An ankle injury isn’t going to prevent Lionel Messi from soaking up the Miami sunshine.
After the soccer star, 37, suffered a ligament injury to his right ankle during the Copa América final on July 14, he donned a walking boot while spending time on a boat alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo.
Roccuzzo — who married Messi in 2017 — showed off some snaps from the day on the water via Instagram on Monday, July 22. Dressed in a pink two-piece bikini that complemented her husband’s red swim trunks, the couple posed for a picture together sitting on the vessel.
The couple was joined on the boat by Messi’s Inter Miami teammate Luis Suarez, his wife Sofia Balbi, Sofia’s sister Mariana and her partner.
Roccuzzo and the couple’s three sons — Thiago, 11, Mateo, 8, and Ciro, 6 — were on hand when Argentina defeated Colombia in the Copa América final at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium earlier this month. “CHAMPIONS OF AMERICA 🇦🇷 🇦🇷 🇦🇷🇦🇷, “ Roccuzzo captioned a family photo on the field after the game. “LETS GO ARGENTINA !!! 🩵🤍.”
Messi was forced to exit the game in the 64th minute after suffering his injury. The Argentinian forward remained on the ground for several moments before taking off his right boot and walking slowly off the field.
He did not return to action and was shown distraught and teary-eyed on the bench throughout the remainder of the game, though he was able to celebrate with his teammates after they emerged victorious, with a score of 1-0.
“Copa America is over and the first thing I want to thank everyone for the messages and greetings,” Messi wrote via Instagram on July 16. “I’m doing well, thank God, and hopefully soon I can be on the court again enjoying what I love doing most.”
He continued, “ We are a team and also a family, a spectacular group.”
After tests revealed Messi’s ligament damage, Inter Miami announced “the captain’s availability will be determined by periodic assessments and the progress of his recovery.”
