Lionel Messi's love story with wife Antonela Roccuzzo goes back to childhood
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Lionel Messi and the Argentine national football team recently defeated France in a dramatic World Cup finale. Antonela Roccuzzo knew Messi before he was considered the greatest soccer player in the world.
Messi, 35, and his wife, 34, met when they were both children in their hometown of Rosario in Argentina. They are parents to sons Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 4. In 2017, they returned to Rosario for their wedding.
Here's what to know about the couple.
How did Antonela Roccuzzo meet Lionel Messi?
Growing up, Messi was good friends with fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia. According to CNN, a young Messi would often be found hanging out at the Scaglia household, hoping to see his friend's cousin, Roccuzzo.
At 12-years-old, Messi left Argentina to join Barcelona's soccer team. Messi and Roccuzzo didn't see one another for years, reconnecting later on.
What does Antonela Roccuzzo do for a living?
At the National University of Rosario, Roccuzzo earned a Bachelor's degree in humanities and social sciences, then planned to study dentistry, Vanity Fair España reported. However, after six months, she decided to instead leave her studies and move to Spain to be closer to Messi.
Roccuzzo now works as a model and social media influencer.
Here's how Lionel Messi describes his wife
In a 2019 interview with Marca, Messi was asked what he admires most about his wife. He replied, "Everything."
"She has many good qualities: how she gets by on a daily basis; her personality; she is always in a good mood; and she always faces up to problems in an admirable way," he told the publication.
The soccer star added that Roccuzzo is a "very intelligent person who is great in all aspects of life."
She's active on social media
With nearly 26 million followers, Rocuzzo has a huge Instagram presence, sharing sweet moments with her husband and family.
She notes in her bio, though, that she does not have Twitter or Facebook accounts.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com