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Five Lionel Messi tattoos and why he got them including wife's lips and eyeball

  /  Stamfordblue

Lionel Messi isn't the first footballer that springs to mind when thinking of tatted superstars - but the little magician boasts an abundance of art on his body.

From calf sleeves to Antonela Roccuzzo's eye, Messi's tattoos vary in meaning. And Daily Star Sport is having a look at what five of his tattoos mean to him as he relaxes after his maiden World Cup triumph.

The diminutive Argentine finally conquered the world in Qatar as he lead his Argentina side to its first World Cup win since 1986. And Messi was at the heart of the triumph, even finding the net twice in the final.

Calf sleeve

Messi's calf sleeve is perhaps his most iconic tatt - having covered up a 'dagger with wings' for a blacked-out sleeve.

The sleeve now features the handprints tattoo of his eldest son Thiago, with the names of all three of his kids on Thiago's arm. Messi also has a prominent No.10 on his calf - a nod to his number for Argentina and when he was at Barcelona.

The final addition to the sleeve is a football, which is believed to symbolise his passion for the beautiful game.

Antonela Roccuzzo's eye

As part of a sleeve on his right arm, Lionel Messi has a tattoo of his wife's eye.

Messi and Antonela Roccuzzo are childhood sweethearts, having met when Messi was still at Newell's Old Boys - before he had even made the jump across the Atlantic. And as a symbol of their relationship, Messi had the artwork tatted onto him.

The eye is the only nod to his wife on his body - but more on that later.

Clock and cogs

At the bottom of Messi's arm sleeve is a large clock, which is accompanied by a series of cogs.

While the exact reasoning behind Messi's intentions for the tattoo are unknown, clock tattoos generally represent the value of time. While the addition of cogs could be a nod to the passing of time and living in the present.

The clock and cog artwork takes up the majority of Messi's forearm.

Crown

One of the more inconspicuous tattoos on Messi's body also comes on his arm sleeve - just slightly above his elbow.

The small crown can be easily missed among the elaborate clock and cogs below and the portate of Jesus Christ above, but it has a deeper meaning. It's a matching tattoo with his wife, who has a crown in the exact same position.

Messi's crown is fit for a king, while Antonela's crown has a few more jewels on the base.

Antonela Roccuzzo's lips

Messi's tattoos that are dedicated to his wife don't end there, at the base of his stomach, Messi has Antonela's lips tatted onto his body.

Due to his, almost intimate, position, Messi's lips tatt is rarely seen - even when the Argentine is topless.