LONDON: Everybody wants to be Lionel, or at least to be named after the Argentine hero that led his team to win the FIFA World Cup for the third time in history.
In the wake of the Qatar victory by Lionel Messi and his team over France in December, the civil registry office for the province of Santa Fe in Argentina reported a 700 percent increase in babies named Lionel or Lionela.
The figures reveal a true fixation for the Santa Fe champion, who was born in Rosario on June 24, 1987.
According to the office’s data, there were about six monthly registrations in the province for the names Lionel or Lionela until September.
But ahead of the World Cup that began in November, the figure began to surge.
In October and November, there were 32 registrations in honor of the captain of the Argentine national team.
As of Dec. 31, there were 49 Lionel or Lionela registrations throughout the province — a 700 percent increase compared to September.
Of that total, 22 are from Rosario, 20 from Santa Fe and seven from the rest of the province.
In 2014, the city of Rosario allegedly banned parents from naming children “Messi,” with officials claiming that using the star’s surname as a given name would cause headaches for census workers.
In the meantime, out-of-the-ordinary celebrations by Argentina fans following the country’s World Cup victory continue to make headlines.
Earlier this week, a fan who had “Messi” tattooed on his forehead reportedly regretted his decision after receiving negative comments about the new look on social media.
In December, El Financiero newspaper reported that the Argentina Central Bank was considering putting Lionel Messi’s face on 1000 peso banknotes.
