Lionel Messi will always be regarded as one of the greatest ever footballers who graced this beautiful game. His sheer brilliance has mesmerized football fanatics across the globe and the iconic Argentine is now enjoying a well-deserved break in Miami with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo along with the kids Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.
While we know all the highs and lows of his professional career, Antonela has maintained a low profile ever since Messi went public about their relationship back in 2009.
Who is Antonela Roccuzzo?
Antonela was born on February 26, 1988. She is a few months youngster than Messi but belongs to Rosario – the same town her husband is from. Her father Jose was employed as a banker and Antonela, as well as her sisters Carla and Paula, were raised by their mother Patricia. She decided to be a perfect homemaker and take utmost care of her children over being a working woman.
Despite studying dentistry at the University of Argentina, the 33-year-old opted to switch her profession and concentrate on the modelling career a few years ago. She is quite active on Instagram and you may give her a follow to take a sneak peek at her lifestyle.
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How did Antonela Roccuzzo and Lionel Messi meet?
Antonela is the cousin of Lucas Scaglia, a little-known footballer from Newell’s Old Boys who used to be Messi’s childhood best friend. The couple literally grew up together as the Albiceleste ace first met her when he was just five years old. The boy from Rosario grabbed the attention of many for his astounding skills and was eventually roped in by Barcelona at the age of 13. There he underwent treatment for his growth hormone deficiency and the rest, they say, is history.
Despite the fame and accolades, Messi never forgot her childhood sweetheart. They were in touch all those years before making it official. They had their first son Thiago in 2012, followed by Mateo three years later. Messi and Antonela tied the knots on 30 June 2017 and the marriage was labelled (by Clarín newspaper, as claimed by BBC) as ‘Argentina’s wedding of the century. Ciro was born next year as the legendary talisman skipped Barca’s contest against Málaga on 10th March to be with Antonela.
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The occasion was held at Hotel City Center, Rosario with around 260 guests attending the wedding including Luis Suárez, Neymar, Gerard Piqué and his wife, Shakira. Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Carles Puyol and his Argentine teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi were also spotted with their partners.
Messi attained the epitome of success in club football, but the failures with La Albiceleste led to utter frustration and premature retirement from international football (back in 2016). Antonela stood by him like a perfect better half and helped him overcome the anguish en route to conquering the first major silverware five years later. We wish the ‘perfect couple’ years of togetherness and many more success stories in the forthcoming future.
