Random generator: Name of movie character, brother of Liverpool star, debut alongside Messi

Kevin Mac Allister marked a memorable milestone on Friday, making his international debut for world champions Argentina alongside Lionel Messi in a comfortable 2-0 victory over Angola.

Yes, you read that right: the 28-year-old Swiss-based defender is indeed named after Kevin Mac Allister, the mischievous hero of Home Alone.

The brother of Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister, Kevin received a surprise call-up to the Argentina squad earlier this week as a late replacement for Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez. With qualification for next summer’s World Cup already secured, coach Lionel Scaloni fielded an experimental lineup for the friendly against Angola.

Kevin was one of the select few to earn a spot, coming on after 60 minutes to replace Giovanni Lo Celso.

The moment was particularly special as it allowed the Mac Allister brothers to share the pitch for La Albiceleste, a dream for the siblings, as Messi added his 115th international goal to help seal the victory in Luanda.

Angola honored by the conceded goal — they asked for Messi, they got Messi

Kevin’s unique name has an amusing backstory. His parents were such fans of the 1990 blockbuster that they named one of their three sons after the film’s iconic character. Kevin only discovered the connection in his late teens. “I saw Home Alone, but I never asked my father or mother about it,” he explained in a 2023 interview with Sky Sports. Alexis added: “During an interview, they asked him about his name, and he had no idea. He found out at 18 or 19 that he was named after Home Alone!”

The Mac Allisters’ football journeys have crossed on the pitch as well; they faced each other when Liverpool met Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League. In May, the brothers shared another rare family achievement, each lifting a league title in different countries on the same day — Alexis with the Premier League and Kevin with the Belgian championship.