Soccer star Lionel Messi marries childhood sweetheart

Credit: Fotonoticias MDB

Credit: Fotonoticias MDB

Soccer star Lionel Messi married his childhood sweetheart in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, on Friday, the BBC reported.

Messi, 30, married 29-year-old Antonela Roccuzzo in a civil ceremony at a luxury hotel in Rosario. More than 250 guests attended the ceremony, including Messi’s teammates from Barcelona, Luis Suarez, Neymar and Gerald Pique; and Colombia pop star Shakira, the BBC reported.

Messi, a forward for Barcelona, first met Roccuzzo when he was 13.

Argentina's Clarín newspaper has called the nuptials "the wedding of the year" and "the wedding of the century," the BBC reported.

"Being who he is, he could have been married in the best place in the world, and must have had many offers," Enrique Dominguez, Messi's former coach at Newell's Old Boys, told CNN. "And yet he chose Rosario."

Messi and Roccuzzo have two children -- Thiago, 4; and Mateo, 1.

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