“When Jorge came to write it down, I almost killed him” - When Lionel Messi's mother recalled mistake that caused Messi to be called Lionel
While Lionel Messi is one of the most popular persons in the world, the Argentine's name was because of a spelling mistake from his father Jorge. Messi's mother Celia has revealed the secret behind his son's name.
Messi is one of the greatest players to grace the beautiful game. He's also a very popular figure among fans. However, Celia wanted his son to be named Leonel instead of Lionel.
Jorge Messi, though, registered it as Lionel, as he thought Messi's mother had referred to famous singer Lionel Richie. Recalling the incident, Celia said (via AS Tikitakas):
"When Jorge came to write it down, I almost killed him."
Despite the blooper, Lionel Messi delivered results during his professional career. He had a massively successful stint with Barcelona. The superstar forward also won the Copa America and the FIFA World Cup with Argentina. The player celebrates his 36th birthday on June 24.
Kylian Mbappe wishes Lionel Messi on his birthday
Lionel Messi's former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe wished the Argentine on his birthday. Messi and Mbappe shared the pitch 67 times for the Parisians, scoring 34 goals.
However, they're no longer teammates, as Messi has played his final game for the Parisians. Mbappe, though, wished Messi on his birthday with a heartfelt post:
"Happy birthday legend. @Leo Messi. I wish you the best possible day with your family and friends. Thank you for these 2 years together in Paris, I learned a lot from you as a player, partner, opponent and man. For that alone I am grateful. Good luck on your new adventure."
Messi will embark on a new journey in his career next. He's set to join MLS club Inter Miami as a free agent. The move will mark an end to Messi's time in European football, having scored a recoed 496 goals in the continent's top five leagues.