Thiago Messi, the eldest son of Argentina’s football legend, made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the city of Rosario. The 12-year-old Messi wore the No. 10 jersey for an Inter Miami youth team, which suffered a 1-0 defeat to Newell’s Old Boys in the under-13 competition on Monday. The team also played again on Tuesday.
Interestingly, Lionel Messi himself began his professional career in Rosario, located 300 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires. As Thiago took to the field, his mother Antonela Roccuzzo, and his grandparents, Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were present in the stands to cheer him on. However, Lionel Messi was not in attendance at the match.
Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played alongside his friend Benjamín Suárez, the son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, Messi’s teammate and close friend at Inter Miami. Messi’s wife, Antonella, was also seen signing autographs for fans who gathered at the stadium to meet her.
Thiago Messi has already shared his football aspirations and mentioned a Barcelona player he looks up “One day I would like to play with Lamine Yamal,” he told José Ramón de la Morena in an interview in June.
Thiago Messi facing Newell's Old Boys in Rosario in front of a giant banner of his dad 🥺 pic.twitter.com/mthYnFUVbx
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 25, 2024
Messi and Suárez are currently in Rosario following Inter Miami CF’s early exit from the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they attended a friendly match between Inter Miami’s U13 team and Unión at the same sports complex. On Sunday, they attended a friendly match between Inter Miami’s U13 team and Unión, held at the same sports complex.
Messi and his family are expected to remain in Miami for the foreseeable future, as his current contract runs through the 2025 season. The club is hopeful of securing an extension, but Messi has also expressed his intention to return to Barcelona eventually, revealing that his wife and children miss their former home.
Meanwhile, Messi and the Argentina football team are set to visit India after a 14-year hiatus, with the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions slated to play international friendlies in Kerala in 2025 as confirmed by the state’s sports minister V. Abdurahiman.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
