After a stressful start to his life with Inter Miami, Lionel Messi was spotted relaxing at a friend’s house in Fort Lauderdale.
The 36-year-old was seen leaving his South Florida home with his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, 35, and their three sons Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 5.
Messi sipped his favorite yerba mate tea while dressed casually in a loose-fitting white T-shirt, black shorts and flip-flops, just two days after leading Inter Miami to a comeback win over FC Dallas in the round of 16 of the League Cup.
Antonela, a model and influencer from Argentina, looked effortlessly gorgeous in long, wide-leg black pants and an orange crop top.
Antonela, who married the footballer in 2017, wore her brown hair in a high ponytail and carried a bright pink and coral Louis Vuitton tote bag.
Lionel Messi was seen relaxing while visiting a friend’s house in Fort Lauderdale
He was accompanied by his stunning wife Antonela and his three children.
Friends joined the couple and their sons Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 5.
Messi appeared with coach and former Argentine soccer player Lucas Saglia.
Scaglia, Antonela’s cousin, grew up with Messi and reportedly introduced the couple when they were children.
Their family vacation comes just over a week after the couple were spotted house hunting in Boca Raton following Messi’s historic move to Inter Miami.
Thiago, the couple’s eldest son, wore an Inter Miami shirt with his father’s name on it.
Messi’s move to the United States was revealed last month in a glitzy pre-debut ceremony, and the World Cup winner has made an immediate impact at Inter Miami, scoring seven goals in four games.
Messi was given a tour of the property, which appeared to have a golf putting green. Someone was even seen giving Messi a brief demonstration with a club in his hand.
He and Antonela were beaming as they toured a luxurious home in Boca Raton, which is an hour north of Miami but just 25 minutes from DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
This wouldn’t be the family’s first investment in South Florida. They already own a $9 million luxury home with views of Sunny Isle Beach and Miami.
Antonela, 35, an Argentinian model and influencer, looked effortlessly chic.
Messi appeared to be relaxing after inspiring Inter Miami to a comeback victory over FC Dallas.
The World Cup winner looked relaxed in a loose white T-shirt, black shorts and flip-flops.
Messi appeared to be accompanied by his friend Lucas Saglia, an Argentine football coach (left)
Scaglia is Antonela’s cousin and reportedly introduced the couple when they were young.
Their family getaway comes just a week after the couple was spotted house hunting.
According to sources, the World Cup winner bought the Porsche Design Tower apartment in 2019.
Messi, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Inter Miami and is expected to earn between $50 million and $60 million per season, was seen drinking mate as he left a friend’s house on Tuesday.
The traditional South American drink, rich in antioxidants and made from the yerba mate plant, is the footballer’s favorite.
It has the same amount of caffeine as coffee and burns fat. It is also supposed to reduce fatigue and improve muscle contractions, which is vital for players like Messi, who has been seen drinking it frequently.
And as their friendship grew, the Argentine’s love for the drink convinced Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham to give it a try.
Last month, the Manchester United legend shared a photo on Instagram of himself drinking the drink through a straw, writing: “If it’s good enough for Leo.”
She captioned a photo on Beckham’s Instagram story: “I’m gonna make you drink some mate.”
Messi has been seen drinking it throughout his career, even bringing the gourd from which it is drunk to matches.
The world soccer superstar grabbed a gourd of his favorite yerba mate tea
Antonela looked glamorous in long, wide-leg pants and an orange crop top
She completed the look with a bright pink and coral Louis Vuitton tote bag.
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The 35-year-old wore her brown hair in a high ponytail.
Antonela was seen dancing with the young men in the front yard.
Messi, on the other hand, seemed to disapprove of the brand Beckham drank.
Beckham and Messi were photographed having dinner with their wives, Antonela and Victoria Beckham, just days before Beckham’s friend tasted wine.
Messi’s teammate Sergio Busquets and his fiancée Elena Galera were spotted at Gekko, as was Beckham’s co-owner Jorge Mas and his wife Aleyda.
The SoFlo hotspot is owned by Bad Bunny and chef David Grutman, and combines elements of a standard steakhouse with Japanese cuisine, including sushi and sashimi.
The restaurant, located in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood, has previously hosted Eva Longoria, Kaia Gerber, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, a friend of the Beckhams.
Bad Bunny’s girlfriend Kendall Jenner was also spotted at the restaurant, as was her sister Kim Kardashian and NBA player Tristan Thompson, who were seen together at the restaurant after Messi’s debut.
Beckham and Messi appear to have a close friendship, with Beckham recently revealing that bringing Messi to Inter Miami was one of his proudest memories.
Mate, a traditional South American drink, is a favorite of the soccer superstar.
Messi is regularly seen drinking this beverage, which is believed to reduce fatigue.
“I never thought I would have the same feeling as an owner as I did as a player,” Beckham told The Athletic.
“When I got the phone call (to confirm Messi would join), I had the feeling I had when I left Old Trafford or Wembley. I thought: ‘We’ve just beaten all the competition to sign the best player to ever play our game.’”
“This will rank as one of the biggest movements in American sports history.”
Asked if it was one of the best moments of his life, Beckham replied: “Without a doubt.”
