show trophies and the words Gloria Eterna, a phrase associated with the country’s World Cup celebrations. Smaller dates and trophy shapes beneath the larger work turn the design into a timeline as well as a portrait.

Otamendi often adds words, numbers, symbols or shading around a large image instead of leaving it on its own. That can make the tattoos look dense, but it also gives them context. If you recognize the match, character or trophy, the surrounding details help tell the story.

The Argentina piece has a different feel from the TV mural on his back. The mural draws on fictional stories he enjoys; the trophy and Messi designs record real people, matches and moments from his career. The two themes show different reasons he may choose to get a tattoo.

His chest and arms carry older, heavy black-and-gray work

Match photos show dense work across Otamendi’s chest and both arms, including shaded areas, script and portrait-style details. The chest pieces sit close together, while the sleeves frame his upper body. In a short-sleeved shirt, his arms are usually the first tattoos fans notice.

The action shots make individual details hard to catalogue. Sweat, movement and the angle of a shirt can hide parts of the designs. The broader style is clearer: strong outlines and heavy shading, with little open skin between the larger pieces.

That’s why the newer Messi work sits comfortably beside the older ink. The portrait and trophy are detailed, but they share a similar visual weight with the chest and arm tattoos.

Neck and matchday photos reveal the smaller details

Close-up match photos show details that disappear in the full-back views: a sun-like design at the back of the neck, fine lettering around the arms, and tattoos that continue toward the legs. Some only come into view when Otamendi turns or lifts his shirt during a celebration.

Those smaller designs keep the collection from being just a story about the mural. The neck tattoo sits near the top of the larger canvas, while the arm work helps carry the look across his body. The tattoos follow his shape rather than sitting in separate blocks.

Readers interested in football tattoos can compare Otamendi’s approach with Mauro Icardi’s tattoo collection or Jadon Sancho’s tattoos. Otamendi’s work is heavier and more focused on portraits, while all three collections link ink with family, career or identity.
What makes Otamendi’s tattoos stand out

It isn’t only the number of tattoos that makes the collection memorable. It has distinct chapters: the back mural draws on favorite shows, the Messi and Argentina pieces preserve football memories, and the tattoos on his arms, chest, neck and legs make the collection feel lived in rather than planned as a matching set.

The contrast between scale and detail is part of the appeal. The larger designs read from a distance, while close-up photos bring out faces, lettering and dates. The full-back image and the rib close-up each show something different: the scale of the collection and the emotion attached to one piece.

Otamendi’s tattoo style has changed over the years, but the newer Argentina tribute still sits alongside the older entertainment-inspired designs. Taken together, the work records his interests, friendships and biggest football memories.

The collection is busy, but the themes give it shape. You can start with a familiar face on the back, notice the Argentina lettering on his side, then find smaller details on his neck and arms. The tattoos trace the shows he watches, the people he values and the matches he wants to remember.
Watch a closer look at Otamendi’s tattoo collection

This video includes Otamendi in a roundup of footballers with notable tattoos and puts his collection in a wider football context.