Messi Wife Antonela Roccuzzo Draws 2.3 Million Likes Ahead of Opener
messi wife Antonela Roccuzzo drew 2.3 million likes on Instagram after posting a leopard print bikini photo ahead of Argentina’s World Cup 2026 opener. The post arrived as Lionel Messi prepared for his sixth World Cup, turning a personal post into one more sign of how closely the family remains tied to the tournament build-up.
Antonela Roccuzzo on Instagram
The image showed Roccuzzo in a leopard print bikini and a brown hat created by Ukrainian designer brand Ruslan Baginskiy. Sofia Balbi and Elena Galera added heart emojis in the comments, a small but telling detail about the circle around Messi that tends to move with tournament moments.
Argentina were due to begin their World Cup campaign at 2am UK time on Wednesday against Algeria, and the timing made the post land just before one of the sport’s biggest stages reopened for Messi. The family setting is part of the business of elite football now: a player’s tournament week is no longer only about training and tactics, but also the public attention orbiting the household.
Messi at 13 goals
Messi had 13 World Cup goals and sat three short of Miroslav Klose’s all-time record, which gives his sixth appearance a numerical target beyond Argentina’s title defense. He could also reach 200 appearances for Argentina against Algeria, adding another milestone to a career already stacked with them.
After Argentina’s final friendly against Iceland, Messi said he had doubted he would be able to play in the 2026 tournament. “There had been doubts because of what I said at the previous World Cup, that I thought it would be difficult for me to play in another one because so many years had to pass,” he said. He added that he was “excited as ever,” and that he was happy “enjoying every moment.”
Three children, one spotlight
The couple have three children together, and that is the friction point here: the public keeps treating every family post as tournament content, while Messi is trying to turn physical uncertainty into another record chase. Roccuzzo’s post did not change Argentina’s plans, but it did show where the attention sits now — on the player, his wife, and the scale of interest around them before the match against Algeria.
