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Lionel Messi is one of the all-time greats in the game of soccer. He’s also known for being a family man as he and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, who have known each other most of their lives, have three sons.

While Messi and Roccuzzo are childhood sweethearts, they weren’t always together and Roccuzzo dated another man. She eventually broke things off though to get back with the athlete and when she did her ex had an interesting response.

Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo have photos taken on the carpet with their children at the 2021 Ballon d'Or France Football award ceremony
Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo have photos taken on the carpet with their children at the 2021 Ballon d’Or France Football award ceremony | ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP via Getty Images

Messi and Roccuzzo are childhood sweethearts but were apart for a bit

Messi met through Roccuzzo’s cousin, Luca Scaglia, when they were just children and became very close.

When Messi was 9 years old, he wrote Roccuzzo a letter that said: “One day we will be boyfriend and girlfriend.”

However, a few years later the pair were separated when Messi’s family left Argentina and moved to Spain for him to pursue his career in soccer. His relationship with Roccuzzo then became platonic and she began seeing someone else.

Roccuzzo’s ex tried looking on the bright side when she dumped him for Messi

Lionel Messi and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo pose for photos as they arrive at party thrown by Luis Suarez
Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo pose for photos as they arrive at party thrown by Luis Suarez | EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP via Getty Images

Sometime around 2007 though Messi returned to Argentina and Roccuzzo dumped her boyfriend at the time for the soccer star.

Roccuzzo’s ex later spoke to a local newspaper and looked back on their breakup. As The Richest noted he said: “She dumped me, but at least she didn’t leave me for any old bloke — she dumped me for Messi.” 

Roccuzzo and the current Paris Saint-Germain forward then began seeing one another privately until they announced publicly that they were a couple in 2008.

“They are the love of each other’s lives,” Messi’s childhood friend Diego Vallejos said via Agence France-Presse.

Messi and Roccuzzo’s wedding was dubbed the ‘wedding of the century’

Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo smiling shortly after the couple were married in 2017
Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo smiling shortly after they were married in 2017 | Jose Almeida/picture alliance via Getty Images
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Move over Meghan and Harry and Will and Kate because the “wedding of the century” wasn’t reserved for a royal family member but rather for soccer royalty. That’s right when Roccuzzo and Messi said “I do” on June 30, 2017, it was dubbed the “wedding of the century” at least by all of the Argentine media.

Just over 250 guests were in attendance. And just like any A-list celebrity or royal wedding, the guest list was full of some very high-profile people including Gerard Piqué, Shakira, Neymar, and Luis Suárez. The affair was held at the Rosario’s City Center hotel complex and adjoining casino in the couple’s hometown. For the ceremony, Roccuzzo donned a mermaid-style gown by Spanish designer Rosa Clara who has also designed pieces for actor Eva Longoria and Spain’s Queen Letizia.

Instead of wedding gifts, the couple asked for donations to a children’s charity.

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