Fabregas admits: I gave Messi's son Ciro the Como shirt

Fabregas lifts lid on viral Messi family moment

Como 1907 head coach Cesc Fabregas has confirmed he was the man behind the shirt that sent social media into a frenzy this week — the one worn by Lionel Messi's young son Ciro.

A photograph of Ciro Messi in a Como jersey went viral after his mother, Antonela Roccuzzo, shared it on Instagram. When Fabregas spotted the image, he revealed the backstory in a Tuesday interview with Sky.

"I was the one who gave him that shirt. Our wives, children, and I have been close friends all our lives. I've sent them lots of Como shirts," Fabregas said.

There was, however, a twist. The shirt Ciro was spotted in wasn't a custom junior kit bearing the Messi name — it was Fabregas's own.

"It's mine. It says Fabregas on the back, and the number is obviously 4," the Como boss clarified.

A bond forged at Barcelona

The friendship between the two families runs deep, rooted in the years Fabregas and Messi spent together at Barcelona. The pair played 123 games side by side at Camp Nou, with Fabregas collecting a La Liga title in 2012-13 and a UEFA Super Cup in 2011 during his spell with the Catalan club.

The timing of the admission is notable: Fabregas's Como side host Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday, the third round of the group phase, fresh from a 3-1 Serie A win at Fiorentina on October 18.

Messi, meanwhile, was recently in international action for Argentina, featuring alongside Nico Paz in a friendly against Benin on October 6 — the forward's farewell appearance for his country following his announcement of international retirement on August 31.