Lionel Messi moved to the United States of America in the summer for Inter Miami, opening the doors for new American fans who are being mesmerized by the performances of the little Argentine for the Miami-based club.
Just like other superstar athletes, the American fan base is curious about every minute detail about their new favorite superstar, including questions about his ethnicity. Lionel Andrés Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. Argentina falls in South America, which makes it a Latin country.
Look at Inter Miami. Wow! Messi has changed this club! 😳 pic.twitter.com/I5Me8ilJ5z
— BeksFCB (@Joshua_Ubeku) September 25, 2023
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines ‘Hispanic or Latino’ as a person with origins from either Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, or South or Central America, regardless of race. By this definition, Lionel Messi falls under the category of Hispanic.
Lionel Messi was raised in a soccer-loving family, which helped him develop a passion for the sport at an early age. This passion and natural talent helped Messi move to the world-famous academy of FC Barcelona, La Masia, at the young age of 13.
Exactly 23 years ago Messi joined La Masia 🐐🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/U6YHi9jsb1
— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) September 17, 2023
From 2000 to 2021, Messi remained in Barcelona to play for the club. He then moved to Paris to play for PSG for two seasons. Later this summer, Messi moved to Miami with a move to Inter Miami. Lionel Messi has a background in Argentina; meanwhile, he spent his teenage years and youth in Spain, contributing to his Hispanic identity.
Parents of Lionel Messi and their Italian connection
Lionel Messi is the third child of Jorge Messi and his wife, Celia Cuccittini. Jorge Messi was a manager in a steel factory; meanwhile, Messi’s mother worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop.
As per Messi’s biography by Guillem Balagué, which was published in 2013, Jorge Messi is of Italian and Spanish descent. He comes from a line of immigrants from the north-central Adriatic Marche region of Italy. Celia Cuccittini is of primarily Italian descent. As per some reports, Messi’s ancestors moved to Argentina in 1883.
🕰 | FACTS | Messi’s multi-cultural heritage
Messi’s family stayed in the Italian city of Ancona long time back. Later, his ancestor Angelo Messi immigrated to Argentina in 1883 and made Argentina their permanent address. pic.twitter.com/tHzlvScT5k
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) August 30, 2018
It is interesting that Lionel Messi was born and raised in Argentina and played for the best part of two decades in Spain, which has a strong Italian connection. Messi holds dual nationality as a naturalized Spaniard. It would be interesting to see if Messi ever tries to get a nationality of Italy due to his history.
The hardcore fans of Lionel Messi know about this Italian connection. They have debated the possible scenarios of Messi’s move to Serie A or the Italian national side due to his Italian connection. In hindsight, Messi would have surely helped the national side of Italy during their transition phase post-2006 World Cup.