Messi's affectionate birthday message to his mother

Lionel Messi's mother turned 61 on Saturday, which led the Barcelona captain to take to social media to send her a warm-hearted birthday message.

Celia didn't travel to Barcelona to celebrate her birthday with her son, but she managed to see him for a few days at Christmas when Messi travelled back to Argentina.

"Happy birthday, Mummy! I love you," Messi wrote on Instagram, accompanied by a picture of the two of them hugging.

Messi will not feature in Barcelona's match against Elche on Sunday after he received a two-game ban for his red card in the Supercopa de Espana final against Athletic Club.