Lionel Messi’s son makes Liverpool joke during back-yard games

Lionel Messi has revealed that his son uses his on-the-field defeats to poke fun when they play football together.

Messi, 36, is currently shining in the Major Soccer League in America, netting 11 goals and providing five assists in just 11 games so far.

‘Messi-mania’ is sweeping the country and his side Inter Miami, owned by David Beckham, haven’t lost when he’s featured so far - which is some turnaround from finishing 20th last season.

He also continued to shine for Argentina, as the World Cup winners edged out Ecuador 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier, with Messi netting the only goal.

But it seems he faces plenty of adversity of the pitch from his kids.

When speaking to TyC Sports, he revealed in an interview that his son Mateo does joke around with him: “When Mateo plays with me in the backyard, he goes “I’m Liverpool [and Valencia] because they beat you!”

That is reference to when Jurgen Klopp’s side completed an extraordinary comeback against Messi’s Barcelona during the 2018/19 Champions League campaign.

A first-leg defeat at the Nou Camp left an insoumountable task for the return leg, but Klopp’s side used the eletric atmosphere at Anfield to defeat the Spanish side 4-0 on the night - and they also did it without Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

The loss to Valencia that he is referring to came in the Copa del Rey, when Messi scored in a 2-1 defeat to their La Liga rivals during that very same season.

Fortunately, Messi went on to win a seventh Spanish cup just two seasons later and he already had four Champions League titles to his name when Liverpool defeated his side.

As it stands, the Argentinian is locked in a battle to win the Ballon d’Or with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland; winning the World Cup and the Golden Ball (for a second time) has the little magician odds-on to take home a record eighth individual trophy.