Antonela Roccuzzo is an Argentine influencer, philanthropist, and the wife of football icon Lionel Messi. Their story is one of the most genuinely long-running in modern sports.
The two have known each other since Messi was just five years old, growing up in the same circle of family friends in Rosario, Argentina, long before either of them could have imagined the life that awaited them.
Married since 2017, Antonela has remained a constant presence throughout Messi’s career.
She and their three sons are cheering him on from the stands as he competes in his sixth and likely final FIFA World Cup, having just become the tournament’s all-time leading men’s goalscorer.
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Antonella Roccuzzo Biography
She was born on February 26, 1988, in Rosario, Argentina. Antonela Roccuzzo is the cousin of Lucas Scaglia, who was Lionel Messi’s close childhood friend and teammate at Newell’s Old Boys.
It was through this family connection that Antonela and Lionel first met when Messi was just five years old.
Their families remained close over the following years, even after Messi’s family relocated to Spain when he was 13 to pursue his career with Barcelona’s youth academy.
Antonela enrolled at the National University of Rosario to study dentistry before later switching to social communication.
She ultimately left university without completing a degree as her relationship with Messi and her growing public life took precedence.
Career
Antonela Roccuzzo has built a substantial and varied career of her own, well beyond being known as Lionel Messi’s wife.
During the couple’s years living in Barcelona, she co-owned a boutique with her close friend Sofía Balbi, the wife of former Barcelona and Uruguay striker Luis Suárez.
The boutique sold the Argentine footwear brand Sarkany, which Antonela wore so consistently over the years, including at her own wedding, that fans came to closely associate her personal style with the label.
Antonela has since built one of the most recognizable personal brand portfolios among footballers’ partners worldwide, serving as a paid ambassador for major brands including Tiffany & Co., Lancôme, and Alo Yoga, the Los Angeles-based activewear label also endorsed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner, Georgina Rodríguez.
In 2024, she stepped into a new and deeply personal campaign, becoming the face of Adidas Essentials alongside Messi in their first-ever joint campaign for the brand, despite Messi’s decades-long partnership with Adidas.
Speaking to Grazia magazine about the campaign, Messi called it especially meaningful because it brought together two major parts of his life: his relationship with Antonela and his lifelong association with Adidas.
Antonela described the campaign’s focus on comfortable, everyday clothing as genuinely reflective of her personal style, noting that despite attending high-fashion events such as Louis Vuitton’s Paris Fashion Week shows, she identifies more with casual, wearable fashion than with red-carpet glamour.
Beyond her brand partnerships, Antonela has grown an Instagram following of nearly 40 million people, making her one of the most-followed partners of any professional athlete in the world.
She uses the platform to share fashion content while supporting her ongoing charitable work with UNICEF and the Special Olympics.
Fans and fashion publications have closely followed her style for years, with outlets such as the South China Morning Post highlighting her preferred luxury labels, including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana, alongside her everyday activewear collaborations.
Together, these ventures reflect a career built on genuine versatility rather than a single, narrowly defined identity.
Lionel Messi’s Wife
Despite knowing each other since early childhood, Antonela and Lionel’s romantic relationship did not begin until 2008, when Messi returned to Rosario during the holidays and the two reconnected as adults.
Their relationship became public in 2009, and Antonela gradually became a fixture at Messi’s matches, supporting him through his rise to becoming one of the greatest players in football history.
The couple’s first son, Thiago, was born on November 2, 2012, prompting Antonela to relocate to Barcelona to build a life with Messi as he continued his career at the club.
Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo married on June 30, 2017, in a ceremony in Rosario, Argentina, attended by teammates, celebrities, and close family.
The wedding was widely described in Argentine media as one of the most significant celebrity events the city had ever hosted.
Children
Antonela and Lionel have three sons together. Their eldest, Thiago, was born on November 2, 2012, and has already begun developing his football skills through youth academy play.
Their second son, Mateo, was born on September 11, 2015. Their youngest son, Ciro, was born on March 10, 2018, completing their family of five.
The family relocated to Paris in 2021 following Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain before settling in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2023 after Messi signed with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
They purchased an $11 million waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale, and Antonela has continued to share glimpses of their life in the United States, including photos of the boys wearing matching Argentina jerseys during the 2026 World Cup.
Public Life and Philanthropy
Antonela Roccuzzo serves as an ambassador for UNICEF and the Special Olympics, using her platform to support charitable causes focused on children’s welfare and the inclusion of people with disabilities.
She has spoken candidly in interviews about the emotional toll of watching her husband compete at the highest level, describing the nerve-racking experience of sitting through his biggest matches.
She was present at the 2022 FIFA World Cup final in Qatar, where Messi led Argentina to victory, and she has continued to show that same visible and emotional support throughout the 2026 World Cup, sharing celebratory messages on social media after Argentina’s victories, including its Round of 16 win over Egypt and quarterfinal victory over Switzerland.
