Once Lionel Messi converted his penalty in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Racing Santander on Saturday, he pulled up his shirt to reveal a message scrawled across his undershirt. It wished his mami a happy birthday for all the cameras to see. A nice gesture from a grateful child to the woman who carried him around inside her body for nine months before enduring labor and allowing the world to be graced with his abilities, but also one that the killjoys at the Spanish football federation felt compelled to punish because of their strict rules against shirt messages.

From Reuters:

The referee did not book the Argentine forward for the celebration but mentioned the action in his match report.

The federation's disciplinary committee punished Messi under their article 91.1 for goal celebrations, which carries a fine of between 2000 and 3000 euros, and awarded him a yellow card.

To someone who makes as much as Messi does, a fine of a couple thousand euros is hardly worth caring about and probably something he knew would happen before doing it. Still, that money could have gone to more Legos.

to his mum? dats bday gift! that penalty gift is too small