When your father is hailed as one of the greatest footballers to ever grace a pitch, there is a high likelihood you will follow in his footsteps, right?
Well, that appears to be the path that Thiago Messi, the son of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel, is taking.
Thiago, aged 12, turned out for Inter Miami’s under-13 team in the Newell’s Cup in Rosario, Argentina, on Monday, wearing his father’s iconic number 10 shirt.
It is the 10th edition of the youth tournament, which sees eight clubs from North and South America compete across five days.
Father Lionel was born in Rosario, where Newell’s Old Boys are based, and spent five years in the academy of the Argentine outfit prior to joining Barcelona’s famous La Masia youth academy as a 13-year-old.
The 37-year-old, who spent most of his career at Barcelona before moving to Paris St-Germain and then on to Inter Miami, has achieved incredible things in the sport – winning 13 league titles and the Champions League on four occasions.
He also captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 and Copa America success in 2021 and 2024.
Although Messi Sr was not in attendance at the Jorge B Griffa Sports Complex, a banner showing him kissing the World Cup was watching over Thiago.
Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and grandparents Jorge and Celia Messi, watched from the stands as Inter Miami lost 1-0 to host club Newell’s Old Boys.
Benjamin Suarez, the son of Inter Miami striker Luis Suarez, also featured alongside Thiago.
Inter Miami are back in action on Tuesday against Uruguayan club Penarol 91.
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Celia Messi (left) and Antonela Roccuzzo (right) watched from the stands
Image source: Getty Images
Image caption: Benjamin Suarez is the son of Uruguay and former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez
Source: BBC