Everything You Need to Know About Lionel Messi’s Wife Antonela Roccuzzo

Antonela Roccuzzo and Lionel Messi’s love is as iconic as his soccer career.

Roccuzzo, who is often spotted supporting the Paris Saint-Germain F.C. star at his games, and Messi met when they were teenagers and even after he moved away from Argentina to train, managed to fall in love when life brought them together again years later.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Argentinian model and influencer.

Photo by Shaun Botterill – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images Lionel Messi and Antonela Raccuzzo celebrate the World Cup win of Argentina.

They met as teenagers in Argentina

The couple met when they were just children in Rosario, Argentina, their hometown, through the model’s cousin, Lucas Scaglia. When Messi was 13 years old, he moved to Barcelona to train in soccer, where he later made his competitive debut at age 17 in 2004.

Years later, the love birds reconnected when Antonela’s best friend died in a car accident. According to Yahoo! Sports, Messi flew back to Rosario when he heard to console her.

The two started dating in 2008 but kept their relationship secret until 2009 when the soccer star revealed their relationship in an interview.

She has a bachelor’s degree in humanities and social sciences

Roccuzzo received a bachelor’s degree in humanities and social sciences from the National University of Rosario and started her postgraduate studies in dentistry.

She paused her studies to move closer to Messi in Spain, Vanity Fair España states.

She is an influencer, businesswoman and model

Over the years, Rocuzzo has gained more than 20 million followers on Instagram, where she regularly shares snippets of life with Messi and their family in addition to fashion and fitness brands.

She signed a contract with designer Ricky Sarkany in 2016 and has worked for top fashion houses such as Adidas and Stella McCartney. In 2017, she opened a boutique for the Argentinean brand Sarkany alongside Sofia Balbi.

AFP PHOTO / EITAN ABRAMOVICH ( EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP via Getty Images) Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo at their wedding in Argentina.

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The couple married in 2017

After having their first two children in June 2012 and September 2015, the couple wed in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina, on June 30, 2017. The festivities were coined the “wedding of the century,” with invitees such as Gerard Piqué, Shakira and Neymar attending.

On Instagram, the 34-year-old businesswoman quoted lyrics from “Sin principio ni final” by Abel Pintos, sharing, “My husband ❤️ Thanks to our whole family and friends for joining us!!! We love you so much💍👰🏽🤵!!! #felicidad #siquiero❤️.”

Messi has consistently shown his admiration for the mother of his children.

“My wife, Antonela, has lots of great qualities,” he told FC Barcelona. “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.”

Photo by Marc Piasecki/WireImage Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo with their three children.

She has three children with Messi

The couple welcomed their first son, Thiago, in 2012. In 2015, their son Mateo was born. Their youngest, Ciro, was born in 2018.

After Thiago’s birth, Messi shared his experience as a father with FC Barcelona.

“You grow and you learn,” he said. “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.”

He continued, “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.”

She celebrated Argentina’s FIFA World Cup wins alongside her children in Qatar

Rocuzzo cheered from the stands as Messi and the Argentina national team won the 2022 FIFA World Cup on December 19 against France. After the win, she rushed to the field with her children to congratulate the GOAT and celebrate alongside him.

“WORLD CHAMPIONS 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷,” she wrote on Instagram. “I don’t know where to start…we feel such pride for you @leomessi. Thank you for teaching us to never lower our arms, to fight until the end.”

She added, “FINALLY IT CAME TRUE YOU ARE WORLD CHAMPION, we know what you suffered for so many years, what you wished until you achieved this!!! LET’S GO ARGENTINA 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷.”