Antonela Roccuzzo celebrates Mateo Messi's birthday by posting never-before-seen photos

Mateo Messi recently turned nine on Wednesday, and his mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, shared the special occasion with her 40 million Instagram followers through a series of touching photos.

The post quickly captivated fans eager to catch a glimpse of the Messi family's life.

Antonela posted three images: two recent ones and a nostalgic throwback of young Mateo clinging to the netting of their goal in Barcelona.

The old photo, featuring Mateo's playful grin, particularly melted hearts.

"Happy birthday Matu, we love you so much!!!! Thank you for making us so happy every day! 9 years," the caption read.

The post quickly amassed over half a million likes and was met with a flood of congratulatory messages.

"Happy birthday to the future champion!!! May God bless and protect him always!!!" read one comment.

"Anto, Mateo is looking more like your dad every day. Can it be? A kiss, happy birthday!!!" were the words of another fan.

Mateo Messi is a social media favorite

Mateo, born in Barcelona like his two brothers, moved to France when his father, Lionel Messi, joined Paris Saint-Germain. The family relocated to Miami in 2023 following Messi's signing with Inter Miami.

In addition to his birthday celebrations, Mateo is a social media favorite, known for participating in viral football-related challenges.

In March, he posted a video where he named football players based on letters shown on the screen, confidently choosing an Argentine national team player for the letter 'F'.

Mateo's endearing personality and humor are also evident in media appearances.

In the Apple TV+ documentary Messi Comes to America, a clip showed the family arriving at the Florida Blue Training Center for the children's training session. When Antonela asked Mateo if he was excited about the training, he replied with characteristic honesty.

"Yes, if it's compulsory," he joked.