Lionel Messi Receives Special Message Ahead of Austria Game

Lionel Messi has received a special message from Antonela Roccuzzo ahead of the Argentina national team's World Cup game against the Austria national team. Argentina have started their title defence in exactly the kind of form fans would have hoped for, with Messi once again at the centre of everything.

The defending champions opened the tournament with a 3-0 win over the Algeria national team, and Messi scored all three goals in a performance that reminded everyone why he is still capable of deciding the biggest matches on his own. Now, with Argentina preparing for their second group-stage test, the focus has shifted not just to what Messi can do on the pitch, but also to the support he continues to receive off it.

Roccuzzo took to her Instagram stories to share a picture of Messi with their kids and a caption that said, "Feliz dia del padre. Te amamos."

Antonela's message fits into the bigger feeling around Messi right now: every moment involving him seems to carry extra weight.

What makes this run so fascinating is that Messi did not come into the tournament needing to prove anything to anyone else. He had already won the World Cup, completed the story and earned the kind of ending most players could only dream of. But he still had to know, for himself, whether he could help Argentina at this level again. So far, the answer has been pretty clear.

The performance against Algeria was not just a veteran showing up for one last dance. Messi looked fresh, sharp and fully locked in. The movement was there, the finishing was there and the control he has over the mood of a match was still there. That is why the reaction around him felt so emotional. Scaloni could barely hide what it meant.

For Argentina, that is the most important part. Messi is not just part of the squad because of what he has done before. He is still shaping games right now. He is still the player opponents have to plan around and the player Argentina naturally looks to when the lights get brighter.

That is why the message from Antonela landed at the perfect time. It was personal, but it also matched the wider mood. Messi is still here, still chasing more and still making this World Cup feel like another chapter nobody expected to get.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 5:25 AM.