Lionel Messi marries childhood sweetheart

Buenos Aires, July 1: Argentine football star Lionel Messi has married his childhood sweetheart in his hometown Rosario.

A civil ceremony for Messi, 30, and Antonela Roccuzzo, 29, was held at a luxury hotel in the city of Rosario on Friday, reports the BBC.

Messi met Roccuzzo when he was just five years old. She is the cousin of his best friend, Lucas Scaglia, who also became a professional football player.

The couple, who now live in Barcelona, have two sons together.

Among the guests at Friday's wedding were Messi's Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Neymar, Gerard Pique and his wife, Colombia's pop star Shakira. A number of guests flew into Rosario on private jets.

The groom's siblings - Maria Sol, Rodrigo and Matias Messi - served as witnesses in the ceremony, along with the bride's sisters, Paula and Carla Roccuzzo, Efe news reported.

Argentinian singer Abel Pintos performed one of Roccuzzo's favorite numbers, "Sin principio ni final (Without beginning or end)" during the exchange of rings.

Argentina's Clarin newspaper has variously called the wedding "the wedding of the year" and "the wedding of the century".

About 150 journalists received accreditation to enter a special press area, but were not given full access to the venue