‘Champion’: Lionel Messi’s son Mateo captains Inter Miami Academy to Napoli Cup title

Mateo Messi with the trophy. (Grabs the screen) Lionel Messi’s son Mateo has taken the next step in his fledgling football career, captaining Inter Miami’s Academy to the Napoli Cup title and giving fans another glimpse into the youngster’s football journey.Mateo, Messi’s second son, was part of the Inter Miami Academy that won the Copa Napoli, an achievement that attracted attention across social media. After the triumph, the youngster celebrated with the trophy and proudly posed for photos with the Copa Napoli cup, which bore the word “champion”.The Inter Miami Academy has confirmed that its U-8 to U-12 teams will compete in the 2026 Copa Naples, held at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples, Florida on September 5-6.The title marks another memorable moment in Mateo’s early football journey as he continues to develop in Inter Miami’s youth set-up.

Mateo is following in Messi’s footsteps

Mateo is the second of three sons of Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo. He will be 11 on September 11, his older brother Thiago will be 13 and his younger brother Ciro will be eight.While his father had already established himself as one of the greatest players in football history, Mateo gradually attracted attention for his own football skills.Videos of Mateo playing football have previously gone viral and his skills, goals and competitive nature have drawn comparisons to his famous father. However, his latest success came not via a social media clip, but on the youth soccer circuit, where he helped lead Inter Miami’s academy to a tournament title.Social media users were quick to celebrate the achievement after pictures of Mateo with the trophy went viral online. A video shared by Spanish publication Marca shows the youngster smiling for the cameras while holding the Copa Napoli trophy.The Napoli Cup triumph comes at an interesting time for the Messi family, with Lionel Messi himself recently closing a big chapter in his career.

A new chapter for the Messi family

Messi recently announced his retirement from international football after a remarkable 21-year career in Argentina. The decision came after Argentina’s defeat by Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi’s team finished as runners-up. Messi said the decision was painful but necessary after giving everything to the national side.The 39-year-old has previously fulfilled his biggest international ambitions by leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar.His international career may be over, but Messi remains active at club level at Inter Miami. He recently assisted Casemiro’s goal in a 2-2 draw against Atlanta United in his first club appearance after announcing his international retirement.That makes Mateo’s Napoli Cup success another interesting development in a football family whose connection to the sport continues across generations.For now, Mateo remains at the beginning of his journey. But by leading the Inter Miami Academy to the tournament title and lifting the Napoli Cup trophy, the youngster has added another remarkable achievement to a footballing story that is just beginning.