On March 2, 2023, gunmen who attacked a supermarket in Lionel Messi’s hometown of Rosario left him a threatening note. Messi is a forward for Paris Saint-Germain.
The family of Messi’s wife, Antonela Roccuzzo, who is also a native of the city, owns the grocery store “Unico,” which is situated in the Lavalle neighbourhood.
Police were called to the scene early on Thursday morning after it was reported that 14 shots were fired at the store’s shutters and front door.
After leaving the PSG with a menacing message, two people riding a motorcycle were seen escaping the scene.
“Messi, we are waiting for you,” the note read. “Javkin is a drug dealer. He is not going to look after you.”
The messages refer to Rosario’s mayor, Pablo Javkin, who after the incident spoke out on the level of violence and need for more policemen in a city where crime is on the rise.
Rosario is the largest city in Argentina’s central province of Santa Fe, located 300 kilometres (186 miles) north of Buenos Aires.
No people were harmed in Thursday’s attack, but significant damage is thought to have been done to the store.
Messi won FIFA’s Best Men’s Player 2022 award at an awards ceremony in Paris on Monday, having led his nation to their third world title in Qatar.
Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph was, of course, Messi’s first in an otherwise immaculate career, as he is widely considered one of, if not the, greatest players of all time.
The 35-year-old recorded a mammoth seven goals and three assists during the tournament, including a brace in a pulsating final in Lusail, as he got his hands on the coveted trophy at the fifth time of asking.
Messi’s heroics in Qatar came a year and a-half after winning his first major international trophy, the 2021 Copa America in Brazil.
The reaction of Argentina’s players at the full-time whistle, who ran to embrace Messi in unbridled joy, reflected the sentiment shared across the country for his endeavours over the years.
Because after years of hurt, including nearly calling time on his international career, Messi finally brought Argentina back to the top of the world stage. And for that, the PSG man enjoys hero status across his country and beyond.
No stronger is that felt than in his hometown of Rosario, where he left as a child to join Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy. Murals eulogising his greatness are commonplace, such as the 100ft-tall masterpiece unveiled after Argentina’s Copa America triumph.
Roccuzzo’s ties with Rosario are also strong. The 35-year-old grew up in Santa Fe’s largest city alongside Messi, where it is thought the couple’s relationship blossomed from 2007 onwards. They even returned to their hometown back in June 2017 to get married in a star-studded ceremony.
Thursday’s attacks, then, are all the more harrowing given the strong connection to Rosario shared by both Messi and his wife, especially considering the specific target of Roccuzzo’s family’s business.
Thus far, neither Roccuzzo nor Messi have commented on the matter. The couple is now based in Paris with their three children, with PSG next in action on Saturday at home to Nantes.