Lionel Messi is an Argentine soccer player who in 2023 signed to play for Inter Miami of the MLS. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a soccer field. Despite this worldwide fame, Messi chose to marry his hometown sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo.
As of this writing, Messi currently holds the record for most Ballon d’Or awards with seven — an award given to the best football player in a single season. On top of that, he holds multiple individual accolades such as the most goals in La Liga (474), most hat tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (eight), and most international goals by a South American male (98).
As for trophies, he has won 10 La Liga titles, one Ligue 1 title, four UEFA Champions League trophies, three UEFA Super Cups, three FIFA Club World Cups, and, finally, a World Cup with Argentina in 2022. However, in this article, we will be talking about Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.
Lionel Messi’s wife: Antonela Roccuzzo
The Argentine forward and his significant other have been together for more than a decade now, and they were married in 2017. Despite his status as one of the most well-known soccer players in history, Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo have lived a private life.
Antonela Roccuzzo was born on February 26th, 1988, in Rosario, Argentina, the same hometown as Lionel Messi. She was a childhood friend of the Argentine star and they have known each other since she was five years old. On top of that, she is the cousin of former midfielder and current soccer coach Lucas Scaglia.
As for her studies, Roccuzzo earned a degree in humanities and social sciences from the National University of Rosario. She then began her postgraduate studies in dentistry but chose to drop out in order to support Messi.
Messi and Roccuzzo met each other when they were kids in Rosario, Argentina. Messi is known for his shyness, but that was not the case with Antonela as he frequented the house of Lucas Scaglia so that he could have a chance to see her. However, Messi left their hometown as an adolescent to pursue a soccer career with La Liga giants Barcelona FC.
Lionel Messi's early relationship with Antonela Roccuzzo
Unfortunately, in 2005, Roccuzzo's best friend, Ursula Notz, died in a car accident. When Messi discovered the news, he flew back to Argentina from Barcelona in order to comfort Roccuzzo. They have been together ever since.
Following their re-connection, the couple kept their relationship private until around 2008-2009 when Messi confirmed that he has a girlfriend in an interview. The pair went public during a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol Derby.
In 2012, Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo welcomed their first child, Thiago Messi. While she was pregnant, Messi celebrated the coming arrival of their first child during Argentina’s match against Ecuador by placing the ball under his shirt after scoring a goal.
Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo's wedding
In April 2015, Lionel Messi confirmed the couple was expecting their second child. Two years later, Antonela Roccuzzo and Lionel Messi tied the knot at a luxury hotel in Rosario, Argentina, named Hotel City Center.
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Their wedding was dubbed “Wedding of the Century.” Famous attendees included Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero as well as Barcelona legends Xavi Hernandez, Carlos Puyol and Samuel Eto’o. Reportedly, the family banned guests' phones and hired over 450 police officers to manage public hoopla surrounding the event.
A few months later, the couple announced they were expecting their third child. Ciro Messi was born in 2018. The couple now have three children together, and they are surely experiencing the highs and lows of raising a family, although Lionel Messi's net worth of $600 million certainly helps. Messi has even shown that he prefers to spend time with Antonela Roccuzzo rather than receive more accolades.
Lionel Messi talks about his wife and children
“You grow and you learn. You gather experience in all aspects of life, on and off the field. But, as a human being, having three children changed my perspective on life, my way of thinking and it also helped me grow,” Messi said.
He also heaped praise on Antonela Roccuzzo for holding down the fort at home: “My wife, Antonela, has lots of great qualities. I really admire how she deals with the day to day. She is always in a good mood, and she approaches problems admirably. She is highly intelligent and well rounded in all aspects of life.”
In 2022, Lionel Messi led Argentina to his first World Cup win with a thrilling final victory over France. And, of course, Antonela Roccuzzo was with the soccer legend as he chased his goal of winning his first World Cup title.
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For now, that is all we know about Lionel Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.
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