11-year-old boy spends holiday playing beach football with Messi

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has given an 11-year-old football fan a memory he will never forget after inviting the youngster to join in a kickabout with the Argentinan great and his son while on holiday in the Caribbean.

It was a dream come true for North Londoner Mackenzie O'Neill who was called over to join the superstar and his son Thiago on a beach in Antigua. 

O'Neill revealed he went to the beach with his parents and was kicking a ball on his own near the Messi family before they invited him to join in with their game.

“Messi was with his family on the beach. I was on my own and began to kick my ball a few feet from where they were,” he told Argentinian publication Ole.

“His dad Jorge threw a ball to me and asked if I wanted to play with them and then we played football with Thiago and Messi for 45 minutes.”

“Thiago is a fantastic player for his age and wasn’t shy about playing. Playing with Messi was incredible.

“Messi’s wife [Antonella] translated because she speaks English very well. Later on I ended up swimming with Messi and we went out on a little boat and spent a lot of time in the water.”

The young lad and his family must have had made a good impression with Messi going out of his way to farewell them when they departed the island at the end of their holiday.

“The last night Messi and his family were here I was playing with Thiago and gave him my football to keep," O'Neill said.

“But he ran after me along the beach and insisted I keep it. Afterwards Messi and his wife said goodbye to me with huge smiles. I am not going to forget them.”