Lionel Messi’s teammates past and present touched down in Argentina yesterday, ahead of the Barcelona star’s wedding.
The 30-year-old striker is set to wed long- term girlfriend 29 year old Antonella Roccuzzo in his hometown of Rosario today, at the Hotel City Centre Casino.
The players arrived dressed in caps, hoods and dark sunglasses, with suitcases in hand. Local reporters broadcasting from
the scene on radio and television told their audiences it was “the wedding of the century” for Rosario.
Authorities said 450 police officers were deployed at key points in the gritty port city, the birthplace of the bloody drug gang
Los Monos – to ensure that guests traveled safely to the venue. With a homicide rate twice the national rate, Rosario is considered one of Argentina’s most dangerous cities.
Fellow Barcelona player Luis Suarez arrived with his wife Sofia Balbi and their children
at Rosario’s airport.
Players Jordi Alba, Segio Busquets were seen stepping off a private jet with former teammate, Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas.
Other players and their families, including former teammate Samuel Eto’o, stopped to
pose for a group photo on the tarmac.
Also expected among the wedding guests –
and sure to draw the attention of
starstruck fans at the airport – are Messi’s teammate Gerard Pique and his wife, Colombian pop star Shakira.
