Lionel Messi and wife own the Coldplay kiss cam – No ducking like Astronomer CEO scandal

Footballer Messi traded his jersey for jeans and decided to enjoy some post-match therapy

Last updated: July 28, 2025 | 12:51

Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Entertainment Editor

2 MIN READ

Argentine football star Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo

AFP

Dubai: The Coldplay Kiss Cam is back in the headlines, but this time it wasn’t messy—it was Messi (sorry, had to pull off that mom joke).

So here's how it all played out. Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo turned Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium into their own VIP lounge as the camera found them at a Coldplay concert.

Also Read: Kristin Cabot resigns from Astronomer, following CEO Andy Byron’s exit amid Coldplay Kiss Cam scandal

Hours after a goalless Inter Miami draw against FC Cincinnati—a game Messi had to sit out thanks to his suspension for skipping the MLS All-Star event—the 38-year-old GOAT traded his jersey for jeans, rolled up with his wife and kids, and decided to enjoy a little post-match therapy. Cue the Kiss Cam.

And let’s get this straight: Lionel did not duck, dodge, or dive. He smiled. He waved. He basked. He gave that crowd the look of a man who knows he has nothing to hide. Hard Rock Stadium’s official X account purred: “Oh hey there, Messi!”

Even Coldplay Access got cheeky with, “Jumbotron with Lionel Messi! (He didn’t hide, though).”
See what they did there? Shots fired. Because, unlike a certain Astronomer CEO and his infamous HR sidekick Kristin Cabot—whose very public Coldplay Kiss Cam moment ended in an HR disaster—Messi’s moment was pure, wholesome, and drama-free. No need to call in Gwyneth Paltrow for conscious-uncoupling-level damage control here.

Chris Martin, ever the smooth talker, sealed it:
“Welcome to my beautiful brother,” he said from the stage. “You and your wife are looking so fine. Thanks for coming today to see our band play. The No. 1 sportsperson of all time.”

The stadium erupted. Antonela looked radiant. Messi waved like he was back at the World Cup parade. It was peak family vibes—not scandal, not side-eye, not a boardroom HR nightmare.

Meanwhile, back in the MLS…
Messi’s suspension was a straight-up league rule: skip the All-Star Game without prior approval and you miss your next match. Commissioner Don Garber said, rules are rules, even if you’re Lionel Messi. No exceptions.

But if the Kiss Cam is a game? Last night in Miami, Messi and Antonela absolutely won it.

Manjusha RadhakrishnanEntertainment Editor

Manjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema. Red carpets? She’s walked them all—Europe, North America, Macau—covering IIFA (Bollywood Oscars) and Zee Cine Awards like a pro. She’s been on CNN with Becky Anderson dropping Bollywood truth bombs like Salman Khan Black Buck hunting conviction and hosted panels with directors like Bollywood’s Kabir Khan and Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh. She has also covered film festivals around the globe. Oh, and did we mention she landed the cover of Xpedition Magazine as one of the UAE’s 50 most influential icons? She was also the resident Bollywood guru on Dubai TV’s Insider Arabia and Saudi TV, where she dishes out the latest scoop and celebrity news. Her interview roster reads like a dream guest list—Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, Robbie Williams, Sean Penn, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Joaquin Phoenix, and Morgan Freeman. From breaking celeb news to making stars spill secrets, Manjusha doesn’t just cover entertainment—she owns it while looking like a star herself.