Lionel Richie, one of the most prominent singer-songwriters of the 1970s and 1980s, had the opportunity to meet Lionel Messi during a brief encounter at Chase Stadium, home of Inter Miami. However, the meeting of the two figures was not just a meeting of celebrities, but the culmination of a cause-and-effect phenomenon.
This is because, according to the Argentine star’s mother, Celia Maria Cuccittini, the figure of the leader of the group ‘The Commodores’, inspired her to give her son that name.
When Lionel met Lionel
The historic meeting occurred after the Concacaf Champions Cup match, where Inter Miami eliminated LAFC to advance to the semifinals of the tournament
However, he just posted a brief moment on Friday, presumably in the tunnels of the Chase Stadium, and they barely managed to exchange a friendly handshake and a few words, although the singer looks pleasantly satisfied with the moment.
In addition to appearing with a huge smile, Lionel Richie wrote: “When Lionel meets Lionel! Mom named him after me… And here we are,” along with a laughing emoji. He added: “It was great to meet you after all these years.”
Lionel Richie in Lionel Messi’s life
The story about the name of Lionel Messi was revealed by the player’s own mother, when the Argentine turned 23 and was preparing for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At that time, Celia Cuccittini told the story in an interview with the Argentine television network Telefe about what happened with the birth of Leo:
“I went past the due date, it was difficult, it was scheduled. I went into hospital at 6am and Leo was born at 4.20pm. I was almost a week overdue and the doctor didn’t want to take any chances, so he said ‘we’re going to induce labor’,” she said of the complications of the birth.
She explained: “As we didn’t have a boy’s name, I always liked Leonel. When Jorge put it, he put Lio! When he came, I almost killed him,” Celia also told, laughing, and then revealed why her husband chose the “i” instead of the “e”. “Because we liked Lionel Richie a lot,” she concluded.
The story reached the ears of the American singer, who could not hide his joy at such a tribute: “At first I thought it was a joke. Then I did my research and his mom had said it. It was true! I understand that he can’t sing but I would like to announce that I can’t play soccer. So let’s be best friends.”
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