Will Cristiano Jr and Thiago Messi Play in Messi Cup 2025?

Lionel Messi has come up with a brand new competition that will give more exposure to young players for some of the most notable teams around the world. The Argentine legend has announced the creation of the ‘Messi Cup', an under-16 footballers' tournament that will be organized and managed by his production company, 525 Rosario. The Messi Cup 2025 is going to be a six-day-long tournament where eight selected teams from around the world will be given the chance to lift this prestigious trophy, promoted by the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner himself!

Will Thiago Messi and Cristiano Jr play in Messi Cup 2025?

The Messi Cup 2025 will feature some well-known teams, who will be fielding their best under-16 players to bring them pride. It's since been confirmed that Inter Miami will be fielding their under-16 team in the Messi Cup, and that could bring excitement for fans of Messi. However, many fans have started wondering whether Thiago Messi, Leo Messi's eldest son, will be playing in the Messi Cup 2025.

That is because Thiago Messi plays for Inter Miami's youth academy and is training to follow in his father's footsteps. However, Thiago Messi is actually currently playing for Inter Miami's under-13 team and has not broken through to the under-16 level yet. Hence, he is unlikely to be able to feature in the Messi Cup 2025 because he's still not experienced enough.

Moreover, there is also chatter on whether we'll be able to see Cristiano Jr in action in the upcoming Messi Cup. The son of Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Al Nassr's youth teams, but the Saudi Arabia team are not among those included in the Messi Cup 2025, meaning we won't be able to see Thiago Messi vs Cristiano Jr in the Messi Cup 2025.

Which Teams Will Play In Messi Cup 2025 And Key Details

The Messi Cup 2025 is expected to be an extravagant affair because of the quality of teams involved. Along with Inter Miami, the under-16 teams of Premier League sides Chelsea and Manchester City will play in it. Barcelona, Messi's former team, will be sending their under-16 team for this tournament, as will Leo's childhood club, Newell's Old Boys. The likes of Inter Milan, River Plate and Atletico Madrid will also feature in the Messi Cup 2025.

The Messi Cup 2025 will be held from December 9 to December 14, with matches played at the Florida Blue Training Center and the Chase Stadium. The final will take place at the Chase Stadium on December 14. The Messi Cup will see 18 games played, with two groups of four teams being created. The teams will compete in a round-robin format, facing each other in the group stages, with a playoff match to finalize the final standings of the groups. This will move on to the semifinals, before the winners place in the final and the losers play in the third-place playoff. Incidentally, Messi himself won't be attending the finale, as he will be in India for his ‘GOAT Tour’ on December 14.