- Lionel Messi is one of the greatest soccer players of all time, but he has to explain himself to his son whenever FC Barcelona fails to win.
- Messi has said his six-year-old boy lets him know "when things are not so good."
- Messi is on an awe-inspiring run of form and with him in the team, Barcelona has failed to win just seven times this season.
- This means he has rarely had to fend off the attacks from little Thiago Messi.
- Read all of Business Insider's coverage for the 2018-2019 European Soccer season right here.
Lionel Messi may be the most statistically-impressive soccer player in the world this season, but even he is not exempt from criticisms.
The FC Barcelona forward has scored 21 goals and supplied 11 assists in 17 starts this season, and has been more prolific than other elite players like Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Harry Kane.
But once he has left the locker room and driven home after a loss, he finds himself fending off questions from one of his toughest critics - his six-year-old son Thiago Messi.
In a recent interview with the Spanish national sports daily newspaper MARCA, Messi said his oldest son "discusses everything about the game" and is "very involved."
When asked if Thiago expects high standards from his famous father, Messi said: "Yes… I already have a couple of criticisms. He follows Barcelona, La Liga, and the Champions League. He likes it, asks questions, reports, and he tells me when things are not so good."
He added: "Thiago forces me to comment on what happened and explain why we didn't win."
With telepathic passing and an attacking dominance that borders on pure artistry on the pitch, Messi has enjoyed awe-inspiring form this season. With him in the team, Barcelona has only failed to win seven times this season.
Fortunately for him, this means he has rarely had to explain himself to his "football crazy" son.