Study reveals Lionel Messi's ancestral link to Brazil
Brasilia [Brazil], July 27 (HBTV): A new study has revealed an ancestral connection between Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup-winning football icon Lionel Messi and Brazil's Sao Paulo, tracing part of his family's journey before they settled in Argentina.
According to Brazilian outlet Globo, quoted by Goal.com, Italian researcher Fiorenzo Santini's study concluded that one of Messi's ancestors was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, before the family later moved to Argentina. The research also highlighted changes in the family's surname during their migration journey.
Santini, a genealogy specialist who spent several years studying the footballer's family tree, became curious about the origin of the surname Messi during the player's early days at Barcelona.
According to the study, Messi's paternal great-grandfather, Angelo Messi, left the Italian city of Recanati and moved to Rosario, Argentina, in 1893 with his wife.
On his mother's side, the family's story traces back to his great-grandfather, Ranieri Cocchietini. He was born in the Italian region of San Severino Marche and immigrated to Brazil with his wife, Rosa Ricchezza, aboard a ship named Washington, which arrived at the Port of Santos in September 1899.
According to historical documents, the family's move to Brazil led to changes in their names because of difficulties in recording foreign names at the time, with Ranieri becoming "Ramiero Concchietini", a change that was common among immigrants during that period.
After settling in the city of Sao Paulo, Messi's great-grandfather worked on farms in the Rincao region before moving to the city of Ribeirao Preto, where two of the family's children were born, including Ardirigo in 1904.
About a year after Ardirigo's birth, the family left Brazil for Argentina and settled near Rosario, where they began a new phase of life. Antonio Cocchietini, Messi's grandfather, was later born, followed by his mother, Celia Maria Cocchietini. Messi was born on June 24, 1987.
Santini said his research was conducted between 2019 and 2022 after he noticed there was no record of the "Cocchietini" surname in Italy. Through historical documents and relatives of Messi's mother, he was able to trace the changes to the family's name and surname during their time in Brazil.
He added that the findings helped the iconic footballer receive the title of honorary citizen of the Italian city of San Severino Marche in 2022 in recognition of his family roots.
According to the study, no records suggest that Messi's relatives remained in Ribeirao Preto after the family moved to Argentina in 1905. The only known link connecting Messi to the city is a street named "Martinico Prado", after the farm owner who hosted his ancestors during their stay in Sao Paulo before they moved to Argentina.
(ANI)