Soccer and football fans have a long history of inventing nicknames for rival players, especially ones they dislike, but few have become as widespread as the moniker "Pessi."

Originally coined as a joke at Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi's expense, the nickname has since evolved into one of the internet's most recognizable pieces of football slang.

Known as the "Pessi" meme, the nickname is often paired with highly edited images and videos mocking Messi, particularly jokes about him supposedly relying on penalty kicks to score all of his goals, whether in international play like the World Cup or club football.

But where did the term first come from, and how did it become such a prominent meme online? As it turns out, the meme is much older than you might think. Let's explain.

Where Does The 'Pessi' Meme Come From?

The nickname "Pessi" originated on 4chan's /sp/ (sports) board during the 2012 Supercopa de España between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

As supporters of Lionel Messi and fellow legendary footballer Cristiano Ronaldo argued throughout the match, anonymous users began repeatedly posting "PESSI" as a mocking play on Messi's name.

The nickname was intended to suggest that Messi relied too heavily on penalties, a criticism that quickly became a recurring talking point in football fan debates for many years to come.

Although the joke remained largely confined to football and sports communities for several years, it continued appearing on 4chan throughout the 2010s before gradually spreading to other social media platforms, becoming widespread on the internet by the early 2020s.

How Is The 'Pessi' Meme Used Online?

The Pessi meme is primarily used by rival football fans to mock Lionel Messi, often by joking that he only scores from the penalty spot.

The nickname is frequently paired with image macros, edited videos and side-by-side comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, whose supporters are often targeted with the counter-nickname "Penaldo."

The meme expanded beyond simple text posts in 2022 after an edited image portraying Messi as an elderly, bald and toothless man began circulating online.

The exaggerated photo quickly became one of the meme format's defining visuals and was widely reposted across Facebook, X / Twitter and other online football communities.

The image reached an even larger audience in early 2023 when TikTok creators began incorporating it into intentionally low-quality skits and edits.

Many of the videos featured the old-looking Pessi image alongside jokes about penalties or comparisons with Ronaldo, helping introduce the meme to a new generation of football fans.

@white_club_is_madrid #pessi #fyp #realmadrid ♬ sonido original – Corazon_rma

@f00tb4ll.tv give my boy pepsi a penalty or he will ghost😭😭 #pepsi #pessi #ghost #bayern #psg #fcbpsg #ucl #edit #selfmade #fyp ♬ som original – 𝐿𝚘𝚋𝚘𖩤🐺

As the format continued growing in the mid-2020s during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and then the 2026 World Cup, "Pessi" became one of the internet's most recognizable football nicknames, frequently resurfacing whenever Messi scored a penalty or rival fanbases clashed during major club matches and international tournaments.

What Are Some Examples Of 'Pessi' Memes?

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For the full history of the Pessi meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for even more information.