The apple does not fall far from the tree in the Messi family. Lionel Messi’s youngest son, eight-year-old Ciro Messi, has taken the internet by storm after leading Inter Miami’s Under-8 academy team to a major championship title called the Dreams Cup.
In the grand finale, Inter Miami faced off against Weston FC, a rival youth academy based in Florida. The match was not even close. As per the information going viral on social media, Inter Miami cruised to a 10-2 victory to lift the trophy.
Ciro Messi Scores Brace In Inter Miami U-8s Win Dreams Cup Final
As the star of the show, the 8-year-old Ciro scored two goals (a brace) in the win, as per several social media handles. One of those goals was his famous right-footed free-kick that curled perfectly over the defensive wall and past the goalkeeper. Thanks to his goal-scoring heroics in the final and his consistent play throughout the tournament, he was officially awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy.
In the post-match interview, the reporter asked him a question: “how did your team play so well today?”
Ciro gave a sweet and simple answer, “Porque pasamos y le hicimos caso al entrenador.”
(Because we passed the ball and we listened to the coach.)
🚨 Ciro Messi after winning the U8 title and being named the tournament MVP.
🗣️ WE PLAYED WELL BECAUSE WE LISTENED TO THE COACH”. pic.twitter.com/gFeAPKV0n8
— MessiXtra (@MessiXtraHQ) August 14, 2026
Messi’s Sons Follow In Their Father’s Footsteps.
Ciro is not the only one in the family making waves on the pitch. Lionel Messi and his wife, childhood sweetheart Antonela Roccuzzo, are proud parents to three boys—Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro—and all of them are officially part of the Inter Miami youth academy.
When the Messi family moved to Florida in the summer of 2023, the boys laced up their boots to follow in their father’s legendary footsteps. Thiago, the oldest, joined the academy’s U-12 squad. Mateo, the middle child, is also starring for his respective age group.
Despite their father being the most famous athlete on the planet, Antonela and Lionel have always tried to give their sons a normal, grounded childhood. One of the videos going viral on the internet shows Messi with his son Matheo as a father trying to teach his children that they cannot simply have everything they ask for.
Messi can be heard having an exchange with Matheo after already buying him a hot dog.
“I already bought you a hot-dog, make do with that, I don’t have any more money…”
« JE N’AI PLUS D’ARGENT MATHÉO »💵🤷🏻♂️
L’échange linéaire entre Leo Messi et son fils Mathéo : « Je t’ai déjà acheté un hot-dog, contente-toi de ça, je n’ai plus d’argent… ».
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/49ADMS1c4c
— FAN INTER-MESSI (@FANFOOTMESSI) August 15, 2026
