Lionel Messi

Messi has consistently impressed with his intricate dribbling, sudden burst of pace, sharp shooting and humility. His talent and ability to keep his head down have made him one of most likable players on the planet.

Playing Career

Messi was born in the Argentine city of Rosario and was soon snapped up by Newell’s Old Boys. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency that impeded him from growing.

Newell’s were unable to afford the money required for the treatment of this disease which was about 500 pounds per month. Then Barcelona came calling. Not only did they look after Lionel Messi’s problems, they also found work for his family in Barcelona and so came Messi to Spain.

Messi made his official debut for the Blaugrana against Espanyol on October 16, 2004. He quickly progressed in the Barcelona first team and won the World Youth Championship with Argentina in 2005 and was adjudged as the best player in the competition.

From 2005-2006 season onwards, the Argentine wonderkid began to exhibit his class and quality. He threaded his way into the starting line-up that consisted of the likes of Ronaldinho, Xavi, Deco and Samuel Eto’o among others and quickly became one of the most popular and most significant members of the club.

He won La Liga title with Barcelona in the 2005-2006 season and was one of the best players in the UEFA Champions League that season. Barca actually won the coveted silverware that season. Messi played for Argentina in the 2006 Germany World Cup and in the 2007 Copa America.

Lionel Messi scored one of the best goals of all time against Getafe in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie in the 2006-2007 season. He dribbled around a host of players and scored in almost exactly the same way that El Diego had scored his second goal against England in the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup.

Messi became stronger and stronger as the years progressed and in 2008-2009 emerged as the undisputed best player in the world as he led Barcelona to a historic treble - La Liga, Copa del Rey and the Champions League. He scored 23 goals in the league and gave 11 assists. He also netted nine times in the Champions League, including one in the final against Manchester United, and provided five assists,

Messi regained fitness under Pep Guardiola’s regime and had yet another phenomenal season in 2009-2010, scoring 34 goals and providing 10 assists in the league besides finding the net eight times in the Champions League. In 2011 he led Barca to La Liga triumph again as well as the Champions League, and helped the Blaugrana win the Copa del Rey in the following season.

Messi, though, failed to perform at his best for Argentina in the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa in the summer as they lost in the quarter-finals.

In the 2010-11 campaign, Messi helped Barcelona win both the La Liga title and the Champions League crown, beating Manchester United 3-1 in the final, with Messi netting their second goal. The Argentine won the La Liga Best Player award in 2010-11 and netted 53 goals in all competitions.

Messi won the La Liga Best Player award again in 2011-2012, scoring a remarkable 50 league goals, but Real Madrid beat Barca to the title. Messi netted a staggering 73 goals in 60 club appearances that season.

In 2012-2013, Messi won a third straight La Liga Best Player award, with Barca lifting the league title with the Argentine scoring 46 league goals. He netted 60 times in 50 club games that season.

Messi was unable to replicate those heights in 2013-2014, before scoring four goals as Argentina reached the 2014 World Cup final, only to lose to Germany 1-0 in the final.

Messi re-claimed the La Liga Best Player in 2014-2015 as Barcelona lifted the league trophy. Messi scored 43 league goals and 58 in all competitions as the Blaugrana also won the Champions League title, beating Juventus 3-1 in the final.

He helped Barcelona win La Liga in 2015-2016, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019, consistently scoring plenty of goals, including winning the top scorer awards in 2016-2017, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. He played at the 2018 World Cup but Argentina lost to France in the last 16.

Messi was also top scorer for La Liga in 2019-2020 but came close to leaving Barcelona at the end of that season due to dissatisfaction as the trophies dried up at Camp Nou. He stayed, albeit having been forced to an extent, and won another top scorer title in 2020-2021, setting a record, and led Argentina to a breakthrough Copa America triumph in 2021, their first since 1993.

However, upon his return to Europe in August 2021, he emotionally left Barcelona amid their financial battles. He soon joined French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal with the option for a third year.

His time with PSG never reached the same heights as Barcelona, although they won the Ligue 1 title in back-to-back campaigns, teaming up alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Messi confirmed he would leave PSG at the end of the 2022-2023 season.

Prior to that in December 2022, Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory, their first triumph since 1986. Messi scored seven goals during the tournament, including two in the final and was named the Best Player of the World Cup.

In March 2023, Messi scored his 100th international goal for Argentina. Later in July 2023, Messi joined Inter Miami on a two-and-a-half year deal in the MLS, with ex-Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba also joining him in Florida.

In October 2023, Messi won his sixth Ballon d’Or ahead of Erling Haaland and ex-PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe.

Honours

• FIFA Ballon d’Or: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023
• The Best FIFA Men’s Player: 2019, 2022
• Golden Ball: FIFA World Cup: 2014, 2022
• Silver Boot: FIFA World Cup: 2022
• Golden Ball: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• Golden Boot: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• Golden Boy: 2005
• Olimpia de Plata: Argentinian Player of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 2009
• La Liga Best Player: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
• Pichichi Trophy (La Liga top scorer): 2009−10, 2011–12, 2012−13, 2016–17, 2017−18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21