Sports

How Many Kids Does Lionel Messi Have? Inside the Lives of Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro Messi

Lionel Messi will be making history this summer as he will play his 6th World Cup for Argentina. Messi will be the first player to play in six World Cups.

Messi and Argentina are the reigning world champions after winning the 2022 World Cup nearly four years ago.

The 2026 World Cup is most likely Messi's final World Cup with Argentina, since the player himself was not sure if he felt ready for this summer's tournament.

Argentina may be without Lionel Messi in the future, but fans can dream that the Messi legacy will live on. Messi has three sons who love soccer and are currently playing the sport in hopes of becoming professional soccer players like their father. Messi's sons are Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro.

 Starting players of Argentina and Lionel Messi's sons pose for photos before the 2026 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL Qualifier football match between Argentina and Venezuela in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sept. 4, 2025. (Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua via Getty Images) Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua via Getty Images
Starting players of Argentina and Lionel Messi's sons pose for photos before the 2026 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL Qualifier football match between Argentina and Venezuela in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sept. 4, 2025. (Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua via Getty Images) Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua via Getty Images Photo by Martin Zabala/Xinhua via Getty Images

All About Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro Messi

Thiago Messi is the eldest son of Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo. Thiago was born on November 2, 2012, in Barcelona, Spain, and has played in the youth systems at FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

Thiago Messi currently plays in the Inter Miami Academy as a midfielder and is known for his defensive work rate rather than the attacking goalscoring style of his father.

Mateo is the second son of Messi and Roccuzzo, who also plays for the Inter Miami Academy. He was born on September 11, 2015, and is an attacker. Mateo is right-footed and is considered the closest to match the playstyle of his father.

Mateo is also known to be the 'funny' brother of the three and has been caught doing funny antics like playfully celebrating rival teams' goals against his father.

Ciro Messi is the youngest son and also plays in the Inter Miami academy. Ciro Messi is heavily regarded as a talented player in the academy and was reportedly named the MVP of an Under-8 team tournament.

Ciro Messi went viral for curling a long-range free-kick into the top corner, which makes fans instantly believe he has the talent to become a professional player in the future.

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 5:11 PM.

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