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In March, Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento opened up about the time she met Lionel Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo in the women’s rest room. She said that she had conveyed a message to the Paris Saint-Germain man through his wife.
Three-time FIFA World Cup winner Pele passed away on December 29, 2022, shortly after Messi’s Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup. According to Kely, her father was rooting for Brazil’s arch-nemesis Argentina, as he wanted Messi to win the World Cup.
Kely admittedly talked about Pele’s support for the Argentina captain in her interaction with Antonela. She wrote on Instagram:
“Storytime. This is the beautiful and graceful Antonela Roccuzzo, Messi's wife. I didn't get a chance to meet Messi so when I met her in the women's bathroom, I sent a message to Messi through Antonela…"
“By the time Brazil lost to Croatia, my dad was already getting much worse. Everyone wanted Brazil to win the World Cup because of my father. Even though my dad understood football better than anyone else, and that there really was a chance that any team would be able to win. He always said he loved that beautiful game.”
She added:
“After Brazil's defeat, everyone who came into the hospital room used to say 'Now what's next Pele? Who do you want to win the World Cup? Of course not Argentina...' Pele would reply 'Argentina! this cup must stay in South America and Messi deserves it.
“Some of those who entered the hospital room said jokingly, though not all jokingly, 'What a shame! Why Argentina?.... Pele just said 'Yes, Messi deserves it'.”
Kely concluded:
“Pele was unable to watch the final on television, but he understood that Argentina won, and Messi managed to lift the World Cup trophy. He was very happy... Viva football!”
Propelled by Messi’s brilliance, Argentina brought the World Cup back to the country after a 36-year hiatus. The 35-year-old recorded seven goals and three assists in seven games to emerge as the tournament’s best player and win the Golden Ball.
Former teammate sheds light on Lionel Messi’s early relationship with Antonela Roccuzzo
Walter Vittor, who played alongside Lionel Messi at boyhood club Newell's Old Boys, has said that the Argentine icon was smitten with Antonela Roccuzzo when he was a boy.
Rosario-born Antonela and Lionel Messi have known each other since they were only five. She's the cousin of Lucas Scaglia, who is the Barcelona icon’s childhood friend. According to Vittor, the pair would meet often after Newell’s training sessions and already had good chemistry.
Speaking to Infobae, Vittor said:
“Anto (Antonela) lived a few blocks away and after training, we would meet at Lucas (Scaglia)'s house or at grandma's. When they (Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo) were together, there was already a mischievous look there. Obviously, it was all the innocence of the boys we were, nothing more. But then that bond ended up blossoming later on.”
The couple have been together since 2008 and tied the knot at a luxurious Argentina hotel in June 2017. They have three children — Thiago (10), Mateo (7), and Ciro (5) — together.
