The children of great athletes do not choose who to be. They grow in the shadow of legendary surnames and statues. Their friendship is a fascinating phenomenon where the names of their fathers (Federer and Nadal, for example) become the reason for the first meeting, and then the children themselves decide whether to continue being friends or to become rivals. We tell you how the "heirs" of tennis kings, football geniuses, and hockey heroes live.

Children of Messi and Aguero

Thiago Messi and Benjamin Aguero (the sons of legendary Argentines) played football together at the Barcelona and Miami academies. Their friendship has become a symbol of tradition transmission. They do not just communicate on Instagram; they actually play on the same team and train under the watchful eyes of their great fathers. Their common family Instagram shows them swimming in the pool and celebrating birthdays. It seems that the friendship of their parents has been passed on to their children without excessive competition.

Children of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Roger Federer's two daughters (Myla and Sharlin) and Rafael Nadal's son (Rafael junior) often meet at tournaments. Roger has told how his daughters argue over whom to support: their father or "Uncle Rafa." At children's parties, they play football together and do not pay attention to their fathers' titles. It is still unknown whether they will follow in their parents' footsteps, but their friendship has already been sealed with joint holidays in Switzerland.

Children of footballers: Simone and Bьянка

The son of Pirlo and the daughter of Balotelli. In Italy, the children of celebrities often attend the same private schools. For example, Simone Pirlo (the son of Andrea) is friends with the children of Del Piero and Vieri. Their Instagram is full of selfies from concerts. This is not "friendship by calculation," but ordinary teenage parties where the surnames of their fathers do not matter.

Hockey families: Ovechkin and Malkin's sons

Sergei Ovechkin (the son of Alexander) and Nikita Malkin (the son of Evgeny) have been friends since childhood. They grow up in the USA, play hockey together in the courtyard. Their fathers are irreconcilable rivals on the ice, but they exchange jokes outside of it. The sons emulate this model: on the ice, they may compete, but after the game, they hug.

Thus, the friendship of the children of great athletes is a kind of bridge between generations and eras.

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