It is a truly unbelievable and sinister story from Lionel Messi’s home town of Rosario. On Thursday early morning, gunmen on a motorbike fired 14 shots at the shutters and front door of ‘Unico’, a food store owned by the family of Messi’s wife Antonela Roccuzzo. Afterwards, they left a threatening note directed towards the PSG forward – an extremely worrying situation for Messi and his family. Fortunately, police were quickly called to the scene although no arrests have yet been made. This begs the question – did the gunmen target this particular supermarket because of who it belonged to? Only time will tell what developments come out of this worrying incident.
The note sent to Lionel Messi was a vehemently honest statement from an Argentine citizen: “Messi, we are waiting for you,” it read. “Javkin is a drug dealer and he is not going to look after you.” This anonymous call-to-action refers to Rosario’s mayor, Pablo Javkin, who had been vocal about the high levels of violence in the city and the need for more policemen. Rosario is the largest city in Argentina’s central province of Santa Fe, and recent events have highlighted its danger – an attack on a store this Thursday resulted in significant damage but thankfully no people were harmed. It seems clear however that Messi’s native city needs help from its most famous son, as his supporters believe his intervention will help take back control they desperately crave.
At 35, Messi has done it all. Countless goals, league titles, and various individual accolades offer affirmation of his lofty standing within the game. Monday night’s award ceremony in Paris cemented that further, when he was crowned FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player 2022. It marked a timely capsule of Messi’s genius following Argentina’s first World Cup triumph as captain. His two-goal performance in the final was typical brilliance from a man who continually raises the bar. On Monday night, he relished another honour befitting of his status and extraordinary footballing intelligence.
Lionel Messi’s heroics in Qatar to secure a victory for Argentina at the 2021 Copa America just under 18 months ago could easily be considered his most defining moment as an international figurehead. While Messi has a remarkable club record, with numerous domestic and European titles to his name, he had only won one major international honour up until then; the 2011 Copa America. It seemed almost poetically ordained that he should go on to multiply that achievement in similarly historic circumstances 10 years later, but this time as captain of the team. Every pass, every trick, and ultimately every goal in Qatar was celebrated by fans throughout Argentina with expectation and jubilation – anticipation that will no doubt be rekindled each time he steps onto the turf for yet another encounter.
Lionel Messi is arguably the most famous footballer in the world, and it seems his legacy only continues to grow with each passing year. In 2019, he was able to give back all of the love his fans from all over had been giving him for decades; he helped bring Argentina to the top of the world stage at Copa America, so much so that his hometown of Rosario honored him with a 100ft tall mural unveiled after the final match. The artwork truly reflects what Messi has been able to achieve throughout his footballing career and serves as a testament of how much influence he has had over the lives of countless people.
Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo have a lasting bond with their hometown of Rosario, where they grew up together before getting married in 2017 in a grand ceremony attended by stars. Unfortunately, the city has been afflicted by violence this week as Mama Rosa’s, Roccuzzo’s family business was attacked. This is especially heartbreaking given Messi and Roccuzzo’s strong ties to the area. So far neither have commented on the matter but will surely be deeply traumatized given their close relationship to the area. Messi and his family now live in Paris where he plays for PSG and are scheduled to play Nantes at home on Saturday.
