Messi is a Pokemon fan whose life perfectly mirrors Ash Ketchum’s

After learning of Lionel Messi’s love for Pokemon, fans have concluded that the footballer actually has much in common with Ash Ketchum.

Lionel Messi led Argentina to its 2022 FIFA World Cup when late last year after a victory against France. Of course, the World Cup champion made headlines around the globe.

Messi even secured a viral Instagram post that quickly became the most-liked entry in platform history, with nearly 75 million likes as of writing.

Recently, however, some fans have begun buzzing about Messi for an entirely different reason – his shocking connection to Ash Ketchum.

Messi’s life is exactly like that of Pokemon star Ash Ketchum

A recent post from Twitter account Barcelona Out Of Context calls attention to some interesting points about Messi’s shared experiences with a fictional character.

Two pictures in the tweet highlight the World Cup champ’s love of Pokemon, evidenced in a Pikachu hat he wears in one photo.

The third image features a side-by-side comparison of Messi and Ketchum’s life. Both were born in 1987, left their hometown at a young age, and became World Champion’s of their respective professions in 2022. Funnily enough, even their Championship team photos bear some noticeable similarities.

It’s all a strange coincidence, sure, but it seems one that’s well worth mentioning. Plus, they were born relatively close together. Pokemon has Ash Ketchum’s birthday logged as May 22, 1987, while Lionel Messi was born a month later on June 24.

Their professional paths may soon split, however. While Ash Ketchum is stepping away from the Pokemon spotlight, it seems Lionel Messi has a lot more football left in his future.