Meet Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo's Three Budding Soccer Stars

Get to know soccer legend Lionel Messi’s three sons—Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro—and how they are following in their father's footsteps at Inter Miami and beyond.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 10, 2026, 11:04 AM EDT

Source: People

Thiago Messi Roccuzzo, 13: The Next Protégé

The eldest of the trio, Thiago, was born on November 2, 2012. His arrival prompted Messi to get the infant's name and handprints tattooed on his calf—a permanent reminder of the child who Messi says "changed his life more than the Ballon d'Or."

Thiago is currently the most active of the siblings in the professional academy circuit. After spending time at Barcelona’s famed La Masia and the Paris Saint-Germain academy, he now plays for Inter Miami’s under-12 squad. A video of him scoring a goal during his debut match in Barcelona went viral years ago, leading fans to speculate that the "Messi gene" is alive and well. Despite the pressure, Messi describes Thiago as the "calm" one of the group, enjoying a relatively normal life of school runs and drinking maté at home.

Mateo Messi Roccuzzo, 10: The Competitive Spirit

Born on September 11, 2015, Mateo has quickly gained a reputation for being the most "special" and unpredictable of the three boys. According to his father, Mateo inherited the legendary Messi competitiveness—sometimes to a fault. Messi has joked that Mateo "doesn't like to lose anything" and often roots against his father’s team just to be a contrarian.

Mateo’s passion for the game is visible in his emotional reactions; he was famously moved to tears after Argentina's shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in 2022. While his mother, Antonela, often has to remind Lionel to "let the kids win" during backyard matches, Mateo’s drive suggests he may be the one most likely to challenge his father's dominance in the future.