Lionel Messi Becomes World Cup Champ after Growth Disorder — He Emotionally Hugs His Kids

• Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 36 years!

• Lionel Messi shared an emotional moment with his sons and wife in celebration.

On December 18, 2022, Lionel Messi and the Argentinian team took home the FIFA World Cup trophy after winning against France. The soccer player celebrated with his teammates, family, and mother on the pitch.

The star broke several records in the final match but didn't get the World Cup Golden Boot award as it went to France's Kylian Mbappe. Lionel scored two goals in the six-goal match, which was his last World Cup game.

The soccer player left the tournament after featuring in five World Cups. He scored again during the penalty shootout, and Argentina finally won the game 36 years after their first win in 1986!

The team was naturally emotional on the pitch, but more so Lionel, who was then 35. Two of the Argentine soccer star's sons came onto the field to give him big hugs, as with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo, he shared Mateo, Thiago, and Ciro.

The athlete was seen kneeling and embracing the two boys while smiling broadly. The boys supported their father by wearing purple jerseys with his name and number 10 on the back.

After winning the match, Lionel's wife uploaded a couple of adorable family pictures of them celebrating. In the caption of one of the posts, she explained how she didn't know where to begin but to say she felt great pride in her husband.

The soccer player's eldest child honored him ahead of the match with a touching message shared on his mother's social media account. The note was written in the child's notebook in his handwriting.

The Message Written by Lionel's Ten-Year-Old Son

Before the game, Thiago, then 10, showed Lionel support by writing the lyrics to the song "Muchachos Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar" in a letter. Roccuzzo shared a photo of the tribute on her Instagram Story.

The Paris Saint-Germain player's son paraphrased the song to encourage the Argentinian team, with the "Muchachos" song becoming viral weeks before the big match. The letter started by saying:

“I was born in Argentina, land of Diego [Maradona] and Lionel, of the kids from Malvinas, which I will never forget."

The song continued by saying the fan couldn't explain because the listener wouldn't understand as Argentina had lost many final matches and cried for years over it. The letter mentioned the disappointments the team endured after losing four World Cups.

The last one was in 2014 when they played against Germany, but the country's tears turned to happiness after this big win! Thiago wasn't the only person Lionel cherished in that particular moment and since childhood despite having life challenges.

Lionel's Wife Supports Him despite His Illness

Lionel once revealed that he was diagnosed with idiopathic short stature, a growth hormone disorder, when he was a child. Each night, the former Barcelona star had to administer hormone injections in his legs.

He explained how his administration started when he was 12. His parents began giving him the injections when he was eight until he learned how to do it independently.

He [Lionel Messi] also said he admired how she [Antonella Roccuzzo] dealt with everyday things, was always in a good mood, and handled issues admirably.

Lionel said the needle was small, didn't hurt, and became routine. Despite his illness, the star met his future wife when they were children in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

He eventually moved away as a teenager to train for his favorite sport in Spain, but when tragedy struck, the duo reconnected and fell in love. In 2005, the model's best friend, Ursula Notz, died in a car accident, and Lionel flew back from Spain when he discovered the news.

Roccuzzo paid tribute to her late friend in 2019 with Instagram Story posts to raise awareness about traffic accidents in Rosario. The professional soccer star and his wife had two sons before marrying at a Rosario casino on June 30, 2017.

Their wedding day was dubbed the "wedding of the century," with the soccer star's teammates in attendance. Other celebrities who attended included Shakira and her then-partner Gerard Piqué.

The following year, the couple welcomed their third child, and in the past, Lionel praised his wife, noting how she had many "great qualities." He also said he admired how she dealt with everyday things, was always in a good mood, and handled issues admirably.

The athlete shared how the model was intelligent and well-rounded when it came to life. Roccuzzo supported her husband's career and cheered him on regularly during his matches.

On December 13, 2022, she celebrated Lionel and Argentina's national football team making it into the World Cup final. She shared photos of herself smiling with their three boys in her Instagram post, where they were all wearing matching number 10 jerseys.

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