If you’re a soccer fan, you’ve probably heard of Lionel Messi. The 33-year-old Argentinian forward has an impressive record that includes ten La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey titles, and 750 senior career goals—a record number for a single club player. But did you know that this sports superstar is married to his childhood sweetheart? Here’s the inside scoop on Antonella Roccuzzo, Lionel Messi’s wife.
Lionel Messi’s Wife Is Antonella Roccuzzo
Antonella Roccuzzo was born on February 26th, 1988, in Rosario, Argentina—the same city where Messi was born. Messi was close friends with Roccuzzo’s cousin, fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia, which is how he came to meet Roccuzzo when he was just five years old. Messi says he remembers his early childhood well and was interested in soccer from the very start. “My first memories are from when I was very little, maybe three or four years old playing in my neighbourhood at home,” he said in a 2013 interview with Worldsoccer.com. “I can picture myself with the ball at my feet from a very young age.”
Roccuzzo and Messi were childhood sweethearts; however, they were forced to part ways when Messi moved with his family to Spain to pursue his soccer career.
“Imagine moving with your family to a new continent at age 13 with everyone’s future riding on you. It was a complicated time,” Messi said about the move in a 2017 interview with Sports Illustrated. “On the one hand, it was spectacular to come play at Barcelona. On the other, leaving everything behind in Rosario was tough: my friends, the rest of my family, my childhood, arriving in a country where I had nothing. I started practically from zero.”
Fortunately, the soccer star eventually reunited with Roccuzzo, and the pair began dating in 2008. They got married almost a decade later, on June 30, 2017, in a lavish ceremony in the couple’s hometown. The wedding was held at a luxury hotel and had about 250 guests, including Messi’s Barcelona teammate Gerard Pique and his pop-star wife, Shakira.
Antonella Roccuzzo Has Three Sons With Lionel Messi
Roccuzzo has three sons with Lionel Messi: Thiago (born in 2012), Mateo (born in 2015), and Ciro (born in 2017). Becoming a dad was a big deal for the FIFA champ, who said fatherhood changed his life. “You grow and you learn. You gather experience in all aspects of life, on and off the field,” he told Fcbarcelona.com in 2019. “But, as a human being, having three children changed my perspective on life, my way of thinking and it also helped me grow.”
Messi also says that despite his busy career, he loves spending time at home with his family. “Even though there are few moments of respite at home with three kids, we try to enjoy every second with them, whether it is watching the TV, playing or whatever. We like to stay at home and enjoy these moments.”
Roccuzzo And Messi Have A Unique Love Story
After leaving Argentina at 13, Messi continued to carry a torch for the lovely Antonela Roccuzzo. According to reports, the soccer star rushed home to comfort his childhood sweetheart in 2007 when one of her close friends tragically died in an accident. It was then that they rekindled their romance and have been together ever since.
The couple initially spent some time apart while Roccuzzo studied at the National University of Rosario, and Messi returned to Spain to play soccer. But by 2012, Roccuzzo had moved to Barcelona to be with her beloved and was expecting their first child.
“My wife, Antonela, has lots of great qualities,” Messi told Fcbarcelona.com. “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.”
Antonella Has Over 13 Million Followers On Instagram
Of course, there’s much more to Antonella Roccuzzo than the fact that she’s Lionel Messi’s wife. While the Argentinian beauty initially went to school to become a dentist, the 33-year-old is now a model and devoted mom-of-three. She’s also extremely popular on social media, with over 13 million followers on Instagram. Some of her posts get more than a million likes!
Roccuzzo frequently posts pictures of her husband and sons to her feed, which her fans clearly love to see. In fact, the Messi-Roccuzzo clan look like a typical, everyday family, celebrating birthdays, going on vacations, and playing with their dog. We love this adorable couple and their sweet love story!