Lionel Messi was spotted unwinding with a visit to a friend’s house in Fort Lauderdale amid his busy start to life with Inter Miami.
The 36-year-old was accompanied by his wife Antonela Roccuzzo, 35, and their children Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 5, as he was spotted leaving the South Florida property.
Messi looked relaxed in a baggy white t-shirt, black shorts and flip flops as he sipped on his favorite yerba mate tea, just two days after he inspired Inter Miami to a comeback win over FC Dallas in the Leagues Cup last 16.
Meanwhile, Antonela, who is an Argentinian model and influencer, was effortlessly stylish in long, wide-leg black pants and an orange crop top.
Antonela, who tied the knot with the soccer star in 2017, wore her brunette tresses sleeked back in a high ponytail and topped off the look with a bright pink and coral Louis Vuitton tote bag.
Lionel Messi was spotted unwinding with a visit to a friend’s house in Fort Lauderdale
He was accompanied by his stunning wife Antonela and their three children
The couple and their sons Thiago, 10, Mateo, 7, and Ciro, 5, were joined by friends
Messi appeared to be with friend Lucas Saglia, an Argentinian soccer coach and former player.
Scaglia, Antonela’s cousin, grew up with Messi and reportedly introduced the couple as youngsters.
Their family outing comes just over a week after the couple were spotted on a house-hunting trip in Boca Raton following Messi’s historic move to Inter Miami.
The couple were accompanied by their eldest son, Thiago, who wore an Inter Miami jersey carrying his father’s name.
Messi’s move to the United States was confirmed last month with a glitzy unveiling ahead of his debut and the World Cup winner has made a fast start to life at Inter Miami, scoring seven goals in four games.
Messi was shown around the house, which appeared to include a golf putting green. Someone could even be seen – with club in hand – giving Messi a brief demonstration.
He and Antonela were all smiles as they toured a luxurious house in Boca Raton, which sits an hour north of Miami but only 25 minutes from DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
It wouldn’t be the family’s first property in south Florida. They already own a luxury $9million apartment which overlooks Sunny Isle Beach and the city of Miami.
Antonela, 35, who is an Argentinian model and influencer, looked effortlessly stylish
Messi appeared to be unwinding after inspiring Inter Miami to a comeback win over FC Dallas
The World Cup winner looked relaxed in a baggy white t-shirt, black shorts and flip flops
Messi appeared to be joined by friend Lucas Saglia, an Argentinian soccer coach, (left)
Scaglia is Antonela’s cousin, and reportedly introduced the couple when they were youngsters
Their family trip comes a week after the couple were spotted house-hunting
According to reports, the World Cup winner bought the apartment in the Porsche Design Tower all the way back in 2019.
Messi, who is expected to earn $50-60 million a season after signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with Inter Miami, was spotted sipping on mate tea as he left his friends’ house Tuesday.
The traditional south American drink is one of the soccer superstar’s favorites and is made from the Yerba mate plant and loaded with antioxidants.
It cuts body fat and has as much caffeine as coffee. It is also believed to reduce fatigue and improve muscle contractions – which is key for sportsmen like Messi who are always seen drinking it.
And, the Argentine’s love of the drink has clearly inspired Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham to try it out amid their blossoming friendship.
Last month, the Manchester United legend shared a picture on Instagram sipping the drink through a bombilla – a metal straw it is usually drank with – and wrote: ‘If it’s good enough for Leo’.
He shared the picture of Beckham to his Instagram story and wrote: ‘I’m going to make you drink some good mate.’
Messi has been seen drinking it throughout his career, often arriving at games holding the gourd which it is drank from.
The global soccer superstar clutched a gourd of his favorite yerba mate tea
Antonela looked glamorous in long, wide-leg pants and an orange crop top
She topped the look off with a bright pink and coral Louis Vuitton tote bag
The 35-year-old wore her brunette tresses sleeked back into a high ponytail
Antonela was spotted strutting down the front yard with the children in tow
But amusingly, Messi seemed not to approve of the brand Beckham was drinking.
Days before Beckham’s mate taster, he and Messi were spotted out for dinner with their wives Antonela and Victoria Beckham.
Miami’s famous couples were spotted at Gekko with Messi’s teammate Sergio Busquets and his girlfriend Elena Galera and Beckham’s co-owner Jorge Mas and his wife Aleyda.
The SoFlo hotspot is owned by Bad Bunny and restaurateur David Grutman and blends elements of a traditional steakhouse with Japanese cuisine, including sushi and sashimi.
The restaurant, located in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, has already hosted a number of A-Listers, including the Beckham family’s friend Eva Longoria, Kaia Gerber, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner.
Bad Bunny’s girlfriend Kendall Jenner has also been spotted there, while her sister Kim Kardashian and NBA star Tristan Thompson were also seen at the restaurant together after attending Messi’s debut.
Beckham and Messi appear to have a close relationship with the former England soccer star recently claiming that bringing Messi to Inter Miami was one of the best moments of his life.
Mate tea, a traditional south American drink, is one of the soccer superstar’s favorites
Messi is regularly seen sipping the drink, which is believed to reduce fatigue
‘I never thought I would have the same feeling as an owner as I had when I was a player,’ Beckham told The Athletic.
‘When I got the phone call (to confirm Messi was joining), I had the feeling I had when I walked out at Old Trafford or Wembley. I was like, “We’ve just beaten all competition to sign the greatest player to ever play our game”.
‘This will be up there with the biggest moves in American sporting history.’
When asked if it was one of the best moments of his life, Beckham responded: ‘Without a doubt’.