Footballers are icons for millions worldwide and fans love to imitate them and continue to follow the trends their idols set. A footballer is not only characterised by his skills and intensity on the football pitch but also by his appealing off-field aspects, two of the most interesting being haircuts and tattoos.
We currently live in an era where almost every footballer is getting tattooed. Some tattoos have a story or a meaning behind it while others are just meant to be. To share the stories of their life with fans or to show their affinity towards something, footballers prefer to cover their body with ink instead of expressing them in other ways.
Despite failing to win a silverware for his country and facing scandals off the pitch, the Argentine is acknowledged as the prime footballer in this generation. Messi is now among the growing list of footballers to follow the tattoo trend, but the symbols on his body share a deep secret.
Also read: David Beckham’s tattoos and what do they signify?
The Barcelona talisman has now collected some awe-inspiring ink on his back, arm and leg. Each of his tattoos holds a personal significance for him.
Here’s a look at Lionel Messi’s tattoos and their meanings:
1) Messi's tattoo on the back
The first tattoo that Lionel Messi decided to get was of his mother on his left shoulder. Messi’s mother was his moral support since childhood and has been the primary reason Messi was able to achieve his dream. Paying tribute to her, he got his mother’s face tattooed on his back which symbolizes what an important role she plays in his life.
Messi was alone with his dad while he was still small and making his name with Barcelona. He was far away from his mother and other members of his family, who were in Rosario. Maybe this tattoo helped him keep a close bond with her even after they were separated physically.
This tattoo was done in the year 2010. It is an interesting fact that Messi was so reluctant to get it done, that he brought his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo with him and Messi’s tattoo artist first inked her. And later, when she expressed no pain, Messi finally agreed to sit down and got his first tattoo.
Messi wasn’t a fan of tattoos initially and agreed to get a tattoo after being chaffed by teammate Dani Alves, who is popular for tattoos all over his body. Messi liked the ink on the Brazilian so much that he wanted to get more of them and from there, the Argentine would go on to set another trend.
Also read: Lionel Messi’s house with photos
2) Messi's tattoo on his calf
Like Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi too shares a deep connection with his son. The second tattoo was of another important person in his life, Messi’s first child Thiago. The Argentine forward decided to get the tattoo inked on the back his left foot, which is his strongest and from which he has been scoring goals with throughout the years.
Messi got Thiago’s handprints engraved along with his name below in the shape of a heart. There were many views initially, that the hands represented Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal, but the rumors soon faded away after Thiago’s name was inscribed.
Also view: Lionel Messi wallpapers
3) Messi’s tattoo on the left leg
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has loved football ever since his childhood and that has been his bread & butter. This time, Messi decided to pamper himself with something he could relate with. Featuring a sword, football and Messi’s classic number 10 shirt, this tattoo is quite the conspicuous aspect.
By far, this is Lionel Messi’s best tattoo and he got it inscribed on the front of his valuable left foot. The Barcelona star got a sword wrapped up with wings along with a football on the left side and his typical number 10 on the right. While the tattoo seemed innovative, Messi faced a lot of slack on social media for the ugliness of this tattoo.
But despite all the criticism that came across, Messi was confident about the tattoo and carried on with it.
4) Messi's arm tattoo
Messi's most latest tattoo has a spiritual theme which he kept hiding for months while it was still in progress, but now he proudly shows off his spectacular artwork in every game. Placed on his triceps is an impressive portrait of Jesus Christ with thorns that proves he is a holy person and a true believer of Christ.
Messi's typical goal celebration is his fingers pointing up to the sky and thanking the one above, and this tattoo of Christ further signifies his commitment towards God.
5) Messi’s tattoo on the elbow
Another prominent feature of Messi’s arm tattoo is the rose window tattooed on his elbow. According to the artist that made the art, Roberto Lopez who is a Fine Arts teacher, Messi demanded everything to be flawless. The full tattoo covers a Lotus, which represents that talent can grow anywhere even with forces against it.
The rose window resembles the famous Barcelona church, Sagrada Familia, which shows the love Messi has for the city of Barcelona. The reason for a rose window of the temple, as explained by the tattoo artist, “Barcelona is his place in the world, his life. And he shows it with this tattoo.
“He could live and play wherever he wanted, but he chose Barcelona and wants to stay there forever.”
It's hard to understand what to admire more, Messi's jaw-dropping football skills or his brilliant tattoo collection. We never see Messi boasting anything about himself or complaining about life.
If it is failing to win anything with his country or dealing with fraud cases, it is hard to disagree that Messi is a humble person and his tattoos are a true symbol of how much people in his life mean to him and how thankful he is.
