The 12-year-old son of football star Lionel Messi, Thiago Messi, is already impressing on the field, and there is no shortage of reasons why that is the case.
Fans on both sides will remember being nostalgic yet blown away by Thiago in a single moment as he scores a stunning goal on behalf of the Inter Miami U13 team at a MICFootball tournament, immediately inviting comparisons to his illustrious father.
Clad in the famous number 10 jersey, just like his father, Thiago danced past a number of defenders like they were not there and concluded his movement with a outside-foot finish that was all style and precision.
The goal was scored in a game against the Barca Academy Dominican Republic, and soon after, it went viral on social media, where fans could not help but be amazed that he so closely resembles Messi Sr. in the way he moves, the way he sees the game, the way he plays with flair.
Quite amazingly, it was the same tournament during which his father made his own waves 22 years ago when he played in the youth team of Barcelona. It is a full-circle moment for the Messi family and a strong indication that legacy and passion can run deep within the families.
The MICFootball, which has been hosted this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, is one of the most privileged youth football tournaments in the globe.
🧬 It’s in his DNA and it shows. Thiago Messi left defenders behind and finished like a pro 😮💨 at the MICFootball tournament, the same one his dad, Lionel Messi, played back in 2003 👀#beINSPORTS #ThiagoMessi #LionelMessi #InterMiami pic.twitter.com/3Lw5jeQ6pz
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) June 27, 2025
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It has a tradition of showcasing the players of tomorrow and now Thiago as well is joined to this list, there is much to look forward to in the future.
Inter Miami U13 team are loaded with prospects of the next generation, with Benjamn Suarez (son of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez) and Bautista Ustari (son of former Argentina goalkeeper Oscar Ustari).
The two are causing ripples in the tournament and are already in the Round of 16, which they will play against EF Jorge Rolando Bauger.
To the list of football royalty in the MICFootball can be added the son of Spain and Real Madrid star Iker Casillas, Martn Casillas. It is no longer a tournament, it is an event that is increasing into a convention of the royal families of the football world.
Thiago Messi is making his own way in the field of football, albeit silently. Using his natural ability, his footballing intelligence and his relaxed personality, he is demonstrating that he is not just on the back of a surname, he is earning it.
