"His mother named him after me… and now here we are" - Lionel Richie reacts on social media after meeting up with Lionel Messi

American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie expressed excitement at meeting his namesake and football icon Lionel Messi for the very first time. The pair met up in the United States, where both have recently been spending a significant amount of time.

Messi’s move to Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 has seen him and his family move their residence to the U.S. Richie, meanwhile, is an American-born who has maintained a strong presence in the music industry despite his age (75).

Reports have it that Lionel Messi was actually named after Lionel Richie. It was said that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s parents, especially his mom, are huge fans of the pop star. His album 'Dancing on the Ceiling' came out a year before Messi was born.

In a short interview with TMZ Sports in 2014, Riche confirmed the rumors, calling Messi his son, and said he looked forward to meeting the Argentine icon. He added that he felt ''honored'' upon learning that Messi’s parents named their son after him.

Now, it’s almost 11 years, and the dream of Richie meeting his namesake physically has come true. The American pop popstar recently took to Instagram and posted a carousel of himself and Lionel Messi, with the caption:

‘‘When Lionel meets Lionel! His mother named him after me… and now here we are. 😂 Great meeting you after all these years.’’

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‘‘It only made me do one thing - get better’’ – When Lionel Richie sent a message to Lionel Messi after Copa America final defeat

Back in 2016, Lionel Richie sent words of encouragement to Lionel Messi after Argentina lost to Chile for the second consecutive time in the Copa America final. After a goalless draw between both sides after 120 minutes, the match progressed to a penalty shoot-out, but Chile came out on top with a 4-2 win.

Apart from the fact that La Albiceleste lost the continental trophy, Messi also failed to convert from the spot, blazing his penalty high over the bar. In the aftermath of the defeat, Messi announced his retirement from international football.

A few days after Messi called time on his international career, Richie went to London to pick up his O2 Silver Clef Awards. After receiving the honor, the American singer sympathized with his namesake, who at the time was reeling from the Copa America final defeat. Richie told the media (via FOX Soccer):

"Yes, Lionel, just make it easy like Sunday morning. Don't get all out of shape here. If I told you how many times I lost at the Grammies and it only made me do one thing - get better.

"So, I'm not even worried about my namesake - he's going to be just fine. He's a winner obviously. I'm sure he's down right now but he's a Lionel, he can't go wrong."

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi compensated for his Copa America final losses in 2015 and 2016 by leading Argentina to glory in the 2021 and 2024 editions.