Lionel Messi’s mother, Celia María Cuccittini, has supported him throughout his career, celebrating his various triumphs. Despite a split throughout Lionel Messi’s childhood, he and his mother had a solid and close bond.
Prior to her son’s success, Celia María Cuccittini, originally from Argentina, worked part-time as a house cleaner to support her family. Together with her husband, a factory worker, they did everything they could to help Lionel Messi, who had a physical problem that hampered his growth.
Fortunately, their perseverance paid off, as their son went on to make history by signing with the Spanish soccer club FC Barcelona. Celia María Cuccittini and her husband faced financial challenges when their son Lionel was little.
Lionel had a growth hormone deficit, and the medication was extremely expensive, nearly depleting their money. Thankfully, FC Barcelona stepped in and promised to cover Lionel’s medical expenses. This significant offer prompted Celia and her family to go to Spain for their son’s treatment.
However, Celia, Lionel, and his siblings’ time in the European country was short-lived. Celia eventually went to Argentina, leaving her son and husband behind. Lionel admitted: “It was quite difficult for me. There were times when I felt terribly sad and homesick.”
During the first three years of Lionel’s professional career, he only saw Celia and his siblings every four months. Whenever he had to leave them and return to Spain, the soccer player suffered emotionally. Lionel Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, said, “Leo needs his mother.”
Celia María Cuccittini and her son have a close and enduring friendship. Despite the physical distance that frequently separated them during Lionel’s professional career, he found meaningful methods to commemorate key occasions with his mother. After scoring against Racing Santander in 2011, Lionel raised his soccer jersey to reveal a shirt with the inscription “Happy birthday, Mom,” in English.
During the same year, he displayed a tattoo of his mother on his shoulder while on vacation. In 2022, Celia and her son won many hearts as she raced onto the pitch to celebrate with him after his FIFA World Cup victory in what was hailed as one of the most “dramatic” finals ever.
