Thiago Messi, the 12-year-old son of football legend Lionel Messi, is following in his father’s footsteps as he made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in Rosario, Argentina.
Thiago played for the Inter Miami youth team, donning the No. 10 jersey, in the traditional under-13 competition.
His team suffered a 1-0 loss to Newell’s Old Boys on Monday.
This marks a symbolic moment as Lionel Messi also began his career at Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario, located 300 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires.
While Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several family members, including his grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were present to support Thiago, Messi was not in attendance.

Lionel Messi.
Thiago, who was substituted in the second half, played alongside his close friend Benjamín Suárez, the son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez. Messi and Suárez, who are teammates at Inter Miami, are currently in Rosario after their team’s early exit from the MLS playoffs.
The youth tournament features eight teams from North and South America, bringing together some of the region’s top young talent.