In addition to his outstanding talent on the field, Lionel Messi is also admired for his happy marriage with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo. His wife is one year younger than the Argentine superstar, and they both come from his hometown of Rosario. Antonela is the cousin of a close friend on Messi’s childhood team. During a visit to his friend’s house, the young Messi fell in love with Antonela. The two grew up together with a “stupid” love.

When Messi entered his teens and moved to Spain to pursue his football career, Antonela remained at home. The distance affected the young couple’s feelings. But when Antonela’s best friend died in an accident in 2005, Messi flew back to Argentina to comfort her and two years later, the couple went public with their relationship.

The young woman studied social sciences and humanities at the National University of Rosario in her hometown. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, Antonela studied dentistry. However, according to Spanish media, she dropped out of school to move to Spain to be closer to Messi. In 2012, Messi and Antonela welcomed their first son, Thiago, and three years later, their second son, Mateo. In the summer of 2017, after a decade together, the couple got married. In 2018, Antonela gave birth to their third son, Ciro.

Messi’s wife is also a tattoo lover. Hola reported that Antonela has at least 6 tattoos, including a queen’s crown tattoo on her arm that matches Messi’s king’s crown drawing. The 1988-born beauty has the names of her three sons tattooed on the backs of her hands. Antonela is a fan of Harry Potter and has a tattoo of a golden snitch from Quidditch.

The Argentine superstar’s wife loves animals, especially dogs. The couple has two dogs named Hulk and Abu. In 2016, Antonela gave her husband a dog named Mastiff Bordeaux. Messi and his wife have supported animal shelters and rescue facilities for many years.

In November 2016, Antonela announced that she had signed a modelling contract with designer Ricky Sarkany. In 2017, she and her close friend Sofia Balbi – wife of striker Luis Suarez – opened a shoe store for the Sarkany brand. The mother of three has also collaborated with a number of fashion and beauty brands such as Alo Yogam Adidas and Stella McCartney. Messi’s wife has repeatedly promoted the brand she represents on Instagram, where she has nearly 37 million followers. She does not have a Twitter or Facebook account.

From a simple girl when she first dated Messi, Antonela gradually took better care of her appearance, used designer fashion and appeared at more flashy events. But the wife of the Inter Miami superstar has never shared about her private life. Antonela witnessed the most glorious or most failed moments of her husband’s career. She and her children followed him from Barcelona to Paris in 2021 and then to the US, often appearing in the stands to cheer him on.

Messi also rarely talks about his wife and children. In an interview a few years ago, the champion said: “My wife Antonela has many good qualities. I really admire the way she goes through her day, always in a good mood, approaching problems in an admirable way. She is intelligent and well-rounded in all aspects of life.”