Messi's Children: The Life of the Legend's Heirs
Chloe Fournier
Dailysports's expert
Lionel Messi is a name that everyone who has ever heard of football knows. The Argentine virtuoso, winner of five Ballons d'Or, captain of the Argentina national team and Barcelona legend - all this is only part of the titles and achievements that he has earned during his illustrious career. His unique style of play, unrivaled technique and the beauty of his goals have made him not only an idol of millions, but also an example for future generations of footballers. But despite all these successes on the field, Messi himself admits that his main victory in life is not related to football at all.
He proudly talks about his family, which includes three wonderful sons and his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo. On the footballer's Instagram page, fans regularly see touching family moments, which he generously shares with the whole world. Each such photo instantly attracts thousands of likes and comments, because seeing a star footballer in the role of a caring father is always inspiring.
His children, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, have already become little celebrities. Each of them grows up surrounded by love and attention, and despite their father’s worldwide fame, the Messi family remains surprisingly modest and close-knit.
Leo has become a symbol of how important it is to find time for your closest ones, even when your life is scheduled down to the minute. His example is inspiring, because he is not only a star on the field, but also a real hero in his family.
The family loves to dress in the same style: if Lionel is in the Barcelona uniform, then Antonella and the children also wear the club colors. All three have the Argentina national team uniform with the number ten. In everyday life, they can often be seen in clothes of red shades, which has become a kind of family tradition.
Let's delve deeper into the lives of Lionel Messi's children: how the legendary footballer builds relationships with them, what family traditions he maintains, and what values he tries to instill in his heirs from an early age in order to shape them as individuals and, perhaps, future champions.
Thiago Messi: the eldest son of a football genius
Thiago, the firstborn of Lionel Messi, occupies a special place in the life of his famous father. His name is tattooed on Leo's left leg - the same one with which he scored more than 600 goals during his career. The tattoo is complemented by an image of a child's hands hugging his father's leg, symbolizing the tender bond between them.
Since his birth, Thiago has been in the spotlight of the world public. His photos with his parents adorn the covers of both sports and glamour magazines. Thanks to such publications, he has become a kind of role model, showing that family values can go hand in hand with career achievements.
A particularly touching moment was when Lionel first stepped onto the pitch with Thiago in 2013 after winning the Champions League final. The one-year-old sat in his father's arms, sharing the triumph with him. One of the most famous shots from that game was Lionel holding his son's pacifier, which touched millions of fans around the world.
Thiago recently took his first serious step in football: Lionel's son made his international debut for Inter Miami. Messi Jr.'s team traveled to Argentina, where Thiago played against his father's first club, Newell's Old Boys. Leo was unable to visit his homeland at the time, but his mother, brothers and grandmother supported the young footballer in the stands.
Thiago played an important role in one of the most touching family moments. It was he who tenderly announced Antonella's third pregnancy by kissing her belly.
Mateo Messi: another future footballer and an energetic kid
In 2015, Lionel Messi became the father of his second son, whom he named Mateo. On the day of his birth, Messi missed the morning training before the most important match for the championship title, as he was in the maternity hospital with his wife. The year turned out to be successful for Lionel: he won his fifth Ballon d'Or and continued to dominate football.
The boy has shown an interest in football from an early age, which Messi attributes to his genes. There are already many videos online with video clips of game moments involving the legendary player's middle son. Mateo, like his older brother, currently plays for Inter Miami.
In February 2015, Lionel shared a video on Instagram in which Mateo, watching a cartoon, imitates the characters' movements. The father also noted that his children have different characters: the eldest Thiago is calmer, and Mateo is a real "naughty boy", active and lively. Despite this description, Lionel speaks of his son with love and tenderness, hoping that Mateo will follow in his footsteps and become a successful footballer. Mateo is only nine years old, so it is too early to talk about a big football career. However, the press is already discussing which national team Lionel's middle son will play for: Argentina, his father's homeland, or the United States, where they are currently playing football.
"Leo's sons have Argentine blood," said US national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino. "I think it will be hard to convince them to play for the United States. I am also Argentine and I would like them to play for Argentina, even though they are in the United States now."
Ciro Messi: a new chapter in the family's life
In March 2018, Lionel became the father of his third son, Ciro. Because of this event, he missed the match with Malaga to be with his family. On this day, Messi posted a photo of the newborn on social media, in which his little hand is holding his father's finger, accompanying the photo with the words that everything went perfectly and the family is happy.
With the birth of his third son, Lionel noted that his traditional siesta no longer has a place in his schedule, but he is ready to do anything for his family.
Ciro has become another talisman for Lionel, bringing peace and harmony. After the birth of his son, Messi went to Argentina to prepare for the 2018 World Cup. It was in this tournament that he scored the winning goal in the match against Nigeria, which secured Argentina a place in the playoffs and brought the team closer to the dream of the title.
Leo himself admitted that his youngest son has one important habit that he learned from his father. Ciro is a fan of mate, a traditional Argentine drink, with which Lionel can be seen almost every day. In one of the photos that appeared online, you can see a child who has just woken up in Pokemon pajamas sipping from the famous Messi Sr. cup.
Ciro is still far from choosing his path in life. For example, Antonella posted a video online in which the youngest of the Messi family worked with a punching bag together with his older brother, Mateo. Who knows, perhaps in the personality of Ciro, the legendary dynasty will get a new turn in its life and introduce the world to a boxer.
