A new genealogical study has uncovered an unexpected link between Lionel Messi and Brazil, revealing that the Argentine football legend's maternal ancestors briefly lived in the South American country before settling in Argentina.
The findings come from Italian historian and banker Fiorenzo Santini, who spent several years tracing Messi's family history. His research focused on the football icon's maternal surname, Cuccittini, uncovering historical records that connect the family to Brazil at the turn of the 20th century.
Italian Roots and a Journey to South America
Messi's full name is Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini.
According to Santini, Messi's paternal great-great-grandfather, Angelo Messi, emigrated from Recanati, in Italy's Marche region, to Rosario, Argentina, with his wife in 1893.
The more surprising discovery came from Messi's maternal lineage.
A Brief Chapter in Brazil
Historical immigration records preserved at the São Paulo Immigration Museum show that Messi's maternal ancestor Raniero Cocchettini arrived at the Port of Santos, Brazil, on September 20, 1899, with his wife Rosa Ricchezza and their two children after leaving Italy.
The family later settled in the rural municipality of Rincão, in São Paulo state, where Raniero worked as a farmer.
How the Family Name Changed
While living in Brazil, immigration officials reportedly altered the family's surname during the registration process.
Raniero's son, originally linked to the Cocchettini family name, was registered under the surname Cuccittini after spelling and pronunciation changes in official records.
That son, Federico Cuccittini, born in Brazil on January 27, 1904, would later become Messi's maternal great-grandfather.
Move to Argentina
On September 27, 1905, the family left Brazil and relocated to Rosario, Argentina, where subsequent generations were born, including Messi's grandfather Antonio Cuccittini, his mother Celia María Cuccittini, and eventually Lionel Messi himself on June 24, 1987.
Santini said he spent 2019 to 2022 reconstructing Messi's maternal family tree after discovering that the surname Cuccittini does not exist in Italy. Additional family documents supplied by one of Messi's relatives helped confirm that the surname had evolved after the family's arrival in Brazil.
Official Recognition
In recognition of Santini's research, the Italian town of San Severino Marche granted Messi honorary citizenship in 2022, acknowledging his ancestral ties to the region.
Following publication of the findings, Brazilian football fans flooded social media with humorous posts depicting Messi in Brazil's famous yellow jersey, joking that football history might have looked very different had the World Cup-winning captain represented the Seleção instead.
