Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo met as children in Rosario, Argentina thanks to Lucas Scaglia. Lucas and Lionel used to be players for Newell’s Old Boys – a soccer league for kids and became close friends. Lucas is Antonela’s cousin and one summer he invited Messi on a family vacation. When Lionel was 9 years old and Antonela was 8 years old, they first met each other.

At that time, Lionel and Antonela often played on the street with friends, like many other children of their age. When he was 11, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone disorder that directly threatened his dream of becoming a professional footballer. His father, Jorge Messi, did everything to get a team to sign Messi and pay for his treatment.

Parting for your own ideals

Because to pursue his dream of life, Messi left for Spain, signed a contract with FC Barcelona for teenagers. During his years here, Messi gained status within the club, quickly becoming one of the most iconic figures in football history. However, he couldn’t help but think of Antonela, who was still in Rosario.

Messi once said in an interview: “When we were children, we were attracted to each other, it was like love at first sight. Then I went to Barcelona so we were separated. Back then it was very difficult to contact and can only talk on the phone.”

According to Vanity Fair , when Messi left to pursue a major career, Antonela studied dentistry and also earned a bachelor’s degree in humanities and social sciences from Rosario National University. In 2005, when Antonella was 18 years old, she faced the great loss of her life when her best friend died in a car accident.

Love found again

At this point, Antonela’s spirit was exhausted. When he heard the terrible news, Messi booked a flight to Argentina right away. They reunite and together make plans for the future. Antonela accepted to leave her old life behind to move to Castelldefels, Barcelona, ​​Spain and live with Messi. This timeline marks their shared life as a couple. But it was not until 4 years later that they made their love affair public.

In June 2012, they announced the good news of having their first child. On November 2, 2012, baby Thiago Messi was born. As Messi’s career developed, so did his family. On September 11, 2015, Mateo, their second son, was born. On June 30, 2017, they got married and had a wedding in their hometown of Rosario. The two held their wedding ceremony at the City Center hotel with more than 260 guests. Among them are football stars such as Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, Neymar, Sergio Aguero, Samuel Eto’o, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez and singer Shakira.

Messi once told FC Barcelona about his wife: “My wife, Antonela, has a lot of great qualities. I really admire the way she handles daily work. She is always in a positive mood and knows how to continue. She’s very smart and well-rounded in all aspects of life.” On March 11, 2018, their third son, baby Ciro, was born.

As a father, Messi said: “You grow and you learn. You gain experience in every aspect of life, on and off the pitch. But as a person, having three children has changed. life perspective, way of thinking and also help me become more mature”.

He added: “Although there is very little rest time at home with our three children, my wife and I always try to enjoy every moment with them, whether it’s watching TV, playing or whatever. like to stay at home and enjoy these moments.”

Antonela is also very supportive of Messi’s career. She often cheers her husband on at football matches. During this year’s World Cup, the whole family wore the same number 10 shirt. As her husband lifts the trophy and celebrates with his family, out of millions and billions of people celebrating Messi ‘s victory , she cries. Her tears were explained by fans as being too happy for her husband, imbued with the hardships and efforts he put in for many years before touching the World Cup trophy for the first time.