Famous athletes who married their childhood sweethearts

• While many people fall in love at a young age, it’s not everyday you’ll come across a couple that has been together since their childhood days
• From the footballing world to NBA to NFL to golf, there are several prominent athletes who married their childhood sweethearts
• Lionel Messi is one of the popular sportsmen who have been with one over the years

From the footballing world to NBA to NFL to golf, there are several prominent athletes who married their childhood sweethearts. These athletes have proven loyalty exists even one becomes extremely wealthy and has plenty of options to choose from.

While many people fall in love at a young age, it’s not everyday you’ll come across a couple that has been together since their childhood days. Today we celebrate those sportsmen who have stayed true to their roots and married the friends they set their eyes on while still young. Here are six famous athletes who married their childhood sweethearts and we love them more for that:

1. LeBron James

LeBron James with his wife Savannah James. Photo/ Marca.com

Basketball star LeBron James is one of the famous athletes who married their childhood sweethearts. The Los Angeles Lakers star is married to Savannah James who he began dating in high school. The two attended rival schools and met through a mutual friend who gave Savannah the basketball player’s number.

Savannah and LeBron started talking afterwards and the future NBA player invited her to a game which led to a date and several years later exchanging of vows. The couple have three children as of now, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., 19, Bryce Maximus, 16, and Zhuri Nova, 9. Savannah has been very supportive of her husband throughout his career in the NBA.

2. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest football player of all time (we said arguably Cristiano Ronaldo fans). The forward has won almost every title he could while playing for FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and the Argentina national team.

Currently playing for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, Messi is still stunning the football world with his performance, which has led to him winning a record eight Ballon d’Or over the years.

Putting aside his achievements on the pitch aside, Messi is one of the athletes who have shown loyalty to their partners even after getting rich. The Argentine began dating his wife Antonela Roccuzzo when they were still young. According to sources, they met in their home town, Rosario, in Argentina, when Messi was just nine years old and Roccuzzo was eight.

Lionel Messi and his wife Antonela. Photo/ Showbiz Cheat Sheet.

They went public with their relationship in 2009 and welcomed their first child in 2012. As of now, they have three children, Thiago is nine, while middle child Mateo is seven and youngest Ciro is four.

3. Jordan Spieth

A name very familiar with golf fans, Jordan Spieth is one of the athletes who married their childhood sweethearts. According to sources on the web, the golf player and his wife Annie Verret began dating in high school despite studying in different schools. They continued with their relationship in college and Spieth has been loyal to his wife just like she has been to him.

After winning the Valero Open in April 2021, Spieth spoke about his wife saying she has been very supportive over the years. The two try to keep their personal life private and that’s why Verret is rarely seen in public. They have two children together.

4. Patrick Mahomes

The relationship between Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany Matthews dates all the way back to when the NFL star was in 11th grade. Brittany, on the other hand, was in tenth grade. They went to different colleges, with Mahomes playing football at Texas at Texas Tech and Brittany playing soccer at The University of Texas. The two turned pros in their respective sports the same year.

Jordan Spieth proposed to Brittany in 2020 and the couple welcomed their first child the following year. While Mahomes is currently the face of NFL, Brittany is retired.

5. Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez and his wife Sofia Balbi. Photo/ Hindustan Times.

Another prominent footballer on our list of athletes who married their childhood sweethearts is Luis Suarez. According to reports, Suarez met his wife Sofia Balbi in 2009 when he was 15 years old and working as a cleaner in Montevideo. The pair have since been together and are currently blessed with three children, Delfina Suarez, Benjamin and Lautaro.