Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo welcome new year in style; pictures emerge 

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Argentina superstar Lionel Messi and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo welcomed the new year with their three children. The power couple uploaded images to their respective Instagram accounts to share the occasion with their millions of followers.

Lionel Messi helped Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title on 18 December, ending La Albiceleste’s 36-year wait for the coveted trophy. The PSG ace scored seven goals and claimed three assists over the course of the tournament, deservedly winning the FIFA Golden Ball for his performances.

Messi, who is yet to return to training for PSG, is enjoying the time of his life and is cherishing every moment. The Argentine’s latest Instagram post with his lovely family exuded contentment and warmth.

The former Barcelona man uploaded three images, two couple shots with the gorgeous Antonella Roccuzzo and one with his entire family, featuring his kids, Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro. The 35-year-old, who is a man of few words, chose to post the images without a caption.

Antonella Roccuzzo also dropped the same family photo, but she took the time to wish everyone a happy new year.

Her caption read (translated to English):

“2023 We're waiting for you with all!!!! Happy New Year to all 🥂 🥂 🥂 ❤️ ❤️ ❤️”

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PSG boss Christophe Galtier confirms Lionel Messi’s return date

With Lionel Messi enjoying his extended holiday and Neymar suspended following last week’s red card against Strasbourg, PSG succumbed to a 3-1 defeat to Lens on 1 January. Kylian Mbappe played the entire game but failed to make the desired impact thanks to Lens’ strict marking. The result marked PSG’s first defeat of the 2022-23 season.

After the match, PSG boss Christophe Galtier was asked about Lionel Messi’s tentative return date and whether or not he would receive a cold welcome for taking an extended holiday.

The Frenchman played down the speculation, insisting he would be well received when he returns on 3 January. Galtier said (via Goal):

“Obviously he will be well received at home. On the reception at the stadium, I have no doubt that he will be well received at Parc des Princes. He won the most beautiful of trophies by being very good in this World Cup. Above all, now that he has achieved this incredible goal, we must remember what he has done since the start of the season with the team.

“We will be very happy to welcome him. Leo will surely come and join us on January 3.”

Lionel Messi has been in stunning form for PSG this season, scoring 12 times and providing 14 assists in 19 appearances across competitions.