Lionel Messi

(Born June 24, 1987, Rosario, Argentina) is an Argentine football player who is considered as one of the best players of his generation. Messi is an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner (2009–12, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023). In 2022 he helped Argentina win the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)'s World Cup title, marking their third victory.

Early Life

Messi started his football journey from Newell's Old Boys (a Rosario-based top-division football club) where he joined their youth team in 1995. Messi's extraordinary skills gathered the attention of big clubs around the world. At just the age of 13, he was able to move his family to Barcelona, and he started playing for FC Barcelona's under-14 team. He netted 21 goals in 14 games for the junior team, and he swiftly progressed through the advanced teams. By the age of 16, he made his unofficial debut with FC Barcelona during a friendly match.

Club Career

In the 2004-05 season, Messi, at 17, became the youngest official player to score a goal in the Spanish La Liga (the highest division football league of Spain). Though he was only 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 meters) tall and weighed 148 pounds (67 kg), he was very strong, well-balanced, and versatile on the field. Messi, naturally left-footed, quick, and accurate in ball control, was a threat for packed defenses. Additionally, he was a precise passer. In 2005 he was granted Spanish citizenship, and the next year Messi and Barcelona won their 2nd Champions League title (the European club championship) with the win against Arsenal in Paris.

Messi's game rapidly improved over the years, and by 2008 he was one of the most dominant players in the world alongside rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2008 where Messi finished second. In the early months of 2009, Messi concluded an outstanding 2008–09 season by playing a pivotal role in FC Barcelona's achievement of the club's inaugural "treble," which entails securing three significant European club titles within a single season. The team triumphed in the La Liga championship, claimed the Copa del Rey, and secured the Champions League title. He netted 38 goals in 51 matches during that season and earned the Ballon d'Or FIFA’s World Player of the Year by a record margin.

During the 2008-2009 season, Messi scored 34 goals in La Liga as Barcelona became the La Liga champions again. He earned the European Golden Boot as the leading goal scorer and also received another Ballon d’Or. Messi guided Barcelona to victory in both La Liga and the Champions League in the subsequent season, which enabled him to secure an extraordinary third consecutive World Player of the Year award.

In March 2012, he scored his 233rd goal for Barcelona, establishing himself as the club's all-time leading scorer in La Liga at the age of just 24. He concluded the 2011–12 season, which also featured another Copa del Rey triumph, with a remarkable total of 73 goals across all competitions, surpassing Gerd Müller’s long-standing record of single-season goals in a major European football league that had stood for 39 years. This historic season culminated in his recognition as the 2012 World Player of the Year, making Messi the first individual to receive this accolade four times.

In the 2012–13 season, he led La Liga with 46 goals, contributing to Barcelona's acquisition of yet another domestic top-division title. In 2014, he achieved the overall goal record for Barcelona by netting his 370th goal for the club. That same year, he also set new career scoring records in both the Champions League, with 72 goals, and La Liga, with 253 goals.

Messi and Co. again helped Barcelona to win another treble during the 2014-15 season. He scored 41 goals across all competitions for Barcelona in 2015–16 where the club won La Liga and Copa del Rey. In the 2017-18 season, he netted 45 goals, and Barcelona won the La Liga–Copa del Rey double once again. In 2018-19 he scored 51 goals across all domestic tournaments and led his team to another La Liga title. In 2019 he won his sixth Ballon d'Or and was named FIFA's best male player of the year.

In the 2020-21 season, Barcelona claimed the Copa del Rey title, the seventh of Messi’s career. After a long career with Barcelona, he became a free agent in 2021 because of financial issues and changes in La Liga rules, which prevented him from signing another contract with Barcelona. He left the club as the leading goal scorer in the league (474).

In 2021 PSG signed Messi, where he joined his old friend Neymar and the young Kylian Mbappé. Despite the chaos, he was able to win another Ballon d'Or that year. He helped PSG win Ligue 1 for two consecutive seasons. In 2023, Messi joined Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami.