Brazil’s Mini Messi backs namesake at World Cup, bemused by hearing his name on TV | OneFootball

Argentina’s march to the 2026 World Cup final has proved extra special for a Brazilian family, as two-year-old Lionel Messi Mota Castanho celebrated the Albiceleste’s epic comeback against England and will cheer his namesake in the final.

According to Globo.com, his parents have supported Argentina since the start of the tournament, with father Jeferson Lopes Castanho saying they want to see Messi end his national-team career with this World Cup.

The family live in Nova Santa Rita, in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre. The boy enjoys watching matches but does not yet link his name to the player and is taken aback when commentators say “Messi” on television.

His father says that whenever the commentator mentioned Messi, the child stopped, laughed and looked over, sometimes telling his mother the man was talking about him. He celebrates the goals and beams when the family cheer for Messi, believing they mean him.

Football-mad, the couple chose the name during the 2022 World Cup, months before Argentina’s title with Messi as the leading figure. They first considered using only Lionel, but the father persisted and persuaded the family to include Messi as a surname, despite his wife’s worries about bullying.

Now aged two, he is already taking his first steps with a ball. Unlike his namesake he is right-footed, and he supports Grêmio.

Source: Globo.com