Investigation reveals Lionel Messi has Brazilian ancestry from maternal side

Lionel Messi has Brazilian ancestry from his maternal side, according to a genealogical investigation by Italian historian Fiorenzo Santini published by O Globo and widely reported. The research shows that Messi's great-great-grandfather Raniero Coccettini emigrated from Italy to Brazil in 1899 before relocating to Argentina in 1905. Source: infobae

Santini, a banker and amateur historian, contacted Messi's father Jorge in 2015 after becoming interested in the Messi surname. He later traced the maternal lineage to help secure Italian citizenship. Source: clarin

Key findings from the research include:

• Raniero Coccettini, his wife Rosa Ricchezza, and two children sailed from Italy to Brazil aboard the ship Washington, arriving in Santos on September 20, 1899. Upon arrival, Raniero's name was recorded as Ramiero Concenttini due to spelling difficulties. Source: infobae
• The family worked as farmers in Rincão, São Paulo, where two more children were born: Ermínia in 1900 and Arderigo in 1904. Arderigo was registered as Federico Cuccittini, establishing the maternal surname Cuccittini. Source: clarin
• In 1905, the family moved to Rosario, Argentina, where Messi's grandfather Antonio Cuccittini and mother Celia María Cuccittini were later born. Source: infobae
• Santini confirmed that no Cuccittini families exist in Italy, indicating the surname originated during their stay in Brazil. Source: lavozar

This discovery adds a Brazilian layer to Messi's family history, complementing his known Italian paternal roots.