Messi’s father threatened legal action after autism rumor involving Romário went viral on the internet
Persistent speculation about Lionel Messi having an autism diagnosis has been circulating heavily on the internet in recent years. Although this information has already been refuted, the fake news gained prominence when it was released by Romário and almost resulted in legal action.
In recent years, the controversy surrounding Messi’s alleged autism condition has generated great excitement on digital platforms, impacting the public debate.
The beginning of this narrative dates back to 2013, when journalist Roberto Amado published an article on his online platform, arguing that Messi had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (a classification now integrated with Autism Spectrum Disorder) when he was eight years old.
In the publication, the writer correlated aspects of the athlete’s nature, such as his reserved nature, the difficulty in expressing himself in interviews and certain attitudes demonstrated on the field, to characteristics commonly linked to the autism spectrum.
The content also brought parallels between Messi and the character Raymond from the film “Rain Man”, in addition to linking the athlete’s performance to Savant Syndrome, a rare phenomenon where individuals present exceptional talents in specific areas.
The publication quickly gained enormous visibility on social media and was widely disseminated as fully proven information, generating a domino effect of controversy and highlighting the speed with which unverified data can be accepted as truth.
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The impact of Romário’s demonstration on digital platforms
Shortly after the release of the original material, Romário decided to share the topic on his internet profiles, substantially increasing the reach of the rumor regarding Messi and autism. “Did you know that Messi has Asperger’s Syndrome? It is a mild form of autism, which gave him the gift of focus and concentration above everything and everyone else”, declared the former athlete.
In a subsequent series of posts, Romário, who is currently causing heated discussions about the 2026 World Cup, added: “Newton and Einstein also had levels of autism. I hope that, like them, Messi overcomes himself every day and continues to introduce us to this beautiful football.”
Messi’s father refutes allegation and considers legal action against Romário
The wide dissemination of the matter brought the situation to the attention of Jorge Messi, the Argentine star’s progenitor, who is currently dealing with health problems. During that period, he denied any diagnosis of autism for his son and signaled the possibility of taking legal action against Romário for publishing the news.
Faced with the denial, the former Brazilian footballer made a new statement on his social media: “They are sensationalizing the matter. Ah, Messi’s father said he is going to sue me for this. You can sue, if you like”, he stated vehemently.
Later, Romário claimed that his action was limited to passing on information already published by the press: “I released information that vehicles in Brazil have covered. Even a TV channel addressed the matter, but Messi’s father denied it. So here is the information: according to Messi’s father, he does not have autism. I am not a doctor to compare the information.”
The refutation of the rumor by the doctor who accompanied Messi in his youth
Several years later, the controversy was clarified again by Diego Schwarzstein, a healthcare professional who monitored Messi in his youthful years. The doctor detailed that the athlete’s only health issue in childhood was a hormonal deficiency, requiring specific treatment throughout his growth.
In a statement given to UOL Esporte, Schwarzstein clarified: “Leo was never diagnosed with Asperger’s or any other form of autism. That’s really nonsense.”
