Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo have one of the most iconic love stories. They've known each other since childhood, and they have spent most of their lives in love. Their relationship has been relatively drama-free, but according to Andrea Rincón, Roccuzzo wasn't the only one who got to know Messi.
© GettyRecently, Rincón caught both the sports and entertainment worlds off guard after sharing details of a past romance with the Argentine athlete.
© GettyDuring a recent appearance on Martín Cirio’s podcast, she was directly asked about the long-rumored connection.“I was 24,” she said, placing the encounter around 2008 or 2009. “The next day he scored a goal, and when I saw him I told him, ‘I bring good luck.’ I had had a bit too much to drink, but it’s true.”
Before things could spiral, she made one point very clear: “He wasn’t with Antonela, that’s the only thing I’m going to say. I know because many journalists called me. He wasn't unfaithful to Antonela. I didn't lie, I'm not lying (about the affair), but he wasn't unfaithful," she said before praising his physique.
© GettyIt's not the first time she's talked about Messi. Recently, Rincón revealed that the two are no longer in contact and haven’t been for some time. Speaking in March, on the AZZ channel, she said Messi had blocked her on Instagram and even showed that his profile doesn’t appear when she searches for him. “I don’t want him to unblock me, I’m not interested,” she said, adding that she only brought it up to make it clear there’s no connection today.
Looking back, she framed the relationship as something that belongs firmly in the past. “It was in another life. Today I don’t think Leo would do those things - he has a formed, established, beautiful family,” the 41-year-old said. Still, she added, “He was also a young guy and could do things. The woman (Antonela) could also do them.”
Back in 2011, Rincón had already hinted at their connection, saying, “I had a great time with Messi. A person will never attract me just because of their presence. He’s a good guy. He invited me to Barcelona, but I didn’t go.”
Messi and Antonella's timeline
© GettyMeanwhile, Messi and Roccuzzo’s relationship has its own long, well-known timeline. The two met as children in Rosario, Argentina, when they were around eight or nine years old. He later moved to Spain at 13, and they lost touch, but the connection lingered.
They reunited in 2007 after Messi returned home following the death of one of Antonela’s close friends - a moment that brought them back into each other’s lives for good. Not long after, she visited him in Barcelona, eventually moving in with him.
In 2012, the couple confirmed they were expecting their first child, Thiago, who was born later that year on November 2. Their second son, Mateo, arrived on September 11, 2015.
© AFPThey officially tied the knot on June 30, 2017, in Rosario, celebrating with around 260 guests at the City Center hotel. Their youngest son, Ciro, was born on March 10, 2018.
Today, Messi and Roccuzzo remain one of football’s most recognizable couples, raising their three children together, while moments from the past, like this one, occasionally resurface and spark conversation all over again.
