He’s taken: Lionel Messi with son Thiago and fiancée Antonella Roccuzzo. The pair
Football and showbiz stars were due to gather in Argentina on Friday for Latin America’s celebrity wedding bash of the decade when Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi weds childhood sweetheart Antonella Roccuzzo.
Here is what we know:
- Shakira and friends: Pop star Shakira and her husband Gerard Pique, who is Messi’s teammate, are expected among the 260 guests. They will join friends of the couple and Messi’s Barcelona strike partners Luis Suarez and Neymar.
- The dress: Roccuzzo (29) will wear a dress by Spanish designer Rosa Clara, which has been flown over from Barcelona. The designer has dressed actresses Eva Longoria and Sofia Vergara as well as Spain’s Queen Letizia.
- Casino hotel: Guests will pack into the Hotel City-Centre Casino in Messi’s hometown of Rosario, next to a crime-ridden slum run by drug gangs. The civil wedding ceremony and party will take place inside the venue.
- Roasted gizzards: Messi (30) has reportedly asked chefs to cook local delicacies such as locro (stew) and empanadas. The star dish is a typical Argentine beef roast including chitterlings, gizzards and kidneys.
- Latin pop: Uruguayan pop bands Rombai and Marama plus singer Karina, the wife of Argentina footballer Sergio Aguero, will perform at the dance. It is not known whether the guests will also get a song from Colombian diva Shakira.
- Security and media: Security will be handled by a private team of Israeli specialists used by Messi for all his excursions. Some 155 journalists have been accredited to cover the bash, but will have no access to the guests.