Lionel Messi’s mom says she feels sad seeing how fans ridicule her son, adding that they can criticise him without necessarily making jest of him.

Lionel Messi’s mum, Celia Cuccittini, has said that its hurts to see her son mocked and insulted by fans.

The mother, however, admitted that she was surprised the Barcelona and Argentina star won the Ballon d’Or.

Messi won the award for a sixth time earlier this week, pipping Liverpool defender, Virgil van Dijk.

During an interview broadcast monitored by The Mirror, Messi’s mother spoke about the criticism the Barcelona forward receives saying, “It hurts a lot because you can criticise without mocking.

“There are some people that can be insulting. As a mother, that obviously hurts me. He does not have to be liked by the whole world.”

When speaking about Messi’s record-breaking sixth Ballon d’Or, Cuccittini said, “I am very happy. We were not expecting this.

“We thought the fifth had been the last. Honestly, this was a beautiful surprise. He (Messi) did not expect it either.

“I do not know if he found out minutes before, I do not know, but we did not know anything.”

Cuccittini went on to talk about the “debt” Messi has with Argentina, having not won a major international title with the full national team saying, “All of the family knows he has a debt with Argentina but nobody wants to win a World Cup or a Copa America more than him.

“People can think he played bad. We actually do the same, we tell him. You have no idea! I give him a hard time!”