Watch as the President of Israel Shimon Peres kicks a ball at Messi and hits the player in his midriff.

Barcelona have taking part in a two-day “peace tour” at the request of Peres.

The weekend’s events began on Saturday with a football clinic for local Palestinian children at Dura Stadium in the West Bank.

On Sunday evening, a similar session was held for Israeli children at Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium in Jaffa.

Later that night President Shimon Peres, who personally invited the Spanish club to Israel, took a ceremonial kick with star player Lionel Messi to begin a “peace match” between Barcelona and a team of children.

Messi, seemingly unprepared for much of an effort, was caught off-guard as the 90-year-old Polish-born statesman struck a powerful pass towards him.

Watch the full video as the President of Israel Shimon Peres kicks a ball at Messi below:

The video is wonderfully entitled:

Funny! Lionel Messi gets the ball in the tender area by president Peres

… with the description:

The Israeli president, Shimon Peres, kicked the opening ball straight to Messi’s Balls

We hope that it didn’t hurt so much for Messi…

Spotted on 101GG