Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi revealed that he and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo have decided not to let their children use phones.

The world-famous striker may be one of the richest athletes on the planet but that doesn’t mean he gives his children free rein to do whatever they want.

In fact, the 37-year-old has made it a rule to strictly forbid his children from using mobile phones. He also revealed that he learned from Cristiano Ronaldo before making this rule.

Messi is known as a father who has a close relationship with his children. In front of the press, he has also spoken very positively about his children when the 3 children often attend their father’s matches.

Even after missing Inter Miami’s match against Atlanta United, Messi was spotted watching his son Thiago play football on his day off.

In an interview with OLGA, the World Cup winner revealed some quirky things about himself, including a complex parenting rule.

He said his sons Mateo, Thiago and Ciro are currently not allowed to use phones or other technological devices.

In addition, Messi himself also has his own rules when using the phone.

“I’m not a big user of WhatsApp emojis,” he said. “I’m not really into phones and only use them when necessary. None of my kids have mobile phones yet. Maybe I’m just a traditional person and don’t like the new gadgets of phones, I just like sending regular messages.”

Of course, Messi is not the only football superstar who does not allow his children to use phones. Ronaldo also refuses to let his eldest son Cristiano Jr. have a mobile phone. Instead, he encourages his son to make the most of his time away from technology.

Ronaldo once shared with Daily Mail: “My son always asks: Dad, can I have my own phone? I tell him: Cristiano, you just need to make the most of your time.

I know the younger generation today is a step ahead of the times so I think we have to take advantage of that but at the same time we shouldn’t be obsessed with technology. Let them have supervised access to technology, not just let them use it whenever they want. I think that’s the key issue.”

Although Messi doesn’t currently allow his three sons to have mobile phones, a recent subtle gesture proved he’s not anti-technology. In fact, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner gifted his Argentina teammates with 35 24-carat gold iPhones after their World Cup triumph in Qatar, worth a whopping £175,000.

His generosity also extended to the national team staff, with each receiving a new mobile phone with the Argentina crest.

Apart from the strict rules on phone usage, Messi is also known as a permissive father with his children. While Ronaldo is willing to spend time educating Cristiano Jr, guiding him towards football from a young age, Messi goes in the opposite direction. He teaches his three sons – Thiago, Mateo and Ciro – in a somewhat lenient manner, not forcing them into any framework.

On the contrary, Messi always knows how to grasp his child’s strengths, arouse internal motivation so that his child can be proactive and develop according to his inherent abilities.

Messi has openly said that he hopes to train one of his three children to become an excellent football player, but he will not put too much pressure on them like his father did. For him, as long as his children are safe, healthy and happy, that is enough.

According to mirror.co.uk