Soccer star Lionel Messi’s family has scored a total goal.
The FIFA World Cup winner met his wife Antonella Roccuzzo as children and they reunited in 2005.
The couple welcomed their first son, Thiago, in 2012.
Messi and Rocuzzo’s son Mateo was born in 2015, just two years before the pair married in 2017.
Messi, 38, and Roccuzzo, also 38, completed their family with the birth of son Ciro in 2018.
The athlete will again captain Argentina at the 2026 World Cup, with his partner and three children cheering him on from the sidelines.
Keep reading for everything you need to know about Messi’s family.
Antonella Roccuzzo, 38 years old
Roccuzzo and Messi’s love story goes back to their childhood.
The lovebirds both grew up in Rosario, Argentina, and first met through Lucas Scaglia, Roccuzzo’s cousin and Messi’s long-time friend.
The two met when they were young and remained close even after Messi moved to Spain to join Barcelona’s youth club La Masia.
In 2005, Messi returned to Argentina to support Roccuzzo after the tragic death of a close friend.
After the footballer returned to Spain, the couple began a long-distance relationship and publicly acknowledged their relationship in 2009.
The couple married on June 30, 2017 at the City Center Hotel Casino in Rosario.
In addition to being a mother and wife, Roccuzzo is also an influencer and philanthropist, with nearly 40 million followers on Instagram.
The model showed her support for her husband throughout her career, often wearing the number 10 jersey to games.
Thiago, 13 years old
Messi and Roccuzzo welcomed Thiago on November 2, 2012.
After Messi was born, he had his newborn’s name and handprint tattooed on his calf.
In 2013, Messi opened up about being a father to El Periodico, saying: “When you look at life, when you think about every moment, when you analyze every situation… everything is different now.”
Ahead of the star’s World Cup win in 2022, Thiago showed his support by writing down the lyrics to ‘Muchachos Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar’.
The song has become an anthem among Argentinian fans and roughly translates to “Folks, we have hope again,” according to ESPN.
At the time, it was Messi’s favorite song, and it quickly became Argentina’s unofficial anthem during matches.
Messi’s eldest son is currently following in his footsteps through youth soccer.
Thiago, like his father, was previously part of Barcelona’s youth team.
In 2020, footage of the tiny athlete scoring a goal in his first game with the team went viral.
After coming through Paris Saint-Germain’s academy, Thiago currently plays for Inter Miami’s Under-12 team.
Mateo, 10 years old
Messi and Roccuzzo’s second son, Mateo, was born on September 11, 2015.
In a 2019 interview with ESPN UK, Messi said of his middle child: “Mateo is a very special person. He’s always doing new things, things that attract attention.”
The sports champion revealed that Mateo is similar to him in many ways, including his competitive nature.
After Argentina’s loss to Saudi Arabia in 2022, Messi told reporters at the time that Mateo left the match in tears.
“My family is suffering like all Argentines,” he said.
Ciro, 8 years old
The couple’s youngest child was born on March 10, 2018.
Roccuzzo got the word “Ciro” tattooed on his arm after arriving, while Messi added ink next to his other sons’ tattoos.
In a 2016 essay for Sports Illustrated magazine, the professional soccer player talked about what a day in the life with his kids is like off the field.
“A typical day would be taking Thiago to school, going to training, drinking mate at home, and spending time with Ant and the kids at the park or somewhere,” he wrote at the time.
“It’s a normal, peaceful life, the kind of life we’ve always wanted.”
In March, the mother of three wished Ciro a happy birthday, writing on Instagram: “We’ve been watching you grow for eight years now. We’re so proud of you! We love you so much.”
