In 2017, football legend Lionel Messi married his childhood sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo - a union celebrated across the globe as the "wedding of the century".

But their story of love goes far deeper than the glamour of the headlines. It began when they were just seven years old.

Antonela, a relative of Messi's childhood friend Lucas Scaglia, first met the future football icon at Lucas's home. "I had gone to Scaglia's house. That's where I saw Antonela for the first time. From that moment, I liked her," Messi once recalled.

Even as children, she knew his dreams and understood his passions. As their friendship blossomed, so did the bond that would carry them through life.

At 13, Messi left Argentina for Barcelona to pursue his football career. The move created a distance between them, but their connection never broke. They kept in touch the old-fashioned way-through letters. "Back then, we stayed in touch through letters, and later, emails. We couldn't afford international calls; they were too expensive," Messi once shared.

Their friendship rekindled during a period of grief. When Antonela lost one of her closest friends in a tragic accident, a concerned Messi flew back home to comfort her. "We were 17 at the time. That's when we grew close again. We realised that the same affection and connection we had as children was still there. Nothing had changed," Messi said.

That moment was the turning point. Their deep friendship gently evolved into love. At the time, Antonela was pursuing post-graduate studies in dentistry at the National University of Rosario. But love took her on a different path-she left her studies and joined Messi in Barcelona. Soon after, Messi publicly acknowledged their relationship.

Antonela not only grew up with Messi, but stood beside him through every chapter. She became the ambassador for various children's welfare initiatives and also established herself as a model, representing leading brands including Adidas.