Doctor Wants To Clone Messi

A genetics expert has said Lionel Messi could be cloned using current scientific technique and the double would have the Barcelona star’s “potential”.

Genetics expert Arcadi Navarro, head of the European Genome-Phenome Archive (EGA) made the claim during an interview with the ‘Que t’hi jugues’ programme on Spanish radio station Cadena SER.

Navarro said: “Yes, Messi could be cloned with current techniques. We would achieve a being very similar to Messi, the result would look like Messi’s twin, as if two twins had been born and we had frozen one of them for 20 or 30 years.”

He added: “This person could have the same potential as Messi, his qualities have a genetic component and another more educational, environmental. Messi isn’t who he is only because of his genes, but because of everything he has lived through, his education, his stay in La Masia, the treatment he received.

“Genetics give us potential, then to fulfil it, it’s our own work.”

Messi received hormonal treatment as a youngster to help him overcome a growth hormone deficiency.

He moved with his family from Argentina to Barcelona in 2001 at the age of 13, and the Spanish club paid for all his medical needs until he finished the hormone treatment at 14.

Navarro’s comments come after Messi’s stunning hat-trick helped Barcelona to a 4-1 win over Real Betis.