Lionel Messi's hometown bans parents from naming their kids Messi
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery but not in Lionel Messi's hometown.
Argentinian officials in Messi's hometown of Rosario have passed a new law that bans parents from naming their children Messi.
This comes after Héctor Varela named his son after the Barcelona striker.
According to Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo, officials were not happy about Varela naming his son Messi as they were afraid it would become a popular trend in the future.
They also thought that using Messi as a first name would lead to a lot of confusion, since Messi is traditionally a last name.
While many parents have named their children Lionel, Varela is reportedly the first Argentinian to name his son Messi.
Hector Varela said: "I am Messi's father. Many people chose Lionel as a name for their sons after Messi, but this is more obvious.
"I am proud to be the first Argentinian to name his baby after the best soccer player in the world."
Well, there's another way to show your love for the football star - a tattoo for example.
Just ask this fan.
Source: Mirror, Sports Illustrated
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