"Soccer mom" - Lionel Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo reacts as she watches Thiago in action for Inter Miami academy
Lionel Messi's wife Antonela Roccuzzo pulled mother duties as she watched their son Thiago play in Inter Miami's academy.
Thiago joined the Herons' academy in August, following his father who signed for David Beckham's co-owned franchise after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. The 11-year-old has made several appearances and Roccuzzo has been in attendance to watch him, per GOAL.
Antonela Roccuzzo took to Instagram to post a snap on her story of herself at Inter Miami's academy. She even showed her loyalty to the Messi family's move to the United States by calling herself:
"Soccer mom."
Lionel Messi has made a stunning start to his career at Inter Miami. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has bagged 11 goals and five assists in 14 games across competitions, captaining his side to the Leagues Cup.
The 36-year-old hopes Thiago can follow in his footsteps and embark on a successful football career. The eldest of Messi's three sons appears to admire five footballers besides his father.
Messi revealed in an interview back in 2020 that his son regularly talked about five players, including long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo. He said (via SPORTBible):
"He talks a lot about Luis [Suarez], with whom we have the best relationship, about [Antoine] Griezmann and Arturo [Vidal] since the first day because of his hair and all that. Also about people from outside, [Kylian] Mbappe, Cristiano [Ronaldo], Neymar."
Thiago was enrolled in FC Barcelona Escola at age three. This is a football academy that is exclusive to players of Barca's senior squad and staff, per Tribuna. It bodes well for Lionel Messi in his hopes of having his remarkable footballing career continue in his bloodline.
Antonela Roccuzzo's reaction to Lionel Messi winning his eighth Ballon d'Or
Lionel Messi's incredible past year saw him rewarded with the 2023 Ballon d'Or award. It saw him extend his record-breaking lead at the top of all-time Ballon d'Or wins to eight, three ahead of Ronaldo (five).
The Inter Miami superstar finally won a long-awaited World Cup and he did so in style. He scored seven goals and provided three assists in seven games, winning the tournament's Golden Boot.
His wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, congratulated Argentina's captain on yet another Ballon d'Or triumph. She posted a picture of the duo and their three boys at the awards ceremony on Instagram with the caption:
"Congratulations love (Lionel Messi). (You) kept making history, you deserve everything and more! We are super proud of you. We love you."
Messi also flourished at PSG last season, winning his second consecutive Ligue 1 title. He posted 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 games across competitions.
However, because he moved to the Herons in the summer, he became the first active player in history to win the Ballon d'Or.