The star of "Barcelona", Argentine football player Lionel Messi married with his childhood friend Antonella Rokuzzi in their hometown of Rosario in central Argentina. The ceremony, which took place in a luxury hotel in the city center, the Argentine press has already dubbed the "wedding of the century".
On the holiday were invited 260 guests, including other famous football players and celebrities. Among the guests you could see Messi's colleagues in Barcelona: Luis Suarez, Neimar and Gerard Pique with his wife, pop diva Shakira.
Messi and Rokuzzo met in childhood, even before the future football star moved from Argentina to Spain at the age of 13. Now Messi, who turned 30 in June, and his lover, who is younger than him for a year, already have two sons.
The guests were guarded by hundreds of policemen. Private security company has been careful not to break uninvited guests. Around the hotel, where the wedding took place, many people gathered.
Previously, a crowd of onlookers gathered at the local airport in the hope of seeing someone from Rosario's celebrities. Many of the invited arrived at the wedding by private flights.
Lionel Messi met Antonella Rockuzzo when he was only five years old. The new wife of the football player is cousin to a close friend of Messi, football player Lucas Skaglia.
In 13 years, Messi left for Spain - "Barcelona" promised to pay him the treatment of a lack of growth hormone.
Now the couple lives in Barcelona, ??where he brings up two sons.
The celebration was held at the City Center in Rosario. The complex also houses a casino.
The wedding apparel for Rokuzzo was made by the Spanish designer Rosa Clara, who was previously ordered by the dresses of the actress Eva Longoria and even the Spanish Queen Leticia herself.
Apart from the sushi menu, the meal was mainly presented in the Argentine tradition: guests were treated, for example, with various dishes from beef, empanadas (Latin American pies) and blood sausage.
In addition to former and current Messi colleagues from Barcelona, ??the ceremony was also attended by his colleagues from the national team of Argentina.
Rosario is a port city located in the central part of Argentina on the banks of the Parana River about 300 km north-west of Buenos Aires. Here spent his young years another famous Argentinian - Ernesto Che Guevara.
Since Messi moved to Spain, he won a record five FIFA Golden Balls.
BBC.