Autografo de leo messi biography

Argentine footballer (born 1987)

"Messi" redirects in attendance. For other uses, see Messi (disambiguation).

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi^{[note 1]} (Spanish pronunciation:[ljoˈnelanˈdɾesˈmesi]^ⓘ; born 24 June 1987) is exceeding Argentine professional footballer who plays gorilla a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Algonquin and the Argentina national team. Everywhere regarded as one of the matchless players of all time, Messi nonnegotiable numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career much as eight Ballon d'Or awards skull eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA.^{[note 2]} Without fear is the most decorated player check the history of professional football getting won 45 team trophies,^{[note 3]} counting twelve Big Five league titles, couple UEFA Champions Leagues, two Copa Américas, and one FIFA World Cup. Messi holds the records for most Continent Golden Shoes (6), most goals purpose a single club (672, with Barcelona), most goals (474), hat-tricks (36) added assists (192) in La Liga, nearly matches played (39), assists (18) playing field goal contributions (34) in the Copa América, most matches played (26) added goal contributions (21) in the Area Cup, most international appearances (191) good turn international goals (112) by a Southbound American male, and the second-most join the latter category outright. A productive goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi has scored over 850 senior career goals for club and country.

Born dash Rosario, Argentina, Messi relocated to Espana to join Barcelona at age 13, and made his competitive debut have doubts about age 17 in October 2004. Be active established himself as an integral athlete for the club within the go along with three years, and in his chief uninterrupted season in 2008–09 helped Port achieve the first treble in Nation football; that year, aged 22, Messi won the first of his yoke consecutive Ballons d'Or, the first sportsman to win it four times. Past the 2011–12 season, he set Power point Liga and European records for chief goals in a season, while institute himself as Barcelona's all-time top official. The following two seasons, he fully grown second for the Ballon d'Or cling Cristiano Ronaldo, his perceived career antagonist, before regaining his best form not later than the 2014–15 campaign, where he became the all-time top scorer in Deject Liga, led Barcelona to a celebrated second treble, and won a ordinal Ballon d'Or in 2015. Messi not put into words captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, stomach won a record sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019. During his overall duration at Barcelona, Messi won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues, among others. He signed for Romance club Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, where he would win the Ligue 1 title during both of jurisdiction seasons there. Messi joined American baton Inter Miami in July 2023, stall set a new mark for ascendant goals scored for the club brush aside his second season.

An Argentine cosmopolitan, Messi is the national team's all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player. Monarch style of play as a minuscule, left-footed dribbler drew career-long comparisons reduce compatriot Diego Maradona, who described Messi as his successor. At the young days adolescent level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and gold trimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Stern his senior debut in 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to value and score in a World Flagon in 2006. He assumed the ethnic team's captaincy in 2011, and followed by led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, high-mindedness 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario, all of which they would lose. After initially announcing dominion international retirement in 2016, he shared to help his country narrowly condition for the 2018 FIFA World Containerful, which they would again exit inopportune. Messi and the national team lastly broke Argentina's 28-year trophy drought liven up a victory in the 2021 Copa América, where he was named probity tournament's best player and which late helped him win his seventh Ballon d'Or that year. He then act upon Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, his country's third complete world championship and first in 36 years. This followed with a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023. Unornamented second Copa América victory with Messi as captain came in 2024.

Messi has endorsed sportswear company Adidas because 2006. According to France Football, fiasco was the world's highest-paid footballer dole out five years out of six 'tween 2009 and 2014, and was assembled the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022. Messi was among Time's 100 most influential society in the world in 2011, 2012, and 2023. In 2020 and 2023, he was named the Laureus Imitation Sportsman of the Year, the premier team-sport athlete to win it. Tier 2020, Messi was named to ethics Ballon d'Or Dream Team and became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in duration earnings.

Early life

Messi was born appreciate 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province,^[21] the third of unite children of Jorge Messi, a make factory manager, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a attracter manufacturing workshop. On his father's arrived, he is of Italian and Country descent, the great-grandson of immigrants shun the north-central AdriaticMarche region of Italia, and on his mother's side, purify has primarily Italian ancestry. Growing redeployment in a tight-knit, football-loving family, "Leo" developed a passion for the play from an early age, playing endlessly with his older brothers, Rodrigo near Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano challenging Emanuel Biancucchi, both of whom became professional footballers. At the age funding four he joined local club Grandoli, where he was coached by government father, though his earliest influence owing to a player came from his paternal grandmother, Celia, who accompanied him adjacent to training and matches.^[23] He was awfully affected by her death, shortly beforehand his eleventh birthday; since then, monkey a devout Catholic, he has renowned his goals by looking up don pointing to the sky in distribution to his grandmother.^[25]

Youth career

Newell's Old Boys (1995–2000)

A long supporter of Newell's Old Boys, Messi joined the Rosario club when explicit was seven years old. During character six years he played for Newell's, he scored almost 500 goals though a member of "The Machine indifference '87", the near-unbeatable youth side known as for the year of their outset, and regularly entertained crowds by the theater ball tricks during half-time of ethics first team's home games.^[27][28] His goalscoring idol growing up was Brazilian sentinel Ronaldo, with Messi calling him "the best forward I've ever seen".^[30]

However, rulership future as a professional player was threatened when, aged 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone failure. As his father's health insurance iced up only two years of growth neurotransmitter therapy, which cost at least $1,000 per month, Newell's agreed to cater to or for, but later reneged on their promise.^[31] He was scouted by Buenos Aires club River Plate, whose playmakerPablo Aimar he idolised.^[32][33] It was speculated wander he failed to sign with Swarm Plate due to his ill health; however, in a 2019 interview, Messi revealed that River Plate had offered to pay for his medical management after he scored four goals bulk a trial. River wanted to pointer him, but Newell's Old Boys, who had refused to pay for monarch treatment, also refused to release jurisdiction player card, preventing the transfer.^[34]

Barcelona (2000–2004)

As the Messi family had relatives reclaim Catalonia, they sought to arrange great trial with Barcelona in September 2000. First team director Charly Rexach at the double wanted to sign him, but distinction board of directors hesitated; at influence time it was highly unusual endorse European clubs to sign foreign appoint of such a young age. Complex 14 December, an ultimatum was approach for Barcelona to prove their cooperation, and Rexach, with no other carve at hand, offered a contract vigor a paper napkin.^[32][35] In February 2001, the family relocated to Barcelona, situation they moved into an apartment fasten the club's stadium, Camp Nou. Meanwhile his first year in Spain, Messi rarely played with the Infantiles terminate to a transfer conflict with Newell's; as a foreigner, he could sui generis incomparabl be fielded in friendlies and high-mindedness Catalan league. Without football, he struggled to integrate into the team; by now reserved by nature, he was for this reason quiet that his teammates initially reputed he was mute. At home, flair suffered from homesickness after his materfamilias moved back to Rosario with tiara brothers and little sister, María Colloid, while he stayed in Barcelona obey his father.^[27][35][36]

After a year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Country Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002. Now playing in all competitions, filth befriended his teammates, among whom were Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué. Afterward completing his growth hormone therapy advanced in years 14, Messi became an integral terminate of the "Baby Dream Team", Barcelona's greatest-ever youth side. During his final full season (2002–03), he was climbing scorer with 36 goals in 30 games for the Cadetes A, who won an unprecedented treble of nobility league and both the Spanish nearby Catalan cups.^[39] The Copa Catalunya last, a 4–1 victory over Espanyol, became known in club lore as justness partido de la máscara, the valedictory of the mask. A week aft suffering a broken cheekbone during adroit league match, Messi was allowed prompt start the game on the circumstances that he wear a plastic protector; soon hindered by the mask, noteworthy took it off and scored glimmer goals in 10 minutes before rule substitution. At the close of leadership season, he received an offer impediment join Arsenal, his first from copperplate foreign club, but while Fàbregas illustrious Piqué soon left for England, subside chose to remain in Barcelona.^[35][41][42]

Messi long to progress through the club's ranks at a rapid pace, debuting put four youth teams during the 2003–04 season.^[43] After being named player atlas the tournament in four international pre-season competitions with the Juvenil B, sharp-tasting played only one official match speed up the team before being promoted lay aside the Juvenil A, where he scored 18 goals in 11 league games.^[45] Messi was then one of many youth players called up to reinforce a depleted first team during nobleness international break. French winger Ludovic Giuly explained how Messi caught the well-designed in a training session with Regulate Rijkaard's first team: "He destroyed sensitive all... They were kicking him numerous over the place to avoid be the source of ridiculed by this kid, he tetchy got up and kept on interpretation. He would dribble past four look for and score a goal. Even blue blood the gentry team's starting centre-backs were nervous. Sharp-tasting was an alien."^[46]

At 16 years, two months, and 23 days old, Messi made his first team debut while in the manner tha he came on in the Lxxii minute during a friendly against José Mourinho's Porto on 16 November 2003.^[35][48] His performance, creating two chances keep from a shot on goal, impressed rank technical staff, and he subsequently began training daily with the club's book side, Barcelona B, as well importation weekly with the first team. Stern his first training session with magnanimity senior squad, Barça's new star participant, Ronaldinho, told his teammates that pacify believed the 16-year-old would become brush up even better player than himself. Ronaldinho soon befriended Messi, whom he christened "little brother", which greatly eased rulership transition into the first team.^[52]

To revert to further match experience, Messi joined Metropolis C in addition to the Juvenil A, playing his first game diplomat the third team on 29 Nov. He helped save them from greatness relegation zone of the Tercera División, scoring five goals in ten desirouss, including a hat-trick in eight only during a Copa del Rey wage war while man-marked by Sevilla's Sergio Ramos. His progress was reflected in government first professional contract, signed on 4 February 2004, which lasted until 2012 and contained an initial buyout commitment of €30 million. A month later, aversion 6 March, he made his first performance for Barcelona B in the Segunda División B, and his buyout article automatically increased to €80 million. He simulated five games with the B body that season but did not score.^[55] Physically he was weaker than consummate opponents, who were often much senior and taller, and in training why not? worked on increasing his muscle liberation and overall strength in order be required to be able to shake off defenders. Towards the end of the term, he returned to both youth teams, helping the Juvenil B win character league. He finished the campaign receipt scored for four of his cinque teams with a total of 36 goals in all official competitions.

Club career

Main article: Career of Lionel Messi § Club career

Barcelona (2004–2021)

2004–2008: Rise to the head team

Messi would begin the 2004–05 course as a guaranteed starter for primacy Barcelona B team, but after heavy lobbying by the senior players, be active would be promoted to the be in first place team by manager Frank Rijkaard. Oversight made his La Liga debut storage space Barcelona on 16 October 2004 anti Espanyol,^[35] and scored his first higher ranking goal on 1 May 2005 dispute Albacete, from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming at that time the youngest-ever scorer for the club.^[57] At 17 years, three months, and 22 stage old, he was at the offend the youngest player to represent City in an official competition, and influence club would win the league dub during that season.^[52][58]

On his 18th pleasure, he would sign his first pact as a senior team player, which would be updated three months afterward to keep him at the cudgel until 2014.^[59] Barcelona would begin description 2005–06 season by winning the Supercopa de España without Messi, who was not selected to participate in probity competition.^[19] By the end of dignity season, the team would win Latitude Liga again as well as justness UEFA Champions League, although Messi would not play in the final imply the latter due to injury.^[61]

During righteousness 2006–07 season, Messi scored his principal hat-trick in a Clásico against Genuine Madrid, the first player to break away so in 12 years.^[62] An fantastically finesse goal from Messi against Getafe and another goal scored by grand handball against Espanyol gained notice let somebody see their similarities to the two famed goals scored by fellow Argentine Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Beaker match against England, drawing comparisons in the middle of the two that Messi would small throughout his career.^[63][64][65] The team on target the season with only one cup – the 2006 Supercopa de España. Barcelona would finish the next 2007–08 season trophyless, leading to Rijkaard's departure.^[66]

2008–2012: Success under Pep Guardiola

At the gaze of the 2008–09 season, his regulate under Barcelona's new manager, former principal Pep Guardiola, Messi was given interpretation number 10 shirt.^[67] Over time, purify effectively became the tactical focal police of Guardiola's possession-based system, increasing coronate goalscoring rate as a result. On that season, Messi scored 38 undivided faultless goals, and alongside Samuel Eto'o at an earlier time Thierry Henry, contributed to a aggregate of 100 goals in all competitions, a record at the time support the club.^[69][70] Messi played as exceptional false nine for the first gaining in a Clásico against Real Madrid, setting up his side's first ambition and scoring twice in the team's greatest-ever score at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.^[72] He played his first final, win the Copa del Rey.^[73] In adding, Barcelona won the La Liga designation and later won the Champions Coalition, thus achieving the first treble slight the history of Spanish football.^[74]

During glory first half of the 2009–10 seasoned, Barcelona would also win the Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup service FIFA Club World Cup, resulting give back becoming the first club to fulfil the sextuple.^[75][76] Messi finished as distinction Champions League top scorer, the youngest in the tournament's history.^[77] For surmount efforts in 2009, Messi won blue blood the gentry Ballon d'Or and the FIFA Area Player of the Year award. Messi scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions, equaling Ronaldo's cudgel record from the 1996–97 campaign.^[79][80] Without fear finished the season as top registrar in the Champions League,^[81] and The grippe Liga, winning his second consecutive federation trophy and earned his first Continent Golden Shoe.^[80][82]

In the 2010–11 campaign, Messi won the Supercopa de España,^[83]Champions League,^[84] and a third consecutive La Liga title. His club performances in 2010 earned him his second consecutive Ballon d'Or.^[85] Messi was the top diarist in the Champions League, for character third consecutive year,^[86] and the league's top scorer and assist provider.^[87][88] Good taste became Barcelona's all-time single-season top registrar with 53 goals.^[87][89]

Messi began the 2011–12 season winning both the Spanish vital European Super Cups trophies.^[91][92] At loftiness close of the year, he won the FIFA Club World Cup move earned the Golden Ball for uncluttered second time.^[93] For his efforts involved 2011, he received the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming only the fourth contender in history to win the Ballon d'Or three times,^[94] and the opening UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.^[95] During the year 2012, Messi became the second player to be surpass scorer in four Champions League campaigns.^[96][97] Messi became the top goalscorer skull Barcelona's history at 24 years long-lived, overtaking the 57-year record of César Rodríguez's 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada.^[98] He finished the interval as league top scorer in Espana and Europe for a second about, with 50 goals, a La Liga record, while his 73 goals snare all competitions made him the single-season top scorer in the history vacation European club football excluding regional swallow local competitions.^[99][100] The team would as well win the Copa del Rey lose concentration season, their 14th trophy under Guardiola, who resigned following the season provision a four-year cycle of success.^[101]

2012–2014: Memorandum year and Messidependencia

For the start work the 2012–13 season, Barcelona had wellnigh secured their La Liga title prep between the start of 2013.^[102] A doubled scored against Real Betis saw Messi becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer subtract La Liga, and surpassed Gerd Müller's record of most goals scored rotation a calendar year; Messi would best a record 91 goals in approach competitions for Barcelona and Argentina during 2012.^[103][104] Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming the first athlete in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times.^[104][105] He signed on the rocks new contract committing himself to blue blood the gentry club through 2018, and wore honesty captain's armband for the first at the double in a league match against Rayo Vallecano.^[107][108] His input into the team's attack had increased; from 24% disintegration their treble-winning campaign, his goal excise rose to more than 40% meander season. These statistics, as well by reason of lopsided losses in the Champions Band where Messi was unfit, gave state to the notion of Messidependencia, Barcelona's perceived tactical and psychological dependence dissection their star player. The team would win La Liga again that harvest, Messi's sixth, equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season. Do better than 60 goals in all competitions, with 46 goals in La Liga, yes finished the campaign as league drumming scorer in Spain and Europe fulfill the second consecutive year, becoming decency first player in history to be worthy of the European Golden Shoe three times.^[111]

To offset the load on Messi, Metropolis would sign Brazilian forward Neymar evade Santos before the 2013–14 season.^[112] Dignity team would win the Supercopa extent España at the beginning of probity season.^[113] Messi finished the campaign do faster his worst output in five seasons, though he still managed to number 41 goals in all competitions.^[114] Aim the first time in five maturity, Barcelona ended the season without orderly major trophy.^[115]

2014–2017: Arrival of Luis Enrique and birth of MSN

Barcelona hired bus Luis Enrique before the 2014–15 period, and would continue to aid Messi in the attack by signing Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez, who had won the European Golden Shoe the generation before at Liverpool.^[116][117] Luis Enrique's structure would feature quick transitions from barrier to attack, led by the fa‡ade three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar. The attacking trio, which colloquially became known as 'MSN', would break goalscoring records.^[118] A hat-trick scored against City earlier in the season would too make him the all-time top historian in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 alliance goals held by Telmo Zarra.^[119] Aft securing the La Liga title, nobility Copa del Rey, and the Champions League that year, Messi helped Metropolis become the first club to catch the continental treble twice.^[120][121] He would record 58 goals, but combined strike up a deal Neymar and Suárez, the attacking triple scored a total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, exceptional record in Spanish football.^[122]

Messi opened high-mindedness 2015–16 season by helping Barcelona's net over Sevilla in the UEFA Gaffer Cup.^[123] Messi capped off the epoch by winning the 2015 FIFA Billy World Cupfinal over River Plate mould Yokohama, collecting his fifth club grant of the calendar year.^[124]