Messi to marry longtime partner Antonella Roccuzzo in Argentina

Lionel Messi will marry his childhood sweetheart and mother of two children, Antonella Roccuzzo, Friday in Argentina.

Associated Press | Jun 28, 2017

Messi to marry longtime partner Antonella Roccuzzo in Argentina /

There is a different side to Lionel Messi, one that not everyone gets to see.

The player who shines with the ball by his feet appears to be extremely shy off the field. But the timid-looking Argentina star, who for years has been attracting the world's attention because of his mind-boggling soccer skills, is an outgoing, cheerful and humorous character when he is among those he knows and trusts.

It's the lighthearted and extroverted version of Messi that will be the center of attention on Friday in his hometown of Rosario when he marries 29-year-old Antonella Roccuzzo, his childhood sweetheart and mother of his two children.

The wedding is a highly anticipated event in the central Argentine city, located about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of the capital of Buenos Aires, although the public is not expected to have any access to the festivities.

About 250 guests, including some current and former teammates, are expected to attend the ceremony in a five-star hotel that overlooks the city's largest shantytown. Special security measures are expected to be in place as guests begin arriving for the event.

Among those expected to attend are Barcelona teammates Neymar, Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique. Colombian singer Shakira, Pique's wife, is also expected at the ceremony.

Organizers said personal hairdressers will be available for the guests, along with entertainment services for their children. About 150 journalists will be allowed to cover the wedding under very strict rules, without any direct access to the ceremony or the party.

Messi and Roccuzzo have requested that wedding gifts come in the form of donations to the Leo Messi Foundation.

Messi is already in Rosario on vacation, but hasn't made any public appearances. He was in the city to celebrate his 30th birthday this week.

Best photos of Lionel Messi throughout the years

A young Lionel Messi poses for a photo in Argentina circa 1993.

Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring Argentina's second goal against Venezuela during a South American Under-20 Championship game on Jan. 13, 2005 in Armenia, Colombia.

Lionel Messi flips into a pool during a relaxed practice of Argentina's Under-20 soccer team on Jan. 14, 2005 in Pereira, Colombia.

Lionel Messi celebrates with the trophy after Argentina won the FIFA World Youth Championships over Nigeria on July 2, 2005 in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Lionel Messi poses with the Golden Boy trophy awarded by Italian magazine 'Tuttosport' distinguishing the best player under-21 on Dec. 14, 2005 in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Rafael Marquez celebrate after defeating Espanyol to win the Spanish League on May 6, 2006 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Khalid Boulahrouz and Lionel Messi challenge for the ball during the World Cup Group C soccer match between the Netherlands and Argentina on June 21, 2006 at the World Cup stadium in Frankfurt, Germany.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores with his hand during a Spanish League match against Espanyol on June 9, 2007 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Messi continued to draw comparisons with Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona who scored in similar fashion during a quarterfinal World Cup match against England in 1986.

Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the 2008 Summer Olympics Men's Soccer semifinal against Brazil on Aug. 19, 2008 at Beijing Workers' Stadium in China.

Lionel Messi speaks with the media upon his arrival at the Buenos Aires International Airport on May 30, 2009.

Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the FIFA World Cup Group B match against South Korea on June 17, 2010 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Argentina head coach Diego Maradona talks with Lionel Messi as they celebrate their victory over South Korea in the FIFA World Cup Group B match on June 17, 2010 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Argentina's Lionel Messi plays the ball during the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Mexico on June 27, 2010 at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Marcos Delgado/Clasos.com/LatinContent/Getty Images

Lionel Messi sits on the beach with girlfriend Antonella Rocuzzo on July 20, 2010 in Cancun, Mexico.

Lionel Messi and girlfriend Antonella Rocuzzo swim with dolphins at the Delphinus aquarium on July 24, 2010 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi from vies for the ball with Getafe's goalkeeper Jordi Codina during their La Liga match on Nov. 7, 2010 at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in Getafe, near Madrid, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring against Real Madrid during their semifinal, 1st leg Champions League soccer match on April 27, 2011 at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after scoring against Osasuna during their La Liga match on Sept. 17, 2011 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

2012-0421-Lionel-Messi-Pepe-Sergio-Ramos-Fabio-Coentrao.jpg — Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP

Barcelona's Lionel Messi duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Fabio Coentrao during their La Liga match on April 21, 2012 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with Gonzalo Higuain after scoring against Ecuador during their World Cup qualifying match on June 2, 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Carlos M. Saavedra for Sports Illustrated

Argentina's Lionel Messi makes a header during an International Friendly against Brazil on June 9, 2012 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring against Real Madrid during their La Liga match on Oct. 7, 2012 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi smiles during a news conference after receiving his Golden Boot award in recognition for scoring the most goals in Europe's domestic leagues on Oct. 29, 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

2013-0116-Lionel-Messi-FIFA-World-Player-of-the-Year-awards.jpg — Emilio Morenatti/AP

Barcelona's Lionel Messi poses with his four FIFA Men's World Player of the Year awards before a Copa del Rey match against Malaga on Jan. 16, 2013 at the Camp Nou stadium, in Barcelona, Spain. Messi received the award for a record-breaking fourth successive year.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi kicks the ball during their La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano on March 17, 2013 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates scoring the opening goal during their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain on April 2, 2013 at Parc des Princes in Paris, France.

2013-0519-Lionel-Messi-son-Thiago-Spanish-League-trophy.jpg — David Ramos/Getty Images

Barcelona's Lionel Messi holds his son Thiago as they sit next to the trophy after winning the La Liga match against Real Valladolid on May 19, 2013 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi plays the ball during their La Liga match against Espanyol on March 29, 2014 at Cornella-El Prat stadium in Cornella de Llobregat, Spain.

Argentina's Lionel Messi appears on the June 9, 2014 cover of the World Cup Preview Issue of Sports Illustrated.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup Group F match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 15, 2014 at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo after scoring their first goal during the FIFA World Cup Group F match against Nigeria on June 25, 2014 at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Belgium's Vincent Kompany and Argentina's Lionel Messi fight for the ball during the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match on July 5, 2014 at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores his team's fourth goal during the La Liga match against Granada CF on Sept. 27, 2014 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the La Liga match against Sevilla FC on Nov. 22, 2014 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Alexander Hassenstein/FIFA via Getty Images

FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee Lionel Messi poses for a portrait prior to the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala on Jan. 12, 2015 at the Park Hyatt hotel in Zurich, Switzerland.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi attempts a bicycle kick against Valencia's Nicolas Otamendi during their La Liga match on April 18, 2015 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi plays with his son Thiago after the La Liga match against Deportivo La Coruna on May 23, 2015 at Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi kisses the trophy after the Champions League final match victory over Juventus F.C. on June 6, 2015 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany.

Argentina's Lionel Messi kicks the ball during their Copa America semifinal match against Paraguay on June 30, 2015 at the Estadio Municipal de Concepcion in Chile.

Barcelona's Lionel Messi scores his side's second goal past Roma goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny during their Group E Champions League match on Nov. 24, 2015 at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain.

Messi poses for his second Sports Illustrated cover prior to the 2016 Copa America Centenario in the United States.

Messi jumps into the stands at Camp Nou to celebrate Barcelona's miracle comeback against PSG in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on March 8, 2017.

Messi shows off the back of his jersey to Real Madrid fans who witnessed his last-second winner for Barcelona in a riveting Clasico at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on April 23, 2017.

Messi grew up in a lower-middle-class neighborhood in Rosario along with two brothers and a sister. Roccuzzo was the cousin of a close friend of Messi, and the two were always around each other and shared a close relationship from a young age.

They stayed in touch after Messi left to play in Spain as a teenager, and eventually started their relationship in the late 2000s, reportedly after he returned to Argentina following the death of one of Roccuzzo's close friends in a traffic accident.

Roccuzzo eventually moved to Barcelona, where the couple have two boys, 4-year-old Thiago and 1-year-old Mateo.

''I'm a normal person. I have the same life as any human being,'' Messi said in an interview with ESPN before the 2014 World Cup. ''When I finish playing, I have my family, my friends. I live like any other person.''

Even before Messi turned into one of the best players in the world, he was already the type of person who kept to himself and avoided the spotlight but opened up in the company of friends and relatives.

People close to Messi and some of his former teammates say he is just a normal guy, talkative and often joking. The serious-looking player who rarely shows any expressions on the field or in front of the cameras is nothing like ''the real Messi,'' they say.

''No, no, no ...,'' former Barcelona teammate Jonathan Dos Santos said when asked if Messi was as shy as he appears.

Dos Santos, in Russia with Mexico's national soccer team at the Confederations Cup, said that Messi always opened up while with his teammates.

''He is a great guy, just a great guy,'' said Dos Santos, who was a teammate of Messi's at Barcelona from 2009-14.

Messi and his family recently were photographed with friends on vacation on a boat in Ibiza. Messi was seen playing with his children and laughing with his friends. It was the same when an Uruguayan television channel showed footage of Messi and Suarez playing cards with friends, with Messi joking and smiling all the time.

Messi, who has tattoos of both of his children, showed a more rebellious side of himself recently, dying his hair blond. He also has tattoos honoring his mother and Jesus.

He became much more active in social media recently, opening an Instagram account and posting many pictures of his children and some private moments with his family.

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A post shared by Leo Messi (@leomessi)

''I think that on the field I'm completely different than I am off,'' Messi told Television Publica Argentina a few years ago.

The soft-spoken Messi rarely speaks publicly and almost never talks to the media after or before games. Only a few times he has shown up at news conferences during tournaments with his club or national team.

Messi moved to Barcelona when he was 13 after being diagnosed with a hormone disorder that affected his growth. Barcelona offered to help him with the treatment.

The entire family initially moved with him, but Messi's mother and two siblings soon returned to Argentina. Messi stayed in Spain with his father, but he couldn't play at first because he didn't have the proper documentation.

''One day I asked him, `What do you want to do? Because in the end, the decision is yours,''' his father, Jorge, said in a television documentary about Messi's life. ''And he told me, `I want to stay. I want to play for Barcelona.'''

Now he wants to get married, and he's gone back home to do it.

Published Jun 28, 2017

ASSOCIATED PRESS