Lionel Messi is a rather shy and reserved person, who doesn't like to show off too often. He is always described as a simple person, attached to his values, especially his family values. His sister María Sol also helps him run his business.
Discover our latest podcast
A businesswoman
Being the sister of one of the world's most famous athletes can't be easy. And yet, María Sol has taken advantage of Lionel Messi's notoriety to set herself apart. Already, she's in charge of all the fashion associated with the Argentina world champion. The Messi Store brand is run by María Sol, with the help of Ginny Hilfiger, one of the sisters of American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. The brand is very popular with the number 10's most loyal fans, thanks to the fine collaboration between the Hilfiger family and María Sol.
For her part, a more personal project is her own swimwear brand, launched a few weeks ago. Antonela Roccuzzo, La Pulga's wife, posed for the advert for the brand, which is likely to be a big hit in Argentina, where Messi is revered as a god, and even in Miami, where the 36-year-old now plays. María Sol is followed by over 400,000 people on her Instagram account. Lionel Messi also has two brothers, Rodrigo and Matias. But it's María Sol who has the business soul in the family, enabling the Rosario native to increase his personal fortune.
In a relationship with a footballer
The Messi family is closely linked to football, as María Sol is married to a football player. He is, however, much less well known than her brother, Tuli Arellano. Retired now, he coachs the Florida United Premier Soccer League Under-19 team, with whom he won the Southern Division.
When Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, Tuli Arellano immediately joined the staff of the David Beckham-led team, becoming coach of the young Floridians. A fine gesture from Messi to his only sister María Sol. Messi, who was merciless with PSG when he left the capital club, rarely talks about his family in interviews or on his social networks. In November 2016, María Sol had a minor clash with a journalist about her brother.
When Argentina beat Colombia 3-0 in a World Cup 2018 qualifier at the time, María Sol sent a dig at Martin Liberman, who is often highly critical of the former Barcelona striker. The journalist retorted by saying that he didn't discuss football with women. This sexist remark caused quite a stir, and it's doubtful that Lionel Messi appreciated his sister being spoken to in this way. Thanks to his victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi is unanimously acclaimed in Argentina and can no longer be criticized on a sporting level, which is probably a relief for María Sol, who has shown that she is capable of rising to the occasion to defend him.
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
Read more:
⋙ Lionel Messi: This is how the footballer fell in love with his wife of 15 years, Antonela Roccuzzo
⋙ Lionel Messi owns a $30.5 million hotel in Spain, a 'Fortress' home in Argentina, and more
⋙ This is the richest footballer in the world and it’s not Ronaldo or Messi
