Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the best and most beloved footballers in the history of the sport. The Argentine is an idol for many athletes around the world.

But Albanians now have their own Messi. We’re talking about athlete Lionel Mesi from Shkodra, who proudly carries this name. He even came first in the “Kosova në Lëvizje” competition in the junior category.

Mesi told KosovaPress what it feels like to carry such a big name.

“My name is Lionel Messi. I come from Tirana, Albania, and I came to Kosovo to take part in the Decathlon competition, where I finished in first place. Since my family is originally from Shkodra, our last name is Mesi, and in 2009, when I was born, my father gave me the name Lionel,” Mesi explained.

He has no doubt that Leo Messi is the best footballer of all time, even better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

“It’s actually a bit of pressure; more is expected of you because of the name. Everyone thinks, ‘Lionel Messi, who knows what kind of footballer or athlete he will be.’ It’s also a push for me to become the best athlete I can be,” Mesi emphasized.

As for his son’s name, his father, Bledar, says he had decided on it before he was born.

“I had decided that when I had a son, I would name him Lionel Mesi. People always say, ‘You named him after Messi,’ but I also liked the name Lionel. Of course, Messi had just started to shine in his career at that time, and when I had my son, I gave him the name Lionel. I think it’s a very beautiful name. He had a good career because Leo always played football until he was 17. He was part of teams like Partizani and Dinamo, and most recently, he was on the U17 team. He took a break from football and started athletics, but the important thing is that he is involved in sports,” Bledar Mesi said.

But is his son judged because of the name he carries, and why does he do athletics now instead of football?

“No, not at all, it was very good. Everyone liked it. In fact, until a month ago, he was still playing football, where he was doing quite well. But the important thing is that he is involved in sports. He was very good at football, but there was a small obstacle—he wasn’t progressing as expected at Tirana—and he himself decided to leave it for now,” Mesi explained.