Argentina captain Lionel Messi’s eldest son, Thiago Messi, made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the city of Rosario.
At just 12 years old, Thiago wore the No. 10 jersey for an Inter Miami youth team, which was narrowly defeated 1-0 by Newell’s Old Boys on Monday in the prestigious under-13 competition. The team also played Tuesday.
This tournament holds special significance, as it was at Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario, located 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Buenos Aires, where Lionel Messi began his football journey.
Thiago’s mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several family members, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands to watch him play. Lionel Messi did not attend.
Thiago, substituted in the second half, played alongside his friend Benjamín Suárez, son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, Messi’s former teammate and close friend at Barcelona and now at Inter Miami.
Messi and Suárez are in Rosario after Inter Miami’s early exit from the MLS playoffs. On Sunday, they watched a friendly match between Inter Miami’s U-13 team and Unión at the same sports complex.
The youth tournament in Argentina features eight teams from North and South America.