Brazilian talent named after Lionel Messi joins Sao Paulo
A nine-year-old boy named Lionel Messi has joined Brazilian side Sao Paulo FC. He has signed a deal with the Serie A side but has no connection with his namesake, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
However, interestingly, the nine-year-old's father is also named Jorge Messi, the same as the former Barcelona star's parent. The boy had attracted a lot of interest due to his name alone and was scouted by several clubs from Brazil.
Per a report in Brazilian publication BolaVIP, the youngster has been playing since he was five and dreams of joining Barcelona in the future. Sao Paulo were the first to offer him a contract, and he signed it without any hesitation.
Messi da Silva is excited to start his career and told BolaVIP:
"I've always dreamed of playing professional football, and now my dream is coming true. I'm grateful to Sao Paulo FC for giving me this opportunity, and I'm going to work hard to make the most of it."
The boy's father, Jorge, also commented on his son signing his first contract and added:
"We're very proud of our son. He's worked very hard to get to this point, and we know he's going to do great things."
Messi's dream of moving to Barcelona will take time as he cannot officially join any side in Europe before he turns 18.
PSG star Lionel Messi back in training amid Barcelona talks
Lionel Messi is back in PSG training this week despite the club handing him a two-week suspension for his unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia. The Argentine issued an apology soon after he was back in Paris and claimed that it was a pre-planned trip and he believed it was on the day off for the players.
In his Instagram video, Messi said via ESPN:
"First of all, I want to apologise to my teammates and the club. Honestly, I thought we [the squad] were going to have a day off after the game like we did in previous weeks. I had this trip [to Saudi Arabia] organised which I had cancelled [once] already; I could not cancel it again. I repeat: I want to say sorry for what I did. I'm waiting to hear what the club want to do with me."
Barcelona are still chasing Lionel Messi and hope to see him return to Camp Nou this summer. He is yet to sign a new deal with PSG and could leave as a free agent when the season ends.