Lionel Messi's 18 Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them

The Argentine star is widely regarded as the greatest-ever footballer of all time

Lionel Messi, a football legend and world champion, has been getting ink tattoos on various places of his body for a long. Dani Alves, a former teammate who is well-known for his full-body tattoos, became a role model to Messi. Messi reportedly feared the discomfort at first, so he had his wife Antonella get a tattoo first. After that, when he got his first tattoo, there was no turning back.

The player's back, arms, and legs now sport a rather astounding collection of tattoos. Every tattoo he has a special meaning for him. Check out Lionel Messi's tattoos and their significance below.

1. Mother’s Portrait

He had an image of his mother tattooed on his back to show his love and respect for her. Leo Messi Foundation, his charitable trust established in 2007 to aid youngsters in need, is run by his mother Celia and brother Matias.

2. Handprints

Messi got his newborn son Thiago's handprints tattooed on his leg on November 2, 2012, the day he became a dad for the first time.

3. Thiago

To give his newborn son Thiago his fatherly devotion and affection, Messi once again went under the needle. Originally, there were suspicions that the hands symbolised "Maradona's Hand of God"; however, he dispelled those allegations by having his son Thiago's name tattooed within the handprints, proving that they are, in fact, his son's handprints.

4. Football tattoo

Messi began playing football with his cousins and brothers at a young age, which sparked his passion for the sport. He has only accomplished all of this via his commitment to his objectives. He got the football tattooed on his calf as a way to show his appreciation and sentiments for his one and only interest.

5. Jesus

This football legend has a tattoo of Jesus' visage with a crown of thrones on his right arm. This tattoo both expresses and honours Messi's religious convictions.

6. ‘Lotus’ Tattoo

We all know that Messi is from Rosaria, a little city in Argentina. His Lotus tattoo on his bicep further demonstrates how he is the epitome of a rags-to-riches tale.

7. Rose Window

The Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona served as the inspiration for the "rose window" tattoo that dominates this football star's sleeve.

8. King Crown

For his wife Antonella Roccuzzo, who has a matching tattoo on her right arm, Messi received the "King Crown" tattoo. The pair each have tattoos of the king and queen's crowns on their bodies.

9. Antonella Eye

Messi got his wife Antonella's eye tattooed on his bicep. Since 2008, Messi has been dating Antonella, who has known him ever since he was five years old.

10. Giant Clock

Messi has timepiece cogs all over his right forearm in addition to a huge clock. This exemplifies the idea that a person's time is the most important resource he or she will ever own.

11. Timepiece Cogs

The tattoos of clock cogs are seen as a constant reminder of the passage of time and frequently express the desire to focus on the now rather than the past or the future.

12. Rosary

Messi had a tattoo representing his birthplace, Rosario, in the shape of a rosary. The initial idea, according to Messi's tattoo artist Roberto Lopez, was to create a rosary that conveyed the events of his life through various imagery.

13. Map of South America and Europe

His right arm bears a tattoo that reads "Map of South America and Europe," albeit its exact position is unknown.

14. 10

Lionel Messi's jersey number for the "FC Barcelona" and "Argentina National Football" teams is 10. Messi had a dagger with feathers and flowers on its full sleeve earlier, but he eventually concealed it.

15. Dagger with Wings

Messi previously got a tattoo of a dagger with wings that was surrounded by a rose motif. All of this caused him to hide his left leg's tattoos. Just his son's name, the handprints, the number 10, and the football tattoo are actually displayed.

16. Birthdates

Messi tattooed the dates of birth of his three sons & his wife Antonella within the paw prints of his eldest child Thiago on his left leg. The birthdates of Thiago, Mateo, Ciro, and his wife Antonella are November 2, 2012, September 11, 2015, March 10, 2018, and February 26, 1988, respectively.

17. Kissing Lips

His wife Antonella's lips are shown in the tattoo of the kissing lips. After over ten years of relationship, the couple got married in 2017. They started dating in 2008.

18. Mateo

On September 11, 2015, Messi had Mateo, the name of his second son, tattooed on his arm. Messi and Antonella, Mateo's parents, got married on June 30, 2017, following the birth of Mateo.