Lionel Messi: The Journey of a Football Legend I Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi: The Journey of a Football Legend I Lionel Messi
"Messi" redirects here. For other uses, see Messi (disambiguation).
Lionel Messi
Messi with Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Lionel Andrés Messi[1]
Date of birth 24 June 1987 (age 36)[1]
Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team Inter Miami
Number 10
Youth career
1992-1995 Grandoli
1995-2000 Newell's Old Boys
2000-2003 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003-2004 Barcelona C 10 (5)
2004-2005 Barcelona B 22 (6)
2004-2021 Barcelona 520 (474)
2021-2023 Paris Saint-Germain 58 (22)
2023- Inter Miami 18 (13)
International career‡
2004-2005 Argentina U20 18 (14)
2008 Argentina U23 5[α] (2)
2005- Argentina 181 (106)
Medal record
Signature
Lionel Messi signature
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 04:00, 2 June 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 07:00, 10 June 2024 (UTC)
Lionel Messi This article is part of a series about
Lionel Messi
Argentine professional footballer
CareerInternational goalsAchievementsRivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo
Eponyms and public art
CougarDogLiolaemus messiiSistine Chapel of Football
Media
Messi (2014)Messi (2017)Messi and Maud (2017)Take the Ball Pass the Ball (2018)Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend (2024)
Family
Antonela RoccuzzoMaxi BiancucchiEmanuel Biancucchi
Related
New MaradonaHong Kong v Inter Miami
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Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi[note 1] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ⓘ; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world's best player for a record eight times by FIFA.[note 2] Until 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and the UEFA Champions League four times. With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals (474), hat-tricks (36), and assists in La Liga (192). He has the most international goals by a South American male (106). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and the most goals for a single club (672).
Messi relocated to Spain and joined Barcelona aged 13, making his competitive debut at age 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008-09 helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won his first Ballon d'Or. Messi won four consecutive Ballons d'Or, the first player to win it four times. During the 2011-12 season, he set La Liga and European records for most goals in a season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer. The following two seasons, he finished second for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, his perceived career rival, before regaining his best form during the 2014-15 campaign, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic second treble, and was awarded a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015. Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and won a record sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019. He signed for French club Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, spending two seasons there and winning Ligue 1 twice. Messi joined American club Inter Miami in July 2023, winning the Leagues Cup in August.
An Argentine international, Messi is the country's all-time leading goalscorer and holds the national record for appearances. At youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and gold at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who described Messi as his successor.[11] After his senior debut in 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup (2006). As the squad's captain from 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2015 Copa América and the 2016 Copa América. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed this and led his country to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and victory in the 2021 Copa América. He led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he won a record second Golden Ball, scored seven goals including two in the final, and broke the record for most games played at the World Cup (26), later receiving his record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023.