Lionel Messi and his family back in Barcelona after Finland jaunt

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi returned on Tuesday night with his family after an express trip to Finland. The player took advantage of the rest days given to the squad on Monday and Tuesday to disconnect, far away from Catalonia.

A private jet brought the player and his family back to El Prat airport late Tuesday after they enjoyed a brief stay in the homeland of Papa Noel. The Rosario born star went with his wife Antonela Rocuzzo and their sons Thiago and Mateo, his brother Rodrigo, his wife and their three kids.

Antonela shared a photo on Instagram of Thiago surrounded by snow. They were in the Finnish town of Kuusamo, a little town of 15,000 inhabitants, very popular among fans of winter sports.

They were also able to video Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, considered Santa Claus' official home.

At his arrival in the airport Messi showed he's not just a crack as a footballer as he attended to a small group of fans patiently, who had just realised Messi was going to land.