Despite scoring some of the most beautiful goals in soccer, Lionel Messi does not boast many acrobatic finishes. Comparatively, the 8x-Ballon D’or winner’s style is not as athletic as Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s. However, not everyone in the Messi household lacks acrobatic athleticism. Famous to have followed in Messi’s footsteps, his 8-year-old son Mateo is now surprising soccer circles with a stunning bicycle kick goal for Inter Miami’s U-8 team.
After Leo Messi’s move to Inter Miami, Mateo also signed for Inter Miami’s youth team. Now, while the father is awaiting the next season to resume action with Miami, the son is winning big for the Herons.
Lionel Messi’s son Mateo blasts rivals with a bicycle kick goal
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During the Inter Miami U-8 team’s recent outing, Mateo Messi punished an opponent defender’s minute mistake with a killer of a goal. Inter Miami U-12 team played a long ball deep into the opponent’s box. One of Miami’s rival stars tried to clear off the ball with a header. However, the ball went backward. Before the ball could hit the ground, Lionel Messi’s son took flight and unleashed an overhead kick in full power. The ball hit the back of the net from outside the box, like a rainbow. Bewildered by the number 7’s heroics, a bunch of teammates rushed to appreciate him.
Mateo Messi, categoría 2015, hizo este golazo de chilena https://t.co/Cq5OOFoNBY pic.twitter.com/Rs5Pk6GIaV
— BOCA ES NUESTRO (@maradonaesjefe) December 23, 2023
This acrobatic goal is indeed the icing on the cake for Messi’s son, considering his already glorious stint with the Inter Miami youth team. He has been a force to reckon with on both offensive and defensive ends on the field. If it is his ‘chilena’ that is doing rounds on the web now, earlier his sliding tackles surprised the soccer fans. However, none of this is too surprising. Firstly, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Furthermore, Mateo has taken his talents to other youth academies before enrolling for the David Beckham-owned side.
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Mateo Messi’s prior youth team experience and the CR7 impact
Just like Leo Messi, Mateo, too, was a part of Barcelona’s famous La Masia youth academy. His Barca stint was quite surprising, considering his cheering for arch-rivals Real Madrid was quite viral on social media. When Leo Messi left Barcelona for Paris Saint Germain, Mateo followed. The young boy had played for PSG’s academy team as well.
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Now mirroring Leo Messi’s legacy in the Inter Miami youth team, Mateo has also incidentally emulated Cristiano Ronaldo. Like CR7, he dons the number 7 shirt. Besides, Ronaldo’s bicycle kick for Real Madrid is immortalized in soccer lore. Perhaps he has grown up watching that famous goal against Juventus. Thanks to Leo Messi’s genes, and CR7’s influence, Mateo will surely grow to be one of the game’s finest.
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