Brasilia, July 25 -- A new study has revealed an ancestral connection between Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning football icon Lionel Messi and Brazil's Sao Paulo, tracing a part of his family's journey before they settled in Argentina.

As per Brazilian outlet Globo quoted by Goal.com, Italian researcher Fiorenzo Santini's study has concluded that one of Messi's ancestors was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, before family later made a move to Argentina. The research also highlighted changes in the family's surname during their migration journey.

Santini, who is a specialist in tracing genealogy and spent several years studying the superstar footballer's family tree, was curious by the origin of his surname Messi during his early days wit...