Messi family celebrates with Barcelona-themed birthday bash

Thiago Messi celebrating his birthday with Messi in a Barca-themed backgroundinstagram – antonelaroccuzzo

You cannot take Barcelona out of Lionel Messi or his family. That much was clear during his son Thiago’s 13th birthday celebration, which turned into a beautiful tribute to the club that shaped Messi’s story.

A celebration filled with Barca pride

Thiago’s birthday party was drenched in Barcelona’s famous blue and red. Photos shared by Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi’s wife, revealed a stunning Camp Nou-inspired setup featuring the iconic slogan “Més que un club” (More than a club). At the centre stood a large red inflatable decorated with the Barça crest, a perfect reminder of how deep the club runs in the Messi family’s heart.

Thiago channels his father’s legacy

Thiago looked every bit like his father’s biggest fan as he proudly wore Barcelona’s third kit from the 2024 25 season. His jersey had his name and the number 13 to mark his birthday. Even the cake matched the theme, designed as a small version of Camp Nou, a simple but touching nod to the club that means so much to the Messi family.

Messi’s love for Barcelona endures

The touching celebration came just days after Messi confirmed his contract extension with Inter Miami until 2028. The Argentine star has been in brilliant form, netting three goals in two playoff games in the MLS.

But even from across the Atlantic, it is clear that Messi’s heart remains in Catalonia. His family’s celebration wasn’t just about a birthday — it was a reminder that Barcelona will always be a part of who they are.

Thiago Messi, the eldest son of Lionel Messi, is currently playing youth soccer for the Inter Miami Academy U-13 team. He has made headlines for his impressive performances in various youth tournaments, including scoring an astonishing 11 goals in a single U-13 MLS Cup match against Atlanta United and a stunning goal in the MICFootball tournament.

Lionel Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner whose name evokes packed stadiums and record-shattering feats, traded the roar of the crowd for the giggles of children on November 3, 2025. In a sun-drenched Miami backyard transformed into a slice of Catalonia, the 38-year-old Inter Miami star and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo orchestrated a FC Barcelona-themed extravaganza for their eldest son, Thiago’s 13th birthday. Photos shared on Instagram by Roccuzzo captured a scene brimming with nostalgia: blue-and-red streamers fluttering like flags at Camp Nou, a towering inflatable emblazoned with the club’s crest, and a custom jersey draped over a chair—Thiago’s name stitched boldly across the back alongside the number 13. The centerpiece? A multi-tiered cake meticulously sculpted to mimic Barcelona’s iconic stadium, complete with edible goalposts and a tiny pitch where fondant players mid-dribble evoked Messi’s own glory days. “How beautiful it is to celebrate you, Thiagui. We love you so much,” Roccuzzo captioned the post, her words a tender underscore to the family’s unyielding bond with the club that launched Messi’s legend.

Thiago, now officially a teenager and a rising talent in Inter Miami’s U-13 academy, embodied the theme with effortless poise. Dressed in Barcelona’s 2024-25 third kit—its sleek black base accented by subtle Blaugrana stripes—he posed amid the festivities, his grin mirroring the one his father flashes after a perfectly weighted assist. The party, attended by a close-knit circle of family and friends, unfolded with low-key joy: kids in matching jerseys chasing balloons, a photo booth framed by the club’s “Més que un Club” motto, and tables laden with Catalan-inspired treats like crema catalana cupcakes and pa amb tomàquet sliders. Messi himself, ever the doting dad in casual polo and shorts, mingled with quiet delight, lifting younger siblings Mateo and Ciro for group hugs that drew widespread “awws” online. One candid shot showed him kneeling to Thiago’s level, adjusting the birthday boy’s jersey with a proud pat— a simple gesture that spoke volumes about a father prioritizing presence over press conferences.

The event’s timing added a layer of poignancy. Just days earlier, Messi inked a contract extension with Inter Miami through 2028, solidifying his commitment to Major League Soccer after a debut season that delivered a Leagues Cup triumph and 20 goals in limited action. Yet amid the pink-and-white Herons’ colors dominating his professional life, this Blaugrana explosion served as a vivid reminder of roots that run deeper than any relocation. Messi joined Barcelona’s La Masia academy at 13—precisely Thiago’s age now—arriving from Rosario as a scrawny prodigy with a growth hormone condition and a dream. Two decades later, that journey’s echoes filled his son’s celebration: the stadium cake nodding to 778 appearances and 672 goals in club colors, the personalized jersey evoking Messi’s own No. 10 that became synonymous with sorcery on the ball. Fans flooded social media with tributes, posts like “Once a Culer, always a Culer” racking up thousands of shares, while Barcelona’s official account reposted the images with a simple heart-eyes emoji.

For the Messi-Roccuzzo household, family has always been the anchor amid global stardom. Married since 2017 after a childhood sweetheart romance in Rosario, the couple welcomed Thiago in 2012, followed by Mateo in 2015 and Ciro in 2018 via surrogate. Miami’s sun-soaked suburbs offer a semblance of normalcy—Messi ferrying the boys to school, Roccuzzo organizing playdates—but glimpses like this party reveal the deliberate weaving of heritage into their American chapter. Thiago, named after Messi’s uncle and godfather, has long been pegged as the most football-obsessed of the trio, often spotted courtside at dad’s games or training with a ball at his feet. Yet Messi has been vocal about non-interference: “I don’t want to put pressure on them to be footballers. I just want them to be happy,” he shared in a 2024 MLS interview. This bash, then, wasn’t recruitment— it was reclamation, a way to honor the club’s role in sculpting not just a career, but a life. Roccuzzo, a Rosario native who met Messi at age five, amplified the sentiment in her post: “From the city that raised us to the one that now calls us home, happy birthday to our Thiagui.”

Social media amplified the moment’s magic. Within hours of Roccuzzo’s upload, #Thiago13 trended in Spain and Argentina, with over 2 million interactions. Blaugranagram’s post of the cake garnered 18,000 likes, fans commenting “Barça in their DNA” alongside nostalgic clips of young Messi’s La Masia drills. Reshad Rahman, a prominent Barça analyst, shared a snap of Thiago in the kit, captioning it “Future maestro?”—a nod to the boy’s Inter Miami exploits, where he’s already netting golazos in youth leagues. Even rivals chimed in; a Manchester City fan account quipped, “Haaland who? This is the real takeover.” The outpouring underscored Messi’s enduring pull: not as the GOAT tallying World Cup crowns (Qatar 2022) and Copa Américas (2024), but as everyman extraordinaire. Off-field, he’s auctioned memorabilia for UNICEF, launched the Leo Messi Foundation for child health, and navigated family life with the same precision he applies to free kicks—10-for-10 in MLS this season.

Barcelona’s shadow loomed lovingly throughout. The club’s motto adorned banners, while a “Camp Nou zone” photo setup featured cardboard cutouts of Messi’s iconic celebrations—the shoulder shrug after a hat trick, the cupped ear to silent sections. For Culés, it was cathartic; Messi’s 2021 departure amid financial woes and boardroom drama left scars, but moments like this mend them. “You can’t take Barça out of Messi,” one Gulf News op-ed reflected, highlighting how the party—drenched in senyera stripes—reaffirmed “Més que un club” as family creed. Thiago’s youth career adds intrigue; at Inter Miami’s academy, he’s a midfielder with his father’s vision, assisting in a recent U-13 tournament. Whispers of a future Blaugrana return persist, though Messi quashed them post-extension: “Miami’s our adventure now.” Still, as Thiago blew out candles on his stadium cake, the subtext hummed—legacies loop back, from La Masia pitches to Miami backyards.

As the sun dipped, the party wound down with a group sing-along to “Happy Birthday” in Spanish, Messi hoisting Thiago for a victory lap around the yard. No paparazzi, no pitches—just pure, unfiltered joy. In an era of 24/7 scrutiny, this snapshot humanizes the icon: a dad ensuring his son’s 13th isn’t overshadowed by dad’s shadow. Roccuzzo’s final story—a family silhouette against the setting sun—capped the day, liked 5 million times by morning. For Messi, fresh off three goals in Miami’s playoff push, it’s a reset button: glory on grass, grace at home. Thiago’s milestone isn’t just a number—it’s a bridge, linking Rosario roots, Barcelona blooms, and Miami’s horizon. In Messi’s world, the beautiful game plays on, one candle-lit wish at a time.