Lionel Messi reveals the five footballers that his kids love watching the most including surprise name

Argentina and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has named the five players his children like to follow.

On the pitch, Messi is one of the biggest names in football history, having represented huge clubs such as Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain.

Since moving to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, the popularity of football in the United States of America has grown massively.

Off the pitch, Messi is a family man and has three sons named Thiago, Mateo and Ciro with long-term partner Antonela Roccuzzo.

Speaking recently in an interview with Simplemente Futbol, Messi revealed the five players his kids like to watch the most.

The Argentine picked out Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid forwards Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, as well as Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland.

As reported by Sportskeeda, Messi said: "The players my kids are following? Mbappé, Vinicius, Yamal, Lewandowski, Haaland..."

Speaking about Yamal, Messi himself was also full of praise for the 17-year-old Barcelona star.

He said: "It’s impressive what Lamine Yamal shows… he’s already been a Euro champion with Spain.

"He’s still only 17, he’s in a growth process, and he’ll continue to grow as a player and add things to his game, just like I did. He has incredible qualities and he’s already one of the best players in the world."

Lamine Yamal has impressed at Barcelona. Image: Getty

At the age of 37, many fans are fearing that Messi might not be present when Argentina look to defend their World Cup trophy in 2026, where the tournament will be held in the US, Mexico and Canada.

Speaking about potentially playing a part next year, Messi said: "The truth is, if you stop and think about it, it feels far away, but at the same time, time flies. … I’ll see how I feel. Of course I think about it, but I don’t want to set goals either."