Fans have been baffled by Lionel Messi’s unusual knee shape, but it turns out there is a legitimate explanation for why they look so strange.

Messi was on vacation in the Caribbean with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and three children before joining David Beckham’s Inter Miami.

The 36-year-old shared photos from his holiday, but many followers were baffled by the form of his knees and the fact that they were strange, with two obvious lumps.

Image: Lionel Messi

It caused an almighty response in the comments of Messi’s post, which was liked by more than 14 million people.

One commented: “What’s up with Messi’s knees.”

A second added: “That’s the secret sauce to being the best footballer in the world, knee muscles.”

A third joked: “Bro your knee has a knee”

A fourth user weighed in: “I thought Messi had an amputated leg for a second.”

The same question was asked by another fan, who said: “Why yo knees look like that?”

Despite their unusual look, Messi’s kneecaps are not a cause for concern.

According to Catalan outlet RAC1, the lumps are simply the product of his inner quadriceps becoming more developed as a result of his hard work.

He also has a painful-looking free-kick technique in which he appears to’sprain’ his ankle when lining up to strike the ball, but this is also not cause for concern.

And, despite his strange knees, Messi accepted his ninth Ballon d’Or prize on Monday night in Paris.

Image: Getty

He beat both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe to the prize, which he believes will be his final Ballon d’Or.

“It’s nice to be here once more to enjoy this moment,” Messi said after being presented with the gong on stage.

“To be able to win the World Cup and achieve my dream.

“I couldn’t imagine having the career I’ve had and everything I’ve achieved, the fortune I’ve had to be part of the best team in history.

“All of them [Ballon d’Or awards] are special for different reasons.”