Little did Antonela Roccuzzo know that when she met a young boy who dreamed of being a footballer when she was just five, that she would be cheering on the best player on the planet in today’s World Cup final.
Neither did she have any idea that she would go on to become the brains behind Lionel Messi’s billion-dollar brand which eclipses all others, including David and Victoria Beckham and even long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo and his fiancee Georgina Rodriguez.
Nor that, on the way, she would become possibly the most famous woman in South America. Today she’s a philanthropist, a multi-millionaire influencer, a children’s fashion label owner, and an animal lover.
She is also a dentist, though she gave that up to be at the Argentina striker’s side as he started his journey via Barcelona and now Paris Saint-Germain to become the world’s richest and finest footballer.
Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo first met when they were just five and now have three children and have built a million-dollar brand together.
The woman who stole Messi’s heart is now possibly the most famous woman in South America. Today she’s a philanthropist, a multi-millionaire influencer, a children’s fashion label owner, and an animal lover.
Almost 30 years after she first came face to face with Messi, Antonela – mother to the superstar’s three sons – will be hoping the 35-year-old can lead Argentina to victory over defending champions France in Qatar today.
It would seal the perfect ending to his glorious career, securing him the one honor left to him in the game. Those who know Antonela, 34, say that she is ‘humble, modest and enjoys nothing more than to be at home with her boys and her two beloved dogs’.
There are, of course, several homes. They include a £10 million mansion…