Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo: a love story straight out of a movie

They say next to every great man there is a great woman.

Lionel Messi has just become a world champion, along with his Argentine team mates, and is considered the best soccer player in the world. But he didn’t get to the best point in his career alone- he did it with the support of his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, and his three children, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro Messi.

Who is Messi’s Wife, Antonela Roccuzzo?

Even though she gained world-wide fame due to her marriage to Lionel Messi, Antonela Roccuzzo has been able to make a name for herself on her own. Born to a family of businessmen, she gained a liking for fashion from a very young age. After studying Dentistry and Mass Communication in her hometown of Rosario, Antonela decided to take another route, and work in the fashion industry.

With more than 31 million followers, Antonela has shown that she has earned her place. She has worked as a model, an influencer and an entrepreneur, as she owns her own children’s clothing line. Together with her cousin, Andrea Lo Menzo, she launched “Enfans,” a kids-oriented brand that combines her love for children and fashion.

Despite Anto’s successes, she also had to face bankruptcy a few years ago. The model had to close the shoe store she founded in 2017, together with her friend Sofía Balbi, Luis Suárez’s wife. While the business earned favorable profits at the beginning, over time they had to close the only store they had in Barcelona ​​as a result of the decrease in sales.

Antonela has been hired by various brands and advertisers and has become an influencer for thousands of women around the world. The model’s net worth does not only include the assets that she has been able to obtain thanks to her union with Lionel Messi, but also those that she has obtained thanks to her profession.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, at 34 years old, Antonella has a fortune of 20 million dollars, far from that of her husband, who adds 600 million dollars. However, she has made it clear both through social media and her public appearances that her main interest in life is her family.

Anto and Messi’s relationship timeline

Messi and Antonela’s love story goes way back. They met when they were just seven years old because she was his friend’s cousin. Back then, they both lived in their hometown, Rosario, in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, where Messi was already incorporated into the lower divisions of Club Newell’s, one of the two most important teams in the city.

However, their relationship didn’t start in their teenage years. Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency and at the age of 13 he signed for Barcelona and moved to Spain. As part of the contract, the club agreed to pay for the treatment.

But the story wasn’t over yet. A few years later, they were reunited. A friend of Antonela tragically died in a car accident in 2005 and Leo traveled to Argentina to be there for her. They would then start a long distance relationship and, by the time the 2010 World Cup in South Africa began, Messi had already introduced her as his girlfriend.

Antonela went to live with him in Castelldefels, in Barcelona, ​​and they started building a family together. Their first son, Thiago, was born in 2012, and three years later came Mateo. 

Leo and Anto decided to make their love official and tied the knot in 2017. They traveled back to the city that watched them grow and got married in a large ceremony filled with soccer stars and celebrities. And there was still space for one more baby; in 2018 their third child, Ciro, was born.

Thiago, Mateo and Ciro Messi

Although the children have Argentine roots, they were all born in Barcelona and now live in Paris, due to Messi’s transfer to the Paris Saint Germain team. Antonela has shown them growing up throughout the years and has managed to make every fan fall in love with them.

As described by Messi himself, Thiago is the calmest of them all, and a good brother and son. However, Mateo is the total opposite. He goes viral every day of the week due to his charisma and uniqueness. He is always the center of attention, with his funny faces, one liners and reactions. Little Ciro is the baby of the family and he brings the cute side out of his big brothers.

Recently, while Antonela and the children were in the stadium supporting Messi in every match of the Qatar World Cup. To start off, Roccuzzo wore Argentina’s home shirt just when they lost against Saudi Arabia, but then wore the team’s away jersey for all of the following matches.  This quickly became a fashion statement for many of the couple’s fans.

Meanwhile, the children were euphoric- shouting, hugging, crying, smiling and jumping. Their reactions quickly became viral, resonating with every fan of Argentina.

While everyone is still waiting for a baby girl to be added to the family, they have managed to touch every follower’s heart. Lionel Messi is not only the best player in the world, he also has the best support system at home.