Lionel Messi's family tree: Who are Argentina star's wife, kids and parents as soccer legend says farewell

Lionel Messi might be international soccer's greatest attraction. But the luminosity that he inspired throughout his glittering career is on the precipice of dimming for good.

The Argentina supernova is set to hang up his cleats for the national team after La Albiceleste takes on Benin at Estadio Monumental on Tuesday.

When Messi exits the pitch for the final time as a senior international, he will do so accompanied by his family — a unit that has played a leading role from the sidelines during his famous career.

With that, here's a look at Messi's family tree, from his parents, Jorge and Celia, to wife Antonela and their three boys.

Lionel Messi's father is Jorge Messi. He served as the soccer star's agent since he was 14, aiding in management of Messi's business affairs. He also accompanied his son when he flew to Barcelona for a trial in 2000.

"I always say the same: What makes me proud is who Leo is as a person," Jorge wrote in the 2011 book "My Son the Soccer Player: The Secrets of the World's Greatest Players as Told by Their Parents," according to Soccer America . "Of course, as he's triumphed in the sport of soccer, we are proud of him, but what we care about most is that he's a good person. [We] are all proud of him for that."

Jorge negotiated with Barcelona officials to get them to pay for his son's hormone treatment for a growth deficiency, per The Guardian. He also handled Messi's transfers to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, securing record-breaking contracts for the global star.

Messi has launched a series of real estate ventures in the years since he emerged as a global sports icon. Jorge played a chief role in facilitating them along the way. That occasionally put him under scrutiny; in 2016, Messi and his father were convicted in Spain of tax evasion. They avoided prison time, seeing their sentences commuted to probation periods of 21 and 15 months, respectively. In 2017, Messi and his father's punishments were changed again; they were ordered to pay approximately €432,000 ($495,000) in fines.

Jorge died on Aug. 7, 2026 after a prolonged bout with illness. He was 68 years old.

Messi's mother is Celia Cuccittini. She, too, has played a leading role in managing Messi's business affairs, spearheading the Leo Messi Foundation, Messi's charity arm. She also tends to her son's needs from the family's hometown of Rosario.

Messi rarely wastes the opportunity to shower his mother with praise. In Jan. 2011, the then-Barcelona standout celebrated a goal by lifting his shirt to reveal a handwritten message dedicated to his mother: "Feliz cumple mami." (Translates to "Happy birthday mommy," in English).

The world soccer standout received a yellow card for his gesture. He likely didn't mind all that much.

He got a portrait of her tattooed over his left shoulder.

"Leo is a divine son, a beautiful brother, a better father and an incredible husband," Celia said of Lionel on the show "El Diario de Mariana " in June 2018, per ESPN .

Lionel Messi brothers: Rodrigo and Matias Messi

Messi has two older brothers: Rodrigo and Matias. They, too, are involved in the family business of tending to Messi's off-field affairs. Rodrigo runs his youngest brother's daily schedule, while Matias supports his mother in managing Messi's charity.

Rodrigo and Matias have largely spurned the spotlight during his career. They shared a two-story home with their brother as children, growing up in Calle Lavalleja in Rosario, per The Athletic .

Messi's sister is Maria. She's the youngest of the Messi clan. Like her siblings, she has taken to helping her elder brother shine, In 2024, she was announced as the Senior Director of Brand Strategy and Creative at the soccer star's production company, 525 Rosario.

Years earlier, Maria served as the Chief Creative Officer at Stars Connections and the Brand Manager of Lionel's fashion brand called The Messi Store.

"It is a dream come true," María Sol said of The Messi Store while speaking to Sports Illustrated's SPORT in Dec. 2024 . "Fashion is what I like the most, ever since I was a child, and it was always a dream of mine to be involved with a clothing brand. I studied a lot to dedicate myself to this profession. When an opportunity such as this one presents itself, you have to take advantage of it."

Messi's wife is Antonela Roccuzzo. They've been together for nearly two decades, confirming their relationship to the public in 2009. In 2017, Messi and Antonela were married.

Roccuzzo was first introduced to her future husband as a child. She's the cousin of one of Messi's best childhood friends, Lucas Scaglia. They aptly held their wedding in their beloved Rosario.

Messi shared his love for his wife during a 2019 interview with Spanish outlet Marca , saying that hat he admires "everything" about her.

Together, the couple has welcomed three sons. Roccuzzo, too, tends to avoid the spotlight, although she often accompanies him when he plays in high-profile matches.

Roccuzzo maintains an active presence on social media, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in her family's life. With 41.9 million Instagram followers, a spot on the cover of Harper's Bazaar en Espanol and an Adidas sponsorship, it seems apparent that people are interested in hearing what she has to say.

Lionel Messi has three kids, all sons, with his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.

The couple welcomed their first child in 2012. Messi celebrated the couple's news of expecting a child by putting a ball under his shirt after scoring in Argentina's win over Ecuador in June 2012, later confirming the pregnancy in an interview.

Messi and Roccuzzo have three sons: eldest Thiago, the middle child, Mateo and the youngest, Ciro.

Thiago was born in 2012. Shortly after his birth, his father got his name and handprints tattooed onto his calf, per People . Messi credited Thiago with improving his outlook on the future, according to a 2013 Bleacher Report piece.

"My son has changed my life more than the Ballon d'Or [awards] have," Messi said.

Thiago has taken up his father's passion in recent years, emerging as a budding soccer star in Inter Miami's academy. He previously played for Barcelona's famed La Masia but made the swap upon his father's move to MLS in 2023.

Mateo was born three years after his eldest brother. He leapt into the public's consciousness during the 2022 World Cup after his father claimed that his son could be seen crying after La Albiceleste fell to Saudi Arabia in its group stage opener, according to The Mirror .

"Mateo is very special, he's always doing new things, things that grab your attention," Messi told Marca in Oct. 2019, per ESPN UK .

After Argentina's loss to Saudi Arabia in November 2022, Messi told reporters that Mateo left the stadium crying, according to The Mirror .

Messi and Roccuzzo's youngest son, Ciro, was born in 2018. His name dances across his father's calf, same as his brothers. All three look to be chips off the old block, garnering praise for their performances with Inter Miami's youth sides.

In fact, a clip of Ciro of him conducting an interview after a match recently went viral, per People .

"Jugamos bien porque le hicimos caso al entrenador" 🥹🏆 Ciro Messi y sus palabras después de salir campeón con los U8 y ganar el MVP de la final. Vamos Ciro! 👏 pic.twitter.com/4KaeoUcrqt — Inter Miami CF Academy (@InterMiamiAcad) May 27, 2026

"Jugamos bien porque le hicimos caso al entrenador" 🥹🏆 Ciro Messi y sus palabras después de salir campeón con los U8 y ganar el MVP de la final. Vamos Ciro! 👏 pic.twitter.com/4KaeoUcrqt

Inter Miami CF Academy (@InterMiamiAcad) May 27, 2026

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Argentina media reported that Messi's father died passed away in Rosario on Aug. 7, 2026. He was 68 years old.

Jorge's cause of death wasn't made immediately public. It was known that he was having health difficulties in the year leading up to his passing. On June 18, the Messi family published a statement revealing that Jorge was "under medical supervision" and "progressing favorably" with relation to his undisclosed condition, according to ESPN .

Messi hails from Rosario, Santa Fe province, a bustling metropolis located on the west bank of the Parana River. The hometown of Messi and Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara, the city is noted for its international impact.

The Messi family lived in a two-story home located on Calle Lavalleja. Jorge was a supervisor in a steel manufacturing plant while Celia worked at shop specializing in magnetic coils.

Messi got his start at Newell's Old Boys, a Rosario-based sports club that boasts Marcelo Bielsa, Gabriel Batistuta and Mauricio Pochettino as some of its best players. Diego Maradona played for the club briefly in 1993.