Barcelona forward Lionel Messi announced the birth of his third son on Saturday. The Argentina forward, who had missed a match at Malaga, took to Instagram to share his joy.
“Welcome Ciro! Thank God everything went perfect. Mom and he are very well. We are super happy!!!!!,” the Argentina forward wrote on his Instagram account in Spanish, accompanying it with a photo of the baby’s hand.
Messi and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo are parents to Thiago, aged five and Mateo, aged two. They had announced last October that they were expecting a third child.
Earlier on Saturday, Barcelona said that Messi would miss a match at Malaga later in the day for “personal reasons.”
“A last minute change to the FC Barcelona squad. Leo Messi has withdrawn for personal reasons and Yerry Mina takes his place,” said the statement on the club's official website. It was the first time this season that Messi, La Liga's top scorer with 24 goals, has not been included in the matchday squad for a league game.
Barcelona won 2-0 against Malaga with goals from Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho. Messi’s next match will be on Wednesday for the Champions League visit by Chelsea. Barcelona will look to make good on the 1-1 draw it earned in the away leg of their round-of-16 tie.
