Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo adhere to strict guidelines when it comes to raising their three sons, Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro Messi. Similar to Cristiano Ronaldo’s approach with his children, particularly his eldest son Cristiano Jr, Messi and Roccuzzo have established fundamental rules for their children.
Inter Miami star Lionel Messi disclosed that he and his wife have made a decision not to allow their three kids to use phones. Despite being one of the wealthiest athletes globally, the 36-year-old Argentine World Cup champion does not indulge all of his sons’ desires. Messi maintains stringent regulations regarding their cell phone usage. His deep affection for his family, including his wife and children, is apparent, and Messi often showcases it publicly. He frequently brings his family to nearly every match, and even after missing Inter Miami’s 2-5 loss to Atlanta United in MLS, he was seen cheering on his eldest son Thiago playing for Inter Miami’s U-12 team.
During an interview with OLGA, the 2022 World Cup champion divulged some peculiarities about himself, including his intricate parenting rules. Lionel Messi mentioned that his sons Thiago (9 years old), Mateo (7 years old), and Ciro (4 years old) do not possess their own mobile phones. Messi also discussed his social media usage, stating, “I am not someone who uses emojis on WhatsApp. None of my children have cell phones yet. I don’t send many audio messages, I prefer to use text messages.”
While Messi’s parenting approach may appear strict regarding technological devices, he is not alone among football superstars in adopting such practices. Cristiano Ronaldo, for instance, did not allow his eldest son Cristiano Jr. to use a phone either, encouraging him to utilize his time wisely. Ronaldo emphasized the importance of not becoming overly reliant on technology and advocated for moderation in phone usage. Despite Messi’s children not having their own phones yet, his past actions indicate that he does not disdain technology entirely. In fact, he gifted his Argentina teammates with 35 iPhones made of 24-carat gold, totaling £175,000, after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
