Cassano, a former Real Madrid player, had his second child on Monday night and named him ‘Lionel’.
“I named him Lionel because I’m a massive fan of the best player in history. My wife wasn’t keen, but then I convinced her,” Cassano told Italian TV programme Undici.
“In my opinion, Messi is the most important player in history. I’m in love with him on a footballing level.”