Colombia comes in at No. 10, Brazil at No. 8, but sitting above all of them at No. 1 in the world is Argentina, a nation that has seen soccer success arrive at an unprecedented rate — led by the skills of one man,

Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the "Newell's Cup" tournament in the countryside city of Rosario.

Thiago Messi, the eldest son of the Argentina star, has made his debut in the “Newell’s Cup” tournament in the countryside city of Rosario.

Lionel Messi has a case to be considered the greatest soccer player of all time thanks to his achievements on the field, primarily with FC Barcelona and the Argentina National Team . On Monday, he reminded his more than 500 million followers on Instagram that even players as accomplished as Messi have icons that they look up to.

Palakkad's Rowan Arumukhan officiated the historic 2011 match where Messi debuted as Argentina's captain. The match, played against Venezuela, marked a surreal moment for Rowan, who focused on his duty despite the excitement of refereeing Messi.

Thiago honored his father by wearing his iconic No. 10 shirt for his first match against Newell's Old Boys, Messi's boyhood

Thiago Messi's mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, and several members of his family, including grandparents Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini, were in the stands.