5 footballers who got married this year

Marriage, for some, might be overrated. After all, what is the point of marriage when the couples have already been living together for a while? However, to some others, it is a special bond ordained by the very Almighty itself.

‘In the name of God,’ are words that send a shrill down the spines of a lot of people. It is something that makes a relationship special—or more official—that these two beings have promised to stick together through thick and thin.

2017 has been a year where a lot of footballers bound themselves in to the holy bond of marriage. After being with their beloved for a while, they decided to take things further by adding the tag of married—and here are 5 such players…

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#5 Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic has been touted as the heir to Luka Modric’s throne at Madrid and Croatia. Whenever he plays, he shows why he is rated among the very best talents in the world. His ability to see a pass even before the opponent does is something that captures the eyes of many.

His understanding of the game is imperial. The classy midfielder fell in love with Izabel Andrijanic in the Croatian village of Sesvetski and got married there earlier this year.

The duo exchanged their vows at St Antunas Church and then went on to continue their wedding celebrations at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb. After tying the knot, might have been injured, but has shown glimpses of a player who could actually be on the Ballon d’Or podium someday.

Lady luck, eh?

#4 Alvaro Morata

Morata married his partner in the summer (via Campello's Instagram)

Real Madrid misses this man. After completing his footballing education at Turin while playing for Juventus, Alvaro Morata was bought back by Madrid in the summer of 2016. And he had a very good season.

Scoring 20 goals in all competitions from mainly a substitute role, he grew frustrated with Zidane’s insistence on keeping the off-colour Karim Benzema as the main striker. And so he left.

The Spaniard left his home at Real Madrid for Chelsea earlier in the summer, but it was not before he got married to the love of his life, Alice Campello, in Venice in the summer.

Campello, who is a fashion blogger, tied the knot with the Chelsea striker at the Basilica del Redentore and then the couple shared a boat ride along the canals. A total of 400 people were invited to the wedding.

And Morata’s form since marriage? 10 league goals in 17 games for Chelsea.

#3 Kevin De Bruyne

De Bruyne and his beautiful family (via Lacroix's Instagram)

I think it would not be a false claim when I say that Kevin De Bruyne isn’t as highly rated as he should be. The stunning Belgian footballer has been such a consistent figure for Manchester City—and Wolfsburg before—that Chelsea fans might still lose a sleep or two when thinking about what could have been had Mourinho not sold him.

Nevertheless, everyone eventually finds a place where they belong—and so did Kevin De Bruyne at the Etihad.

And also in the arms of Michele Lacroix. The couple have been in a relationship since 2014 and share a son named Mason Milan. De Bruyne is not an artist on the pitch, but also a romantic outside of it as he proposed her under the Eiffel Tower in France last December.

And she obviously agreed, tying the knot in June earlier this year.

#2 Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann wed in secret (via Griezmann's Instagram)

The Frenchman might have made the headlines for all the wrong reasons a few days ago, but it can’t be denied that he is one hell of a player. He might be suffering from form right now, but it could be attributed to the fact that he wanted to leave in the summer of this year and couldn’t due to Atletico Madrid’s ban from buying players.

Nevertheless, he showed his loyalty and stuck to the club because they couldn’t acquire a replacement.

But his summer wasn’t all that bad as he got married—in secret, I shall add—to his long-term girlfriend Erika Choperena in Toledo, Spain. The pair wanted little fuss about their special day and, as a result, didn’t announce the wedding beforehand.

Things only came to light when Griezmann shared a short video on his Instagram account of popping a champagne cork near a celebration pool. And it obviously took everyone by surprise.

#1 Lionel Messi

Messi and his wife

And finally, it is time to talk about the most famous wedding of the year: Antonella Roccuzzo and Lionel Messi. Lionel Messi might be a 5-time Ballon d’Or winner and perhaps the greatest player of all time, but when it comes to his long-term partner, he is just that little kid who fell in love with her as a child.

After being in a relationship for over two decades, the Argentine pair finally got married in their hometown in Rosario. The hype around the marriage was so much that he had 450 security officials had to be assigned to keep matters in hand.

A lot of stars from the football fraternity joined the marriage that had over 250 people attending it. The sanctity of the occasion for the couple was such that they banned mobile phones inside the event hall. The pair already have two kids and we hope that they live together in peace through thick and thin.

We actually hope that for all the couples mentioned here.