Lionel Messi's Girlfriend Gives Birth To Baby Boy, Thiago Messi

Lionel Messi is going to have to worry about more than just defenders on the field. Messi's long time girlfriend has just given birth to a baby boy.

The Barcelona superstar has been dating Antonella Rocuzzo since 2009. Messi announced the birth on his Facebook page approximately one hour ago saying “Today I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift! Thanks to my family for the support! A hug to everyone.”

Messi and Rocuzzo have named their baby boy Thiago Messi, according to the Associated Press. The boy was delivered at a hospital in Barcelona, Spain. Thiago is the couple's first child.

Messi was supposed to be practicing with Barcelona for their upcoming La Liga game against Celta de Vigo but was excused after receiving word that Rocuzzo was in labor, the AP reports. In a press conference, Barcelona's head coach Tito Vilanova believes Messi will be in the lineup for Saturday's game.

Messi is excited about the new role of being a father. Messi said ''It makes you think of things in a different way. You can no longer just think about yourself, you think about him, and how you hope he doesn't have any problems.''

The good news keeps coming for Messi, on and off the field. The birth of Messi's first child will undoubtedly be his most memorable moment of his 25-year-old life, but there are plenty of other reasons why Messi will have a hard time removing the smile from his face.

Messi needs just two goals to match the record set by Pele in 1958 for most goals for club and country within a calendar year. Pele scored 75 goals for his club Santos FC and the Brazilian national team. For the 2012-2013 La Liga season, Messi has already scored 13 goals in nine league games and two more goals in the UEFA Champions League.

Messi has won three straight FIFA Ballon d'Or which is given to soccer's best player. Messi is currently the favorite for a fourth straight Ballon d'Or.