Lionel Messi Marries Childhood Sweetheart Antonela Roccuzzo

Lionel Messi married his childhood sweetheart Antonela Roccuzzo on Friday in his hometown of Rosario.

Messi’s Barcelona teammates landed in private jets to attend the ceremony. Shakira was also among a host of stars who were guests in what many in Latin America are calling the “wedding of the century.”

The longtime couple exchanged vows at a lavish hotel and casino in the Santa Fe province in front of approximately 260 guests, with hundreds of provincial and federal security guards on hand.

The bride’s stunning dress, which featured a heart-shaped lace back and a sweeping train, was crafted by famed Spanish designer Rosa Clara.

Curious locals watched stars such as Luis Suarez and Carles Puyol as well as ex-Barca and current Chelsea player Cesc Fabregas disembarked at the small airport in the northern city of Rosario.

Messi and Roccuzzo share two sons, Thiago, 4, and Mateo, 1. The couple first met when they were just 5 years old. Messi moved to Spain to further his soccer career, but the two reunited several years ago.

Messi won the Copa Del Rey for the fifth time in his career last season, but Barcelona finished second in La Liga behind Real Madrid and crashed out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals.

“That he chose his city, to choose Rosario to come to marry, to bring his companions of Barcelona and other guests to discover the city that saw him grow … it’s just who Leo is,” Messi’s former coach Enrique Domínguez told CNN ahead of the ceremony. “A guy with affection, with memory, a grateful guy because being who he is, he could have been married in the best place in the world.”