Thiago Messi, the eldest son of Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, made his debut in the Newell’s Cup tournament held in Rosario, Argentina.
The 12-year-old donned the iconic No. 10 jersey for an Inter Miami youth team, which faced off against local club Newell’s Old Boys on Monday. The match ended in a narrow 1-0 defeat for Inter Miami in this prestigious under-13 competition. The team was scheduled to play again on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi began his own football journey at Newell’s Old Boys, located 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires.
In the stands to support Thiago were his mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several family members, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini. Notably absent was Lionel Messi, who did not attend the match.
During the game, Thiago was substituted in the second half and played alongside his friend Benjamín Suárez, the son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez. Suárez, a close friend and former teammate of Messi at Barcelona, now plays alongside him at Inter Miami. The pair are in Rosario following Inter Miami’s early exit from the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they attended a friendly match featuring Inter Miami’s U13 team against Unión at the same sports complex.
The Newell’s Cup youth tournament features eight teams from across North and South America.
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