There's only one Lionel Messi...and his hometown are trying to keep it that way.
The Argentinian town of Rosario has passed a law that prohibits parents using 'Messi' as a forename for their children, after a couple in different province became the first to do just that.
Authorities in Rosario – where Messi is viewed as a God – fear the trend could get out of control and tarnish the legacy of Barcelona's logic-defying star.
Hector Varela, the father who gave his son 'Messi' as a first name, told Marca:
"I am Messi's father. Many people chose Lionel as a name for their sons after Messi, but this is more obvious.
I am proud to be the first Argentinian to name his baby after the best soccer player in the world."
According to Gonzalo Carrillo, the civil register in Santa Fe, it is "prohibited by law" to name babies Messi because it is a surname and not a first name.
Shirt numbers are one thing but this is probably the first time that a player's name has been retired.
[via Bleacher Report]
