Lionel Messi married his childhood sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo, in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina, on Friday, June 30, in what many locals called the “wedding of the century.”
The longtime couple exchanged vows at a lavish hotel and casino in the Santa Fe province in front of approximately 260 guests, with hundreds of provincial and federal security guards on hand. The celebrities in attendance included the groom’s FC Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Neymar and Gerard Piqué, in addition to Piqué’s wife, pop star Shakira.
The bride’s stunning dress, which featured a heart-shaped lace back and a sweeping train, was crafted by famed Spanish designer Rosa Clara.
Messi, 30, and Roccuzzo, 29, met in Rosario when they were 5 years old. They reunited several years ago, long after he moved to Spain at the age of 13 to further his soccer career.
“That he chose his city, to choose Rosario to come to marry, to bring his companions of Barcelona and other guests to discover the city that saw him grow … it’s just who Leo is,” Messi’s former coach Enrique Domínguez told CNN ahead of the ceremony. “A guy with affection, with memory, a grateful guy because being who he is, he could have been married in the best place in the world.”
Messi and Roccuzzo share sons Thiago, 4, and Mateo, 21 months.