Messi’s 'wedding of the century' kicks off in Argentina

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Argentine football star Lionel Messi's "wedding of the century" took place in his hometown of Rosario in Santa Fe Province, Argentina on Friday evening.

The couple exchanged a kiss on the red carpet. /VCG Photo

The 30-year-old Barcelona striker wed his childhood sweetheart Antonela Roccuzzo, 29, in a civil ceremony at a local luxury hotel in Rosario.

Messi and Roccuzzo pose with their marriage certificate. /VCG Photo

Celebrities and some of the biggest names in world football were among 260 guests attending the ceremony.

Past and present Barcelona team mates Carles Puyol, Javier Mascherano, Neymar and Luis Suarez were all there, as was Gerard Pique and his pop star wife Shakira.

Guests take a group photo on the red carpet. /VCG Photo

Argentina player Sergio Romero and his wife Eliana Guercio attend the wedding. /VCG Photo

Barcelona's Sergio Busquets and his wife at the wedding. /VCG Photo

Several Premier League players also walked the red carpet, including Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas and Manchester City's Sergio Aguero.

Manchester's City footballer Argentine Sergio Aguero and his girlfriend singer Karina "La Princesita" walk the red carpet. /VCG Photo

A true love story

The couple’s wedding was long expected, as a fairy-tale love story came full-circle.

Messi and Roccuzzo met each other at the age of nine, when Messi and his friend Lucas Scaglia, the cousin of Roccuzzo, began to spend time together playing for their first football club at hometown, Newell’s Old Boys.

Messi and Roccuzzo in their childhood. /Weibo Photo

At a young age, Messi already fell in love with little Roccuzzo. Those who know Messi recall that he would write letters as a boy, stating that “One day Antonella would be my girlfriend”, Spanish daily sports newspaper Diario Sport reports.

Though Messi left his hometown to play for Barcelona, the two managed to reconnect. In 2009 during a TV interview, Messi announced he had a girlfriend in Argentina.

Roccuzzo moved to Barcelona for Messi not long after, and their relationship was unveiled by the world's media before the 2010 World Cup.

The couple now have two children, Thiago, four, and Mateo, 21 months.

Messi with his children. /Weibo Photo

The “wedding of the century”

The news of the couple tying the knot was revealed back in January, and the wedding was called "the wedding of the year" and "the wedding of the century" by Argentina's Clarín newspaper.

Messi and Roccuzzo after the wedding. /VCG Photo

To Rosario locals, Messi’s wedding was a big occasion. Less than two days before the wedding, the city was shielded with 300 security agents destined for a mega operation.

Police officers patrol the area of the venue. /VCG Photo

A worker does maintenance to traffic lights in front of the venue before the wedding. /VCG Photo

Artists also painted the city’s walls with murals of Messi, while young football players took to the pitch to celebrate the occasion.

Street artist Lisandro Urteaga in front of his mural of Argentine football player Lionel Messi. /VCG Photo

A boy wearing a Barcelona jersey with Lionel Messi's name plays football outside Messi's childhood school. /VCG Photo

Considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, Messi has won a record-breaking five FIFA Ballon d'Or awards and led Argentina to the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Last Saturday, the football star celebrated his 30th birthday.