Lionel and Antonela are both Argentina natives, and the two met when they were still quite young in their hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

Messi moved to Spain when he was still a teenager to pursue his career as a soccer player, and the two weren't as close during that time. However, when Antonela's best friend died in a car accident in 2005, Lionel returned to Argentina to be by her side through the ordeal.

Antonela still posts about the incident and remembers her friend, but that moment also seems to be what brought her and Lionel together permanently. Since then, they seem to have had a committed, relatively low-key relationship as Lionel has continued to rack up a wide array of awards and titles on his path to become one of the greatest players in the sport's storied history.