There’s a saying that goes, “Behind every great man is a great woman,” and that couldn’t be more true when it comes to Lionel Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo.
GRAZIA USA sat down with Roccuzzo this summer in Miami on the set of her first adidas photoshoot, for her very first interview. Working with adidas is Roccuzzo’s latest venture, where the mom-of-three is making her grand debut into the three-stripe family as the face of their new Essentials collection alongside her husband, Messi, the world’s leading title holder in the history of soccer. adidas Essentials, which launches today, December 3, is the power couple’s first-ever joint adidas campaign and is focused on a collection rooted in family, fitness, and fashion. Family, of which, is the cornerstone of Roccuzzo’s life and all that she does.
Although the 36-year-old typically prefers to stay out of the spotlight, taking on “second place,” as she calls it, in a more supporting role for her loved ones, she is finally stepping out from the sidelines and is ready to share her story. “This is the first time I have done an interview,” Roccuzzo opens up to GRAZIA. “I never dreamed about being in the spotlight. It’s the first time I’ve opened up, so I’m excited, and I hope they [readers] can get more information about me than what they can see on Instagram or in the press. I’m really happy and excited and grateful for this opportunity to speak for myself.”
Antonela Roccuzzo’s Early Life and Career
Born in Rosario, Argentina, Roccuzzo grew up with her parents, Jose and Patricia Roccuzzo, and two sisters, Carla and Paula Roccuzzo, living a modest life. “My memories and my childhood were very nice,” Roccuzzo recalls of her upbringing. “I was always surrounded by family” — something that she has since carried on into her own family today.
After graduating high school, Roccuzzo continued her education in Argentina. She attended the National University of Rosario where she studied fashion design for one year — a passion of hers from a young age — before obtaining her bachelor’s degree in humanities and social sciences. Following graduation, she chose to begin a postgraduate program in dentistry. “I always wanted to be a dentist,” Roccuzzo shares. “I don’t know why because I don’t have anyone [dentists] in my family, but I always dreamed about it.” But after one year in her dentistry program, she realized it wasn’t a field she loved as much as she had hoped. “I also knew it was not the place to be at that moment,” she explains. “At that moment, I was dating Leo, and I knew I was going to move soon.” Roccuzzo ultimately decided to put her studies on hold and move to Barcelona to join the man she loved as he pursued his soccer career. But despite pursuing a different path for her studies, Roccuzzo’s first love for fashion never faded away.
Today, Roccuzzo’s life has come full circle, now working in the fashion industry and partnering with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands from all over the world, including Tiffany & Co., Lancôme, Alo, and most recently adidas. Although she appreciates high fashion, Roccuzzo describes her personal style as more casual and chill. “It [high fashion] is not really my thing,” she admits. The busy mom prefers to focus on everyday fashion, combining her love for putting together trend-forward looks with the practicality of comfortable clothing. “That’s why I feel super comfortable with the adidas Essentials collection, because it’s very me. I identify very much with it and that’s why it’s been super easy and super fun to shoot this campaign,” she shares with GRAZIA.
The Face of the New adidas Essentials Campaign
The Messi family lives and breathes the adidas brand. Lionel Messi has been working with adidas for almost two decades now, since 2006, and signed a lifetime contract with the brand in 2017. According to Roccuzzo, adidas has always been a part of their family for as long as she can remember because of her husband, making this partnership an obvious choice for her. However, this is Roccuzzo’s first time *officially* representing adidas herself. Their partnership has kicked off with her being the face of the Essentials collection alongside her husband. However, the entrepreneur and philanthropist hopes that it will turn into something much greater in the future, stating, “It’s just the beginning.
“I have always admired the brand so much. So now, for me, it’s kind of like a dream come true and I just hope to fulfill expectations and do the best I can,” Roccuzzo opens up. “I feel like me being part of the [adidas] family is a step forward in terms of Leo, but also because of the kids. They are always dressing in adidas and they love it. All the values around the brand, like sports and being healthy mentally and physically, it makes complete sense for me. They are values I really care about.”
Messi reiterates the excitement for this family-centered campaign and working alongside his wife with a brand that means so much to him. “Whilst I have been a part of the adidas family for so many years and created so many unforgettable memories, fronting my first ever campaign with the brand alongside Antonela feels extra special — especially as it is one that is rooted in celebrating the love and comfort of family,” Messi shares. “I have grown up with Antonela, and I have also grown up with adidas, so it is incredible that these two parts of my life can now come together.”
The adidas Essentials collection focuses on everyday clothing in soft-to-touch, cotton-rich fabrics such as soft terry, fleece, single jersey, and cotton rib, aimed to represent the comfort felt by time spent with family and chosen family. “The fabrics are very comfortable, so it makes it easy to style every day with different outfits,” Roccuzzo tells GRAZIA. The capsule is designed to transcend seasons, creating the perfect year-round staples of sweats, shorts, leggings, tees, and co-ord sets, designed with a minimalist style without sacrificing quality. Premium trims elevate each look, and bold color-blocking creates a sporty aesthetic, staying true to adidas’ heritage while offering updated and versatile silhouettes. From boxy oversized fits to tailored cuts, adidas Essentials is catered to all body types and allows mixing and matching to suit each individual’s style and occasion. The collection is available in both adult and kid sizing to fit the whole family. “It’s very practical yet very elegant at the same time. It has everything,” Roccuzzo says.
Stemming from a genuine love for adidas Sportswear, Roccuzzo has a hard time picking a favorite style from the new collection. “Honestly, I was trying on the stuff and it’s all very easy [to wear]. I was like, ‘I’m in love with this one, and I’m in love with this one, the shorts, everything!’ It’s really tricky just to say one!” she exclaims. But Roccuzzo felt the most herself on set of the campaign while wearing the red legging and matching cropped zip-up co-ord set, paired with a black crop top. “It’s very me, and very comfortable, but you also feel sexy and feminine. It’s not too oversized where you don’t feel yourself. It’s like you have the comfortable zone, but you also feel feminine and cute and nice and sexy. It’s perfect,” she expresses.
As for Messi? “I love the iconic three-stripe tracksuit look — it feels like I am rolling back the years. The different colorways and fits mean they’re versatile and comfortable for moments off-pitch with my family,” the soccer star shares. “Over the years, my style has definitely evolved, and since joining Inter Miami, I have started to enjoy wearing brighter, bolder colors, which the adidas Essentials collection certainly embraces. I am always a comfort-first type of person, as I am mostly training or with my family, and I love that I can mix and match the hero pieces from the collection in a way that works for me yet still looks sharp no matter where life takes me.”
As Roccuzzo’s first campaign with adidas goes live today, we asked her what she will be doing to celebrate this milestone moment. “I’m very low profile and shy. Normally, when I see my campaigns, I’m like, ‘I don’t want to see, I don’t want to see,'” she admits. “I’m excited, but I’m more like, ‘Okay, let me see from afar.'” However, we may have convinced her that a celebratory drink is very well-deserved. In which case, Roccuzzo shares that she’ll be pouring a shot of tequila to commemorate the launch, “Clase Azul or Don Julio, no lime, but with an orange,” to be exact.
Training for Mental and Physical Well-Being
When it comes to her personal fashion, Roccuzzo emphasizes the importance of wanting to feel herself and choosing to work with brands that align with her values. As a mom of three young boys — Thiago, 12, Mateo, 9, and Ciro, 6 — there’s never a dull moment. Between taking the kids to school, running errands, joining meetings, attending photoshoots, and everything in between, she needs fashionable yet functional styles that she can wear from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. That’s largely in part why Roccuzzo loves to work with sportswear and athleisure brands like adidas — that, and her love for fitness.
Training for at least one to one and a half hours per day, six days a week, has become Roccuzzo’s happy place. “That’s the happy moment where it’s my moment, my me moment — and it’s not just physically, but also mentally for my well-being,” she explains passionately. “That’s very important for me.” Her fitness routine begins with a jumping cardio called rebounding, an aerobic exercise performed on a mini trampoline, followed by strength training. “They [rebounding] kill you, but it’s the best. The music, the vibe, it’s really, really fun! I don’t like cardio, but that kind of cardio is fun for me,” Roccuzzo says.
Despite having an exceptionally busy schedule, Roccuzzo always finds time to prioritize her love for training. Her secret to this success? Creating the habit. “When you have that habit and you’re used to working out, you believe in it, and you see the effects that it has on you mentally and physically. So then you need it. And it’s your time for yourself. It’s a priority, not a negotiable,” she explains. “When I did this process of creating a habit, for me, now, I need to work out. It’s not like I have to, it’s like I need to.”
Family First (and Then Mate)
Even though no two days look the same in the Messi household, Roccuzzo tells GRAZIA that they really do live a relatively normal life. Both Antonela and Lionel prefer to live private lives, regardless of the fame that has come with Messi’s athletic accomplishments, and they are raising their kids as normally as they possibly can. Their biggest focus is instilling the right values in their boys, which include being humble, loving each other, supporting one another, acting polite, being kind to everyone, and, most importantly, having respect always.
The matriarch of the family also makes sure they follow a routine. “We love our routine,” Roccuzzo expresses. “It’s very important for our family, the structure. We wake up really early, we take the kids to school, and then I try to train at least five times a week. Then I try to do meetings or errands or photoshoots in that gap where the kids are in school. And then just picking up the kids and going to all soccer activities or after-school activities. Then having dinner and going to bed,” she continues. “We are like a normal family.”
Roccuzzo and Messi have built their relationship and family on a solid foundation. Despite their high profile life, Roccuzzo is a very hands-on mom and the superwoman behind the scenes. She supports her partner and his career while also balancing her own growing career and raising three young kids. Another impressive trait of hers? Her humility. Roccuzzo accredits the love and support she unwaveringly gives to her family to the love and support she receives in return. “It’s not just me. I really feel like my family is my priority and I always support my husband and my family, beyond everything, but I feel like he also supports me and we are really a great team. And that’s what we want to build as a family,” she explains. “Between everyone, we have the family structure. So it’s not just me, it’s everyone there.”
When life gets overwhelming, she can always count on her family to support her and her endeavors. “I feel really grateful and really happy, but at the same time, I am trying to find the balance between professional and personal because sometimes it’s hard to know how to deal with a lot of shootings, meetings, whatever, and at the same time being with the kids,” she admits. “But in the end, I feel like I’m working hard, and I’m really happy and proud of it.”
The advice that she gives to those who are trying to juggle multiple important priorities all at once is simply to breathe and count to 10. Rather than putting on pressure to have to be perfect and course-correct a bad day, Roccuzzo allows herself the space to just let it be. “You have bad days, and it can’t always be perfect. Try to be positive and to understand that not every day is going to be amazing,” she advises. “Try to breathe, support each other, and if it’s just a bad day, it’s a bad day! Tomorrow is going to be better.”
No matter what each day brings, Roccuzzo always knows she can count on three things: family, training, and mate — a staple in the Messi household. Mate is an Argentinian caffeinated, herbal tea (which Roccuzzo and Messi can be seen enjoying in the adidas Essentials campaign) made by steeping dried leaves from the yerba mate plant in hot water. It is traditionally served in a calabash gourd (mate) with a metal straw (bombilla). “When I say mate, in Argentinian culture, it’s not just the drink; it’s like a ritual around mate. You don’t drink mate by yourself, or maybe yes, but normally, you share the mate with your husband or with your friends or with your family. So when we say, ‘Come to the house and have mate,’ it’s not just to have mate, it’s to surround yourself with your loved ones and share that moment,” Roccuzzo explains.
A Philanthropist with a Purpose
With all of the blessings Roccuzzo has in her life, she finds it important to always be giving back and doing what she can to help others. In every collaboration she works on, she tries to have a charity associated with it. “I always care a lot about kids, especially kids and women,” she tells us of her philanthropic efforts. Last year, Roccuzzo worked on a phone case collection with CASETiFY in tandem with Equality Now, a non-governmental organization that advocates for the protection and promotion of the human rights of women and girls. In 2025, Roccuzzo will be working with an Argentinian foundation called Estudiar es Mejor, whose mission is to transform Argentina by creating and promoting schools that offer quality education to students in vulnerable contexts. “They have been building three different schools,” Roccuzzo elaborates, “and I’m really happy [to be a part of it].”
Roccuzzo was first introduced to Estudiar es Mejor through her sister who has a school in Rosario. “She knew all the labor they were doing and she was really amazed. She talked with me and showed the project to me and I just fell in love with what they were doing and all the work. So I said I want to be part of this because I know, first, it comes from the heart,” she shares with pride. “It’s everything I know to be true, the history they have and what they want to do. I want to be part of that.”
Roccuzzo truly acts from the generosity of her own heart, never boasting or bragging. Her soul is kind and her passion to help others is a natural part of who she is. She is proud to be a philanthropist and has in turn become a role model for young women everywhere, showcasing what it looks like to be both successful and selfless. However, Roccuzzo is too humble to see herself that way. “I feel proud,” she admits shyly, “but I don’t feel like that [a role model to young women]. I don’t feel like that kind of label to myself. I just want to try to be a role model for my kids,” she continues. “And if I can help, I will. I feel very grateful.”
Living a New Life in America
Following her husband’s professional soccer career, their family moved from Barcelona to Paris in August 2021, where they resided for two years until Messi joined American club Inter Miami last summer, in July 2023. With a year and a half under their belts, Miami, Florida, has become their new home — and one that they’re very happy with.
“It was pretty easy to adapt,” Roccuzzo shares of the international move. “We felt really, really welcome.” The biggest plus of South Florida for her is, hands down, the warm weather. “Coming from Paris, the weather there was really cold and gray. For me, coming here was just an amazing experience.” Aside from enjoying the sunny days, she and her family have adjusted to life in Miami quite easily, finding a school they love for the kids — and that the kids also love — a house they’re happy in, a neighborhood where everything is close by, and great friends.
“They [the kids] always surprise us in a very positive way. Even when we moved to Paris, or here, they were always super easy to adapt. And we always feel super proud in terms of how they make our lives really, really easy,” Roccuzzo shares of how the move has impacted the kids. She also highlights how much she and her family have enjoyed exploring a new culture and new country, being that this is the first time they have lived outside of Europe, aside from her and her husband growing up in Argentina. “I’m really happy about it!” she shares excitedly.
Roccuzzo feels like coming to the States was a big jump for her in terms of her career, the opportunities that present themselves here, and what’s to come for her future. She hopes that young women reading her story take away the message to “trust yourself, work hard, follow your dreams, never give up, and just be yourself.”
From humble beginnings in Argentina to becoming the face of adidas Essentials, Antonela Roccuzzo has always remained true to herself. Today, Roccuzzo is chasing her goals and living the American dream, setting an amazing example for young women everywhere of what it means to prioritize the importance of family and philanthropy above all else, at every stage of success.
