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 when the names of their fathers (Federer and Nadal, for example) become the reason for their first meeting, and then the children themselves decide whether to continue being friends or to become enemies. We tell you how the "heirs" of tennis kings, football geniuses, and hockey heroes live.

Children of Messi and Aguero

Tiago Messi and Benjamin Aguero (sons of legendary Argentines) played football together at the Barcelona and Miami academies. Their friendship has become a symbol of the transmission of traditions. They don't 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 any extra competition.

Children of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Two daughters of Roger (Mila and Charlize) and a son of Rafael (Rafael junior) often meet at tournaments. Roger has told how his daughters argue over whom to support: their dad or "Uncle Rafa." At children's parties, they play football together and pay no attention to the titles of their fathers. It is still unknown whether they will follow in their parents' footsteps, but their friendship has been sealed with joint holidays in Switzerland.

Children of footballers: Simone and Bьянка

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

Ice hockey families: Ovechkin and Malkin sons

Sergei Ovechkin (son of Alexander) and Nikita Malkin (son of Evgeny) have been friends since childhood. They grow up in the US, play hockey together in the courtyard. Their fathers are irreconcilable opponents on the ice, but beyond that, they exchange jokes. The sons adopt this model: on the court, they may fight, but after the game, they hug.

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

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