Who Is Lionel Messi's Wife? All About His Childhood Sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo

The Argentinian soccer star married his childhood sweetheart in 2017, and the couple shares three sons together

NEED TO KNOW

• Inter Miami star Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo met when they were children
• After reconnecting in 2005, the Argentine natives wed in 2017 and welcomed three sons, Thiago, Mateo and Ciro
• Roccuzzo is a model, entrepreneur and social media influencer

Lionel Messi has millions of fans around the world, but his No. 1 supporter is right at home: wife Antonela Roccuzzo.

The professional soccer star, who plays for Inter Miami FC and is competing in his sixth FIFA World Cup for Argentina, met Roccuzzo when they were children. They lost touch when he moved to Spain to train, but later reconnected over a tragedy and eventually fell in love.

The couple welcomed two sons, Thiago and Mateo, before marrying in 2017, and welcomed their third son, Ciro, in 2018.

"My wife, Antonela, has lots of great qualities," Messi told FC Barcelona in October 2019. "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."

So, who is Lionel Messi's wife? Here's everything to know about Antonela Roccuzzo.

She met Messi as a child

Messi was born on June 24, 1987, while Roccuzzo was born on Feb. 26, 1988. She is the middle daughter of Patricia Blanco and José Roccuzzo.

The pair met in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina, as children. According to Today, Messi often played soccer with Lucas Scaglia and would hang around his pal's house hoping to see Scaglia's cousin, Roccuzzo.

The athlete left the city in 2000 to pursue a soccer career in Spain, but they reconnected a few years later. The couple regularly returns to Argentina to celebrate holidays, and they maintain a home in the Kentucky Country Club in Funes, outside their hometown.

Following their December 2023 trip, Roccuzzo shared photos on Instagram from her visit to a local school alongside the caption, "On vacation in Rosario, we visited @montessoricocoon and enjoyed the new games from @crucijuegos 🤍."

She and Lionel reconnected after a tragedy

In May 2005, Roccuzzo's best friend Úrsula Notz, 16, died in a car accident. After learning the news, Messi flew back to Argentina from Spain to comfort his future bride, according to Argentina's Para Ti.

Roccuzzo paid tribute to her late friend on Instagram Stories in 2019 to raise awareness about traffic accidents in Rosario.

"Absences are felt in everyday life, on birthdays, on anniversaries, at parties. Absences are disturbing," she wrote in Spanish. "When we understand that we will no longer listen to that voice that accompanied us, absences transform, being able to turn pain into action, but knowing that we will never be the same as before. Absences guide us. Absences hurt, but they also relaunch us."

She attended university in Argentina

According to Vanity Fair Spain, Roccuzzo attended the National University of Rosario in Argentina, where she earned a bachelor's degree in humanities and social sciences.

She began postgraduate studies in dentistry but dropped out at 19 to move to Barcelona to be closer to Messi.

She is a businesswoman and model

Roccuzzo works as a model, businesswoman and influencer.

In November 2016, she announced that she had signed a modeling contract with designer Ricky Sarkany. Then, in 2017, Roccuzzo and her friend Sofia Balbi, the wife of soccer player Luis Suárez, opened Barcelona's boutique for the Argentine footwear brand Sarkany, according to Marca. She has also worked with several fitness brands and companies, including Adidas, Alo Yoga, Stella McCartney and Tiffany & Co.

In March 2026, Roccuzzo was featured on the cover of Harper's Bazaar Mexico.

"My family has always supported me and kept me focused and centered in every moment of my life," she told the publication on balancing her many responsibilities. "I try to enjoy each of my roles, always striving to give my best. Professionally, I also try to enjoy it, and I take it very seriously because my family taught me respect for work."

She and Messi wed in 2017

The Argentina captain and Roccuzzo's nuptials, held at a casino in their hometown on June 30, 2017, were dubbed the "wedding of the century." Messi's teammates were in attendance, along with Shakira and her then-partner Gerard Piqué.

The next day, the model shared a photo on Instagram from their ceremony, alongside a sweet message thanking their friends and family for joining them, including lyrics from Abel Pintos' 2012 song "Sin Principio Ni Final."

She shares three kids with Messi

Messi and Roccuzzo share three children. They welcomed their first son, Thiago, on Nov. 2, 2012, followed by Mateo on Sept. 11, 2015. Their youngest son, Ciro, joined the family on March 10, 2018.

"What changed me most as a woman was becoming a mother," she told Harper's Bazaar Mexico. "Because from that moment on, my children became my priority."

Messi shared a similar sentiment about parenthood, previously telling FC Barcelona, "As a human being, having three children changed my perspective on life, my way of thinking, and it also helped me grow."

"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," he added. "We like to stay at home and enjoy these moments."

She and Messi moved their family to Miami in July 2023

Roccuzzo and Messi made a major change in the summer of 2023 when they picked up their family and moved to Miami after the soccer pro joined the city's team in the U.S.-based Major League Soccer (MLS) league.

The family of five appeared to be settling into the area nicely, as Messi posted a series of photos on Instagram of himself and Roccuzzo relaxing poolside with their kids that July. "Always like this. ❤️#familia," Messi captioned his post.

Soon after moving, Roccuzzo and Messi were seen enjoying a night out in Miami with longtime couple David and Victoria Beckham. The four were photographed arriving at local hotspot Gekkō, and Victoria later shared photos from the evening on Instagram with the caption: "La familia!! Besos…"

Roccuzzo has since shared several photos from Florida on Instagram and lists Miami as her location in her bio. Though she hasn't ventured too far from the Sunshine State in her three years living in North America, she hopes to change that in the future.

"I know very little about the United States. I have to travel beyond Orlando!" she told Harper's Bazaar Mexico with a laugh. "I would love to go to Mexico. I don't know if there will be an opportunity to go as the World Cup progresses for Argentina. We'll see, but I would love to go."

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