According to the Washington Post, if you live in Rosario, Argentina, you absolutely cannot name your baby "Messi." Supposedly, you can buy a $5.25 million golden replica of his foot, or tattoo his jersey on your back. But you can't use his name for your newborn child.

In Argentina, Messi is celebrated as an almost god-like figure, and was very close to leading Argentina to glory at the World Cup this past summer. According to ESPN, Messi's ball skills are second to none. He was born in Rosario, and his family moved to Spain when Messi developed a hormonal problem that affected his growth. Argentinean soccer teams could not aid him by paying his medical bills, but after his first trial with Barcelona he was signed and his medical treatment was paid for.

In March 2012, Messi became the all-time top scorer at Barcelona at the age of 24, beating the 232 goals of famed player Cesar Rodriguez. He has won the 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 awards for the best player in the world. 

Back to his name - the Mirror reports that according to Gonzalo Carrillo, the civil register at Santa Fe, it is prohibited by law to name babies "Messi" because it is a surname and not a first name. The law arose when a father in a different province reportedly named his child after the soccer player. The father, Hector Varela, stated that he was proud to be "the first Argentinean to name his baby after the best soccer player in the world."

Varela went on to say, "I am Messi's father. Many people chose Lionel as a name for their sons after Messi, but this one is more obvious," further explaining his choice to use the name. Unfortunately, the townspeople of Rosario decided that Valera set a precedent, and that it could not be ignored.