Despite being the son of Lionel Messi, 8-year-old Mateo Messi seems interested in another kind of ‘football‘ after spending nearly one year in the United States. The Americanization of Mateo can be seen at the latest Inter Miami match, when he and his friends imitated Patrick Mahomes instead of playing soccer.
Is this a result of when Leo met the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback at a game in Arrowhead Stadium recently? It’s hard to say, but clearly the Messi family is starting to embrace America’s favorite sport.
Mateo starts as the quarterback, sending the other children, including Luis Suarez‘s son, out to catch passes. Then, he takes a turn at wide receiver, making a diving catch on the grass at Chase Stadium.
What sport will Mateo Messi play?
Mateo is still involved in soccer, playing with the Inter Miami CF academy, but the post match pigskin toss left Messi Stans wondering about an alternate future where he does not follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“What if Mateo ends up playing another sport,” asked a popular fan account on X, formerly Twitter.
The answers ranged from those who think Messi’s greatness would apply in any sport to those who don’t think someone of Messi’s size could compete in a sport besides soccer.
However, the middle Messi child need not look far for NFL inspiration. Undersized Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is evidence that small players can succeed on the gridiron, while new Dolphin Odell Beckham Jr. switched to football late after a stellar youth soccer career.