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In international football, the glare of the spotlights is usually focussed on the top-level leagues. These include the English Premier League, the La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and the UEFA Champions League. Very little exposure is given to the junior levels. But it is there that talent blossoms, and one can see a future legend beginning to take root.

There is at least one such example that is showing us glimpses of a great future. How far he will go depends on his hard work and his destiny. Given the environment in which he is growing up, there is every likelihood that he will be a star one day. The lad in question is none other than Thiago Messi, the eldest son of Lionel Messi.

Thiago, born in 2012 in Barcelona, is the eldest child of Lionel and his wife Antonela. From a young age, Thiago grew up immersed in the world of football. He began by playing with his family, tagging along with his famous father to training sessions, and occasionally also joining his father on the pitch.

Family anecdotes

According to family anecdotes, his earliest forays into football involve dribbling around the living room and practicing shots with mini-goals – an early sign of his budding talent and enthusiasm for the game. As part of his personal development, Thiago joined his first organized academy at age five in Barcelona, where coaches were struck by his technical ability and game awareness.

In 2023, the Messi family moved to South Florida in the USA following Lionel’s transfer to the Inter Miami football club. Shortly after, Thiago was integrated into Inter Miami’s under-12 academy side, officially marking the beginning of his structured youth football journey in the United States.

David Beckham is joint owner of the club

The Inter Miami club is jointly owned by football legend David Beckham and the millionaire brothers Jorge and Jose Mas. The head coach is Javier Mascherano, one of Argentina’s greatest defenders. The senior team also has famous players like Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez in addition to the captain, Lionel Messi. It is significant that Messi turned down a very lucrative offer from Al Hilal club of Saudi Arabia and chose to join Inter Miami. It showed his faith in this club.

Over the past year, Thiago Messi’s footballing profile has grown considerably through outstanding performances for Inter Miami’s Under-13 squad. He was given the iconic number 10 jersey like his father and turned heads with his finishing prowess. At scoring and passing, he seemed as adept as Lionel was at this age.

Thiago featured prominently in the matches. His grandmother, mother, and close friends like Benjamin Suarez (son of former Uruguay captain Luis Suarez) were always there to support him. But the important thing is that little Thiago remains grounded. His family wants a very normal life for Thiago and his two brothers, despite their public lives often coming under the media scanner.

Father’s grooming

The legendary Lionel Messi has emphasised that there is no pressure on Thiago to follow in his footsteps. Lionel wants Thiago’s passion and interest to grow naturally instead of being forced to flourish under pressure.

Lionel has carefully analysed Thiago’s mental and physical attributes. The father says that the boy has a systematic and methodical mindset. He works well with teammates and is not an individualistic person. These qualities will make him ideal for a midfield player. With that objective in mind, Lionel has been grooming his son. A striker can be individualistic, but a midfielder’s mind must work differently.

As Thiago continues to shine in youth tournaments like MICFootball 2025, the football world is watching with keen interest. Fans are curious whether he will one day follow his father into the spotlight. His journey is just beginning, and fans are excited to read about the early chapters of his young career.