sportbible homepage
sportbible homepage
  • Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Manchester United
    • Liverpool
    • Arsenal
    • Real Madrid
    • Barcelona
  • Formula 1
    • Red Bull
    • Ferrari
    • McLaren
    • Mercedes
    • Max Verstappen
    • Lewis Hamilton
    • Lando Norris
    • George Russell
    • Charles Leclerc
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • More Sport
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • Darts
    • Athletics
    • Rugby
    • Wrestling
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Snapchat
TikTok
Threads
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • LADbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
11-year-old kid completed life by playing football on holiday with Lionel Messi

Home> Football> Football News

Published 12:28 27 Jul 2023 GMT+1

11-year-old kid completed life by playing football on holiday with Lionel Messi

Mackenzie O'Neill, from London, played football with Lionel Messi in a surreal experience.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

An 11-year-old youngster had the experience of a lifetime when he played football with the one and only Lionel Messi on holiday.

Mackenzie O'Neill, from London, was playing football on the beach by himself in the stunning Caribbean island Jumby Bay in Antigua.

He holidays at that very same beach every year but one occasion saw him complete life with the ultimate flex.

Messi, Barcelona and Argentina's record goalscorer, was staying with his friends and family. It was just after the 2019 Copa America, where La Albiceleste were beaten 2-0 by Brazil in the semi-final.

Advert

Messi's father and agent, Jorge, spotted Mackenzie playing with a ball on the sand on his own and promptly invited him to join in with the footballing superstar and his eldest son Thiago.

"Messi was with his family on the beach. I was on my own and began to kick my ball a few feet from where they were," Mackenzie told Argentine newspaper Ole.

"His dad Jorge threw a ball to me and asked if I wanted to play with them and then we played football with Thiago and Messi for 45 minutes.

"Thiago is a fantastic player for his age and wasn't shy about playing. Playing with Messi was incredible."

Image: Instagram
Image: Instagram

Mackenzie didn't get too have too much conversation with Messi because of the language barrier but he did get translation through his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and ended up spending a fair bit of time with the Messi clan.

We've all made best friends on holiday - spending every minute with them before never hearing from them again even if you got their MSN or BBM pin.

Mackenzie happened to become mates with the son of the greatest ever player and ended up going swimming with his new crew.

"He lifted me up on his shoulders and Thiago followed me wherever I went. Playing with Leo in the water was great fun. "He acted like a normal dad. I also realised that Messi really enjoyed seeing his son play with other children.

"The last night Messi and his family were here I was playing with Thiago and gave him my football to keep.

"But he ran after me along the beach and insisted I keep it. Afterwards Messi and his wife said goodbye to me with huge smiles. I am not going to forget them."

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

Just imagine being able to tell all your mates at school? And then of course it's definitely one for the grandkids later in life. An insane story.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram

Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, MLS, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain

Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and WWE. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has covered two WrestleMania events for SPORTbible.

X

@joshlawless_

Recommended reads

Dennis Taylor interview: Why snooker legend is playing in brand-new event... and how he saved someone's lifeGettyRanking the top 10 best golfers of all time as Nicklaus v Woods GOAT debate settledGetty ImagesDavid Munyua and Peter Wachiuri interview: 'We wish for major PDC players to come and visit Kenya'Getty / Instagram/@wachiuridartsMark Selby lifts lid on backstage talks over Crucible as landmark agreement reachedGetty

Advert

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
6 hours ago
8 hours ago
  • TNT Sports
    2 hours ago

    Dean Henderson interrupts his own post-match interview to make unheard of request to Crystal Palace fans

    Have you seen anything like this before?

    Football
  • Getty Images
    6 hours ago

    Stadiums expected to ban pre-match tradition of tailgating at every World Cup match

    Multiple venues are expected to ban the tradition at this summer's tournament.

    Football
  • X/@tancredipalmeri
    6 hours ago

    Paolo Di Canio sparks concern from TV viewers after repeatedly banging head on table during debate

    Former England manager Fabio Capello was forced to intervene during the live segment.

    Football
  • Victor Boyko/Getty Images for YouTube
    8 hours ago

    Victoria Beckham speaks about her and David's feud with son Brooklyn for the first time

    Victoria has finally adressed the major fallout with her eldest son.

    Football
  • MLS records Lionel Messi will be looking to break in the 2023 season
  • Lionel Messi gesture to teammate after Inter Miami win sums him up
  • Footage shows Atlanta United player trying to get Lionel Messi's shirt, he already gave it away