the biography of lionel messi

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, a forward for Inter Miami CF, is one of the world’s greatest soccer players and helped the Argentina national team win its third FIFA World Cup in 2022.

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1987-present

Lionel Messi News: Soccer Star Is the Subject of a New Apple TV+ Docuseries

Messi, now playing for Inter Miami CF of the MLS, helped his home country win soccer’s biggest event for the first time since 1986, scoring two goals in the final and leading Argentina to a 4-2 win over Kylian Mbappé and France on penalties. Argentina’s captain was also named the tournament MVP.

The new series follows up Messi Meets America , Apple’s 2023 look at the star striker’s arrival and first season in the MLS. Inter Miami begins the 2024 regular season also on February 21 with a match against Real Salt Lake.

Quick Facts

Early life of a soccer prodigy, club teams: barcelona, psg, and inter miami, argentina national team, tax fraud scandal, wife and children, charity and unicef, who is lionel messi.

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian soccer player who has played for FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and currently, the MLS club Inter Miami CF as well as the Argentina national team. As a teenager, Messi moved from Argentina to Spain after FC Barcelona agreed to pay for medical treatments related to his growth hormone disorder. At the club, he earned renown as one of the greatest players in history, helping FC Barcelona win more than two dozen league titles and tournaments. In 2012, he set a record for most goals in a calendar year and, a decade later, helped the Argentina national team win its third FIFA World Cup. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and in July 2023, he joined Inter Miami.

FULL NAME: Luis Lionel Andres Messi BORN: June 24, 1987 BIRTHPLACE: Rosario, Argentina SPOUSE: Antonella Roccuzzo (2017-present) CHILDREN: Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

Luis Lionel Andres “Leo” Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. As a young boy, Messi tagged along when his two older brothers played soccer with their friends, unintimidated by the bigger boys. At the age of 8, he was recruited to join the youth system of Newell’s Old Boys, a Rosario-based club.

Recognizably smaller than most of the kids in his age group, Messi was eventually diagnosed by doctors as suffering from a hormone deficiency that restricted his growth. Messi’s parents, Jorge and Ceclia, decided on a regimen of nightly growth-hormone injections for their son, though it soon proved impossible to pay several hundred dollars per month for the medication.

So, at the age of 13, when Messi was offered the chance to train at soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, and have his medical bills covered by the team, Messi’s family picked up and moved across the Atlantic to make a new home in Spain. Although he was often homesick in his new country, Messi moved quickly through the junior system ranks.

Ultimately, Messi’s short stature—5 feet, 7 inches—combined with his speed and relentless attacking style, has drawn comparisons to another famous Argentinian footballer, Diego Maradona .

Messi played for FC Barcelona for 17 seasons before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 for two seasons. In July 2023, he joined the MLS club Inter Miami.

FC Barcelona

At age 13, Messi signed with FC Barcelona. His first appearance for the team was when he was 16. On May 1, 2005, Messi put himself in the record books as the youngest player to ever score a goal for the franchise.

Messi steered Barcelona to a wealth of success, most notably in 2009, when the left-footer’s team captured the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup titles. That same year, after two consecutive runner-up finishes, he took home his first FIFA World Player of the Year honor, as well as his first Ballon d’Or award, the top European individual honor in football.

Messi became the first Argentinian player to win the Ballon d’Or. Even the great Maradona gushed about his fellow countryman. “I see him as very similar to me,” the retired player told the BBC. “He’s a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different than any other player in the world.”

Amazingly, the soccer wizard continued to improve, discovering new ways to elude defenders while leading Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as the ’11 Champions League title.

Messi embarked on an all-out assault on the record books in 2012. He became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match in early March, and a few weeks later, he surpassed Cesar Rodriguez’s club-record 232 goals to become Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer. By the end of the year, Messi had accumulated an astounding 91 goals in club and international play, eclipsing the 85 netted in a single calendar year by Gerd Muller in 1972. Fittingly, he broke another record when he was named the Ballon d’Or winner for the fourth consecutive time.

In 2013, the soccer great came back to earth somewhat due to the persistence of hamstring injuries, but he regained his record-breaking form by becoming the all-time leading scorer in La Liga and Champions League play in late 2014.

After helping Barcelona achieve a historic second treble in 2015, he was honored with his fifth Ballon d’Or trophy. Four years later, following another La Liga title, Messi again established a new standard for excellence by claiming his sixth Ballon d’Or.

On August 5, 2021, FC Barcelona announced it couldn’t resign Messi due to the team’s budget constraints and La Liga restrictions. Despite having voiced his desire to leave the club the prior season, Messi bid a teary farewell after 17 seasons: “This is really difficult for me after so many years spent here, being here my entire life. I’m not ready for this.”

Paris Saint-Germain

Four days after the shocking news from FC Barcelona, Messi signed with Paris Saint-Germain. The 34-year-old inked a two-year contract with the French club. The move saw him reunite with former teammate Neymar as well as the talented Kylian Mbappé.

Messi made his debut for the club on August 29, 2021, and scored his first goal that September. PSG won two Ligue 1 titles with Messi but twice failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in the Champions League finals.

Although his contract allowed for an optional third year at PSG, the team announced it would release Messi as a free agent when the deal expired on June 30, 2023. Earlier in the year, the club suspended and fined Messi after he visited Saudi Arabia on an unauthorized trip. This all but sealed fate on the soccer legend’s widely expected move.

Messi’s last game for PSG was June 3, 2023. In total, he started in 72 games, notching 32 goals and 34 assists.

Inter Miami CF

On June 7, 2023, Messi told two Spanish media outlets he planned to play for the MLS club Inter Miami CF, which is partially owned by former soccer player David Beckham . “I have made the decision that I am going to Miami,” Messi said at the time, per ESPN . Messi later told Time he strongly considered joining a Saudi Arabian team before deciding on Inter Miami.

A little over a month later, on July 16, the team officially welcomed him on a 2.5-year contract that runs through the 2025 season. The deal was reportedly worth around $150 million , including an annual salary between $50 million and $60 million , a signing bonus, revenue sharing with the league’s media partner, and team equity upon retirement.

Inter Miami immediately benefitted on and off the field from their new team captain’s presence. The club went on a 12-match winning streak and captured the Leagues Cup, an annual tournament between teams from the MLS and Liga MX. Messi wound up scoring 11 goals in 14 games overall. However, with Messi injured late in the season, Inter Miami went winless in seven straight and failed to qualify for the playoffs. He was named the club’s 2023 MVP in November.

Messi has directly boosted revenue for the team, as well. Attendance at home games spiked 40 percent , the most in the MLS. According to The Athletic , the least expensive Inter Miami season ticket prices rose from $485 to $884 per seat from 2023 to 2024. Even with the price jump, Inter Miami announced 2024 season tickets sold out at the end of November, two months out of the start of the preseason. Not surprisingly, his jersey became the top seller in the MLS .

Messi and Inter Miami open the 2024 MLS regular season on February 21.

In summer 2005, Messi quickly made a name for himself on his native country’s under-20 squad. He led Argentina to the title in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring on a pair of penalty kicks to propel the team over Nigeria. Less than two months later, he made his pro debut with Argentina in an August friendly match against Hungary but played less than two minutes before receiving a red card and being ejected from the game.

For all his success with Barcelona, Messi repeatedly came under fire for his inability to help Argentina’s national team win a major title. In the 2014 World Cup, Argentina lost to Germany in the final, though Messi was named player of the tournament that year. In 2016, following Argentina’s second consecutive loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America tournament, Messi announced he was ending his run with the national team.

The soccer great eventually reversed his decision, but his participation in the 2018 World Cup did not bring that elusive title, as hoped. After Messi scored an early goal in a 2-1 win over Nigeria that helped his team advance from the group stage, he was largely kept in check by France, his two assists not enough to stave off a 4-3 defeat that sent Argentina packing.

The following year, after Messi heavily criticized the referees in the wake of a 2-0 loss to Brazil in the Copa America semifinals, the Argentine captain was slapped with a three-game ban by the South American Football Confederation.

At last, in 2021 and 2022, Argentina and Messi found enough traction to bring home trophies that had long evaded them. First, the team won the Copa America—Argentina’s first major title in 28 years—in August 2021, besting Brazil in the final. Captain Messi tied for top goal scorer, alongside Colombia’s Luis Diaz, and was named player of the tournament. The next year, greater glory awaited at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Argentina captured the World Cup trophy on December 18, 2022, after a thrilling game against France that ended in a penalty shootout. Messi was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player for a second time and broke the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 games. Six jerseys that Messi had worn during the victorious championship run later sold for more than $7.8 million at auction.

In fall 2023, Messi scored three goals in qualifying games for the 2026 World Cup. However, as he nears the twilight of the his career, the soccer legend has adopted a realistic attitude about his future. “As long as I feel that I am fine and I can continue contributing, I am going to do it. Today, the only thing I think about is getting to the Copa America well and being able to compete in it,” Messi said of the 2024 tournament. “Then time will tell if I am [at the World Cup] or not. I’m going to be at an age (39) that normally doesn’t allow me to play in the World Cup.”

Messi won FIFA’s World Player Trophy five times, including four consecutive wins between 2009 and 2012, and has collected its contemporary the Best FIFA Men’s Player three times, in 2019, 2022, and 2023.

The soccer legend has won Europe’s Ballon d’Or a record eight times. When he won the Ballon d’Or in October 2023, Messi became the first active MLS player to do so. He’s also won the European Golden Shoe for top scorer six times, two more than his nearest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo .

In 2023, Time magazine named Messi its Athlete of the Year, pointing to his remarkable impact on soccer’s growing popularity in the United States.

In July 2016, Messi suffered a blow off the soccer field when a Barcelona court found him and his father guilty of three counts of tax fraud. During a four-day trial, Messi and his father denied breaking the law and claimed they were unaware of any tax illegalities they had committed.

However, they were both sentenced to 21 months in prison. Under Spanish law, first offenses under two years are suspended so they did not go to jail, but Messi was ordered to pay a fine of 2 million euros. His father was required to pay 1.5 million euros.

On June 30, 2017, Messi married Antonella Roccuzzo, his longtime girlfriend and the cousin of his best friend and fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia. Messi met Roccuzzo in their hometown of Rosario when he was 5 years old. Their marriage, a civil ceremony dubbed by Argentina’s Clarín newspaper as the “wedding of the century,” was held at a luxury hotel in Rosario, with a number of fellow star soccer players and Colombian pop star Shakira on the 260-person guest list.

Messi and Roccuzzo have three children together: Thiago, born in November 2012; Mateo, born in September 2015; and Ciro, born in March 2018.

Although famously private off the field, Messi has quietly helped others in need. In 2007, he formed the Leo Messi Foundation to provide opportunities for disadvantaged youths. In early 2010, UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador, with a focus on fighting for children’s rights across the globe.

• Every time I start a year, I start with the objective of trying to achieve everything, without comparing it to how I’ve done in other seasons.
• Whether it’s a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game—I play the same. I’m always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans and to try and win.
• I am competitive, and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we’ve lost. I’m in a bad way. I don’t like to talk to anyone.
• I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream.
• I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes when I’m not enjoying it, I will leave football.
• I’ve never stopped being Argentine, and I’ve never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I’ve been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change.
• Something deep in my character allows me to take the hits and get on with trying to win. I’ve always had this ability to get up and get on with it.
• I wasn’t teased as a child for my size. In fact, I think I had more affection because I was small.
• I am lucky, I live by my passion, and there are a lot of people who work, doing what they don't like and are badly paid for that.

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Lionel Messi Biography

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of the modern generation. He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has won FIFA world player of the year five times (2009–12 and 2015) . He has often been described as Diego Maradona’s successor because of his prolific goal scoring record and ability to dribble past opponents.

“I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius, and he can become an even better player.”

His potential is limitless, and I think he’s got everything it takes to become Argentina’s greatest player.”

– Diego Maradona

Short Biography Lionel Messi

He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone.

His local club, River Plate were interested in signing Messi but didn’t want to pay for his medical treatment. However, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and coach Carles Rexach was impressed – offering Messi a contract (written on a paper napkin!) which included paying for Messi’s treatment in Spain. Messi moved to Barcelona with his father and became part of the prestigious FC Barcelona youth academy.

“I made a lot of sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream. That’s why I didn’t go out partying, or do a lot of other things.”

– Lionel Messi

In the 2009-10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo’s record total for Barcelona. As the seasons have progressed, Messi kept improving and breaking his own records. In the calendar year of 2012, he broke the all-time world record for most goals scored in a calendar year. His final total of goals in 2012 was 91 – beating the previous record of 85 by German Gerd Muller, and Pele’s milestone of 75 in 1958.

“My record stood for 40 years – 85 goals in a year – and now the best player in the world has broken it, and I’m delighted for him. He is an incredible player, gigantic.”

– Gerd Muller

At the start of 2013, in club football, Messi has scored 292 goals from a total of 359 appearances, and in international football, 31 goals from 76 appearances.

At the end of 2012, Messi turned down a very lucrative offer to play for an unnamed Russian side. It would have given Messi a salary of €20 million a year and made Messi the most expensive player in the world (Barcelona would have been paid €250 million). He turned down the offer because he was unsure if he would be playing in major European championships and the difficulties in moving to Russia. Instead, he signed a contract with Barcelona until the end of 2018. When asked about moving to the English Premier League, Messi revealed his sense of commitment to Barcelona.

“ Barcelona is my life. They have brought me to where I am today. I could not leave, I don’t want to leave. I know the Premier League is very good. But I cannot see myself playing in England because my heart is with Barcelona, always.”

International Career

Because Messi was brought up in Spain, since he was 11 years old, he has Spanish nationality. In 2004, he was offered the chance to play for Spain’s Under 20 side, but Messi decided to play for Argentina, the country of his birth. He led Argentina to victory in the 2005 FIFA Youth Championship. Messi made his full international debut in August 2005, during a friendly against Hungary. In his first game, Messi was sent off for allegedly elbowing a player. The decision was contentious and not in keeping with Messi’s style of play which is generally clean and in the spirit of fair play; he has very rarely been accused of diving.

In 2006, he participated in the World Cup, becoming Argentina’s youngest player to play in the world cup. Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In 2008, he won an Olympic gold medal for Argentina in football at the Beijing Olympics. Initially, Barcelona had not allowed him permission to play, but new coach Pep Guardiola allowed him time off.

In the 2010 World Cup, Messi wore the number 10 shirt and played well to help Argentina reach the quarter-finals, but Messi struggled to score, and Argentina disappointingly lost 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-final. Messi has admitted he is desperate to play in a world cup final. Success for Messi in the World Cup would be the last test of greatness. Pele , by contrast, was part of Brazil’s three times winning World Cup side ’58, ’62 and ’70.

Messi is widely regarded as one of the most exciting players of the modern age – in fact, any age. He has a peerless ability to dribble and take on opponents. Maradona has described his ball control as supremely good. “ The ball stays glued to his foot; I’ve seen great players in my career, but I’ve never seen anyone with Messi’s ball control.” Messi has said he wishes to retain the joy of how a child plays football

“I have changed nothing, my style of play is still that of a child. I know that above all it is my job and that I should approach it in another way, but one must not lose sight of the fact that football is a game. It is imperative one plays to amuse oneself, to be happy. That is what children do and I do the same thing.” (total Barca)

After winning the Ballon d’Or for the fourth time in January 2013, Messi said:

“To tell you the truth this is really quite unbelievable. The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words. ” ( BBC )

Messi and Ronaldo

Messi has often been compared to prolific Real Madrid goalscorer Christiano Ronaldo, but both have been keen to downplay the rivalry.

“Messi has his personality and I have mine. He has his game and I have mine. I also play in a big club like him. We are different in every aspect. But right now, he is the best.”

— Christiano Ronaldo , in September 2011

Messi’s goalscoring record

Source: Christopher Johnson, Barcelona FC. CC-SA-2.5

By any standards, Messi’s goal scoring record is exceptional. By June 2019, he has scored 419 goals in 445 official matches for Barcelona FC.

• In 2012/13, Messi set an all-time world record of scoring in 21 consecutive games (33 goals from 21 games)
• He holds the Guinness World Record for most goals in a calendar year – 91 goals during 2012.
• He is the only player to score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns.
• His international record for Argentina is 68 goals from 133 appearances.

Messi major honours

• Spanish La Liga title (*10) : 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Spanish Cup (*6) – Copa del Rey
• Supercopa de España (*6)
• UEFA Champions League ( *4 ) : 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014-15
• UEFA Super Cup ( *3 )
• FIFA Club World Cup ( 3 )
• Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• 2006 World Cup – QF
• 2010 World Cup – QF
• 2014 World Cup – Runners-up.
• 2018 World Cup

Wealth and income

Messi has frequently been the target of other football clubs with big transfer budgets, but he has remained loyal to Barcelona FC. He is one of the highest paid footballers in the world. His base salary is estimated at €40 million per year. His combined income 2018 from all sources was €126m. This made him the highest paid sports star – according to Forbes. From 2018, his weekly salary from Barcelona is $667,000 per week.

Private life

By the standards of modern football, Messi has a relatively private and modest lifestyle. He makes efforts to keep links to his hometown of Rosario. He has an Argentinian girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo, and they have two children. His first child Thiago was born in November 2012.

Lionel Messi – Real Bios at Amazon by Marie Morreale.

Messi acts as an ambassador for Unicef, and also runs his own charitable foundation – supporting access to education and sport for children. Because of his own expensive medical treatment, he has also helped Argentinian hospitals with paying for similar treatment to his own.

World Cup 2014

Many commentators have stated that Lionel Messi has performed at his best in all competitions, except the World Cup. In both the 2006 and 2010 World Cup, Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals, with Messi not at his best.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is an opportunity for Messi to make an impact on the highest stage of them all. In the opening game against, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Messi scored a great goal to give Argentina a winning start. He scored four goals to help Argentina reach the World Cup Final. In the final, Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi was awarded ‘Golden Ball’ player of the tournament, though the decision was not universally supported. After the tournament, Messi replied:

“I do not care about the Golden Ball. I am just upset by the wasted chances. We had the best chances. We knew we could not dominate the game but we knew what we wanted to do. Right now I do not care about my prize. I just wanted to lift the cup and bring it to Argentina. The pain is very great.”

In June 2016, a very disappointed Messi announced his retirement from international football, after missing a penalty as Argentina got knocked out of the Copa America final. However, Messi later reversed his decision, saying he loved playing for Argentina too much, and “I see there are many problems in Argentinian football and I don’t intend to create another one.”

However, Messi returned to international football and led Argentina in the 2018 World Cup. Despite carrying the weight of expectation of a nation, the World Cup was considered a great disappointment. However, in the 2018/19 season, Messi returned to his usual scintillating performance with Barcelona.

World Cup 2022

After a disappointing first game, when Argentina unexpectedly lost to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi was key to firing Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Mexico, with Messi scoring an excellent goal. If Messi has lost something of his speed and top level fitness, he remains just as potent in front of the goal, with the capacity to make match winning contributions. The goal took him to 8 world cup goals, 2nd overall and level with Diego Maradona.

Published 10 January 2018. Last updated 30 November 2022

• Full name Lionel Andrés Messi
• Date of birth 24 June 1987 (1987-06-24)
• Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
• Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
• Playing Position: Forward
• Total club appearances 684. Total Goals 578 (Dec. 2018)
• Total international appearances 151. Total Goals 81 (Dec. 2018)
• La Liga titles with Barcelona (9)
• UEFA Champions League (4) 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
• FIFA Ballon d’Or/Ballon d’Or (5)
• Guinness World Record as top goalscorer for club and country in a calendar year: 91 goals in 2012

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Lionel Messi”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net . First published 26 June 2012. Last updated 26 June 2019.

The Amazing Story of Leo Messi

The Amazing Story of Leo Messi at Amazon

Lionel Messi: The Rise to Stardom. at Amazon

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Super biography

• February 03, 2019 2:09 PM
• By V.sukumar

Lionel Messi: The life and times of the Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina legend

Lionel Messi has wasted little time in making an impact at Inter Miami, the third club he has played for in his illustrious career.

The deal taking him to Miami, after his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired, was only finalized on July 15. The World Cup winner has already added the Leagues Cup to his trophy cabinet , scoring 10 goals in seven games to fire his new club to their first piece of silverware.

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For Messi , it is major trophy number 44.

Despite turning 36 in June, he is as influential as ever. Here is the complete story of Lionel Andres Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in the history of the sport, as told by 30 of our award-winning team of reporters, from Adam Crafton to Oliver Kay, from Michael Cox to John Muller, as well as many, many more. It will be continuously updated to reflect Messi’s ongoing Inter Miami career .

The early life of Lionel Messi

It started with a videotape . Horacio Gaggioli, an agent in Argentina, was sent footage of a 12-year-old Lionel Messi playing for the oxymoronic Newell’s Old Boys youth teams. A year later and Messi arrived in Barcelona with Gaggioli and his father for a trial that would change the course of history for both player and club.

Messi played only for the youth sides of Newell’s Old Boys and yet he is a bona fide club legend by virtue of what he would go on to achieve. In Rosario, as early as the late 1990s, he was already cutting in from the right flank and bending the ball into the far corner with his left foot. The skills were already astonishing but, naturally, there were doubts as a result of the youngster’s diminutive frame.

This was around the time Messi was being seen by a pediatric endocrinologist (a glands and hormones specialist) because of having been diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at the age of 10. His was a middle-class family and the Messis lived in a modest two-story home located on the Calle Lavalleja in Rosario. Lionel’s father worked as a supervisor at a steel manufacturing plant while his mother worked at a shop that specialised in magnetic coils.

It was, in fact, Messi’s grandmother who encouraged him to join a club rather than simply play informally with other children in the neighbourhood. His trademark goal celebration of pointing both index fingers to the sky is a tribute to that late grandparent, a key formative influence whose importance has never been forgotten .

Messi was a shy and introverted child and, during one early match, he played with stones he found on the pitch while the game went on around him. Naturally, when the ball came to him, it was a very different story and the raw talent was there for all to see. This reserved nature, quite uncommon in elite athletes, might explain why the young Lionel ultimately decided to let his father, Jorge, become his agent . After an agonising wait during which the hierarchy debated the best course of action, Barcelona eventually agreed to sign the player and cover his treatments, the latter something Newell’s Old Boys could or would not do. History is written by the winners, however, so Messi is a hero at the Argentine club despite making his professional debut elsewhere.

Jorge’s (third from left, above) involvement in his son’s career is a fascinating aspect of the Messi story . His first organised involvement was helping as coach at the local Grandoli club, where little Leo played his first games. While the family was relatively comfortable, they did not have the $900 a month required for the hormone treatment. The Barcelona move was essential but it was not until December 2000 that Barca director Charly Rexach famously signed a contract written on a napkin that confirmed the Argentine’s move to La Masia . The romantic element of the tale belies the truth of the negotiations. In reality, neither father nor son were willing to return to Spain until they were sure they were going to be paid the 100 million pesetas per season they felt they were worth.

This kind of steeliness would be a recurring theme in Messi’s early days at the Camp Nou. After a year at Barcelona, a new general manager questioned why somewhere in the region of €120,000 a year was being paid to a youngster yet to play a competitive game. Jorge responded by making enquiries about a move to Real Madrid and ultimately the Messi men got their way before it was obvious quite what a talent the club had on their hands. Indeed, at that fledgling stage, the Messis were able to negotiate three new contracts within just 18 months. Within three years of making his Barcelona debut, Messi replaced no less a player than Ronaldinho as the highest earner on the club’s books.

When Messi signed for Barcelona in 2001, the whole family moved to the Catalan capital, but mother Cecilia and siblings Rodrigo, Matias and Maria-Sol soon moved back to Rosario and left father and son in a relatively small apartment close to the Camp Nou. Like sitcom room-mates, the pair largely ate takeout food and played video games but, more crucially, developed a remarkable bond rare even for kin .

When the Messi family left Argentina at the turn of the century, they neglected to tell even those closest to them about the move. In a sense, that insular nature and distrust of outsiders has remained with the player throughout his career. Those on the inside have repeatedly suggested Jorge is a difficult man to deal with but perhaps he is just a father who understood the extraordinary value of his son before the world caught up. When you’ve got an asset like Lionel, it tends to give you the upper hand in most negotiations around money.

• Messi, Rosario and Newell’s: The love between a superstar, his hometown and boyhood club
• Jorge Messi: The agent father behind Leo’s fortunes
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Messi’s record-breaking Barcelona career

Two things come up time and again when any team-mate is asked about Messi’s early days at Barcelona; the young Argentine was extremely shy and prodigiously gifted . In the words of Victor Vazquez:

“From day one, it was crazy how good he was out on the pitch. Me and the other players in the academy — like Gerard Pique and Cesc Fabregas — were always talking about how incredible a player he was. We couldn’t believe how good he was and the whole dressing room agreed we had to do everything we could to help Leo adapt to living in Barcelona.”

On the pitch, there were no issues. Messi’s rise through the youth ranks was one of the fastest the club had ever seen. In his first full season, he scored 38 goals in 31 games while playing at under-16 level. Barcelona moved the 16-year-old to the under-18s for the 2003-04 season. His time in that side did not last long, however, as the teenager set a club record that has never been equalled: he played for five different Barcelona teams in one season .

The first-team manager, Frank Rijkaard, was impressed enough to call Messi up for a friendly against Porto (at that time managed by Jose Mourinho) in November 2003. His 15-minute cameo was ultimately remarkable enough to see the Argentine play for Barcelona’s B and C teams for the remainder of the season. He would never return to the academy or look back in any way.

In October 2004, aged 17 years, three months and 22 days, Messi made his competitive debut for Barcelona as a substitute against Espanyol. That was the first of nine appearances he made that season, the last of those featuring his first goal for the club in the very final minute of the season with a terrific lob.

Messi could not start playing the following season until September 2005 when a citizenship issue was finally resolved. The Argentine helped his side to their second successive league title with eight goals and five assists in 25 games. The only disappointment was a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Champions League final victory over Arsenal despite the fact the player felt he was fit enough to start.

That 2006 European triumph signalled the end of an era at Barcelona and the next couple of years were difficult and culminated with the dismissal of Rijkaard in 2008 and the appointment of Pep Guardiola, a decision that altered the course of the club’s history. Ronaldinho was sold and Messi inherited the number 10 shirt as the central figure in arguably the greatest club side in the history of the game.

In the 2008-09 season, everything went right. The Argentine managed 38 goals and 19 assists in 51 games while helping Barcelona secure the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League titles. It was a banner year for Messi in which he played his first game as a false nine and won the Ballon d’Or (the first of an astonishing seven).

The numbers tell their own story, with Messi and Guardiola combining with devastating effect. Thirty-eight goals seems an astonishing number for a player whose game was about far more than simply finding the back of the net and it’s even more staggering when one considers he would go on to score even more goals in each of the next 10 seasons. Messi and his manager ensured Barcelona picked up 14 trophies in four seasons before Guardiola suddenly stepped down in the summer of 2012 .

With Guardiola gone, Barcelona managers came and went (three in successive years) with it becoming understood that the star man had more power than whoever was sat in the dugout. Indeed, Gerardo Martino actually said to Messi during his brief tenure : “I know that if you call the president and ask for my head, he would fire me the next day but, please, I don’t need you to prove it to me every day.”

To call Messi a club legend doesn’t even begin to do justice to his extraordinary feats. As a way of adding context, consider the fact that, in 2021, according to government data, Leo was the fifth most common name given to newborn children in Catalonia and the only name in the top six without a Catalan origin. Ultimately, Barcelona’s struggles on and off the field in recent years saw the relationship between the player and the club break down and, instead of a fairytale ending, the denouement was a tearful press conference in the summer of 2021 .

One intriguing aspect of the Messi farewell is that his salary deferrals of 2020 and 2021, aimed at easing Barcelona’s financial troubles, mean he continues to be paid by the club and will be until 2025 . Many of the Camp Nou faithful believed he might return after his time in Paris came to an end and the noises from the club suggested they believed it was a genuine possibility. Messi’s name was chanted at matches and there was real hope right up until the moment he decided to sign for Inter Miami.

At Barcelona, Messi became arguably the greatest player in history while plying his trade for arguably the greatest team in history, so perhaps he was wise to heed the old adage about never going back .

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Why Messi struggled at Paris Saint-Germain

Messi’s time in Paris was every bit as complicated as the negotiations that led to his leaving the place he considered home for pastures new. Things started so brightly at PSG with Messi emerging from the airport in August 2021 in a shirt emblazoned with the words, ‘Ici C’est Paris’ (This Is Paris). If the footballing great was missing his friends in Barcelona then he certainly did a good job hiding it.

The player was paid a sign-on fee of €25million and agreed a two-year contract with a net salary of €25million per year. The deal included an option of a third year at the same rate but ultimately Messi was able to secure an even more lucrative deal in the United States.

Before arriving in France, the general perception of the Argentine great was that he was a man who let his football do the talking. Controversies off the field were rare and the headlines tended only to come as a result of his extraordinary ability. Perhaps it was inevitable but things were different in the French capital despite continued success on the field. Ultimately, the transfer was about more than just Messi’s ability with the ball at his feet and there was a nagging feeling that remained the case throughout his Parisian sojourn.

The deal made sense for all parties in the summer of 2021 . Barcelona could no longer afford to keep their prize asset and PSG could offer outstanding money and Champions League football. The club had been sniffing around Messi for years and felt his commercial value was as significant as his talent on the field. As if to underline this point, the club’s Twitter account gained 800,000 followers in a single month after he signed.

When the history books are written, Messi’s first season at PSG will not go down as a vintage year. Eleven goals and 15 assists from 34 games in all competitions is certainly not a bad return but undoubtedly underwhelming when compared to the player’s own impeccably high standards. Let’s not forget the Argentine moved to Barcelona at the age of 13 and stayed there for two decades, so a period of acclimatisation was to be expected. He had to adapt to a new coach and team-mates as well as an entirely new environment for his family in a city with a very different way of life to Catalonia.

PSG won Ligue 1 in both of Messi’s seasons at the club but that should be considered the bare minimum. The club has gone from just two domestic titles to 11 in the decade since Qatar Sports Investments started their bankrolling project. The player was brought in to get the club over the line in the Champions League and, while the hierarchy might have been happy from a commercial standpoint, PSG were still eliminated in the round of 16 in both of Messi’s seasons at Parc des Princes.

In Messi’s second season at PSG, he notched up 41 goals and assists from 40 games in all competitions and helped his side to their second successive league title. The failure in Europe had far more to do with poor recruitment than the Argentine’s performances and yet he was not entirely blameless. What is undeniable is that his output was considerably reduced after the World Cup. This is understandable given Messi gave everything to ensure he finally won the ultimate prize and the competition took place, for the first time, in the middle of a domestic season. For the people who paid his wages, however, the Champions League was a more important target.

Messi’s relationship with the PSG fans never came close to the bond he had with the Barcelona supporters and there was a certain inevitability about it ending in tears. At the start of May, he was suspended for a fortnight and fined for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia as part of a commercial agreement to promote tourism in the area. The player missed a training session and the general consensus amongst the PSG faithful was that the player who has won everything did not care enough about the shirt of the club, a feeling exacerbated by nine defeats in all competitions after the turn of the year.

The iconic great of the game came to be viewed as symptomatic of a strategy that prioritised star names over cohesion. He was one of a number of players viewed as looking to earn huge sums of money without truly caring about the project . Ultimately the club took a stand and, the day after he was suspended, it was reported that Messi would leave at the season’s close. He apologised for his conduct but the damage had been done. Still, in his penultimate game for PSG, the Argentine’s goal helped the club secure a second league title in a row as he became the player with the most goals in the history of Europe’s top five leagues – an astonishing 496.

It might not have been a Parisian fairytale but, by any measure, Messi still produced the goods in Ligue 1.

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• Messi’s time at PSG was a success for him and the business – but not as a football transfer

How Messi and Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar 

In 2016, at the age of 29, Messi announced his retirement from international football . Despite being at his peak for Barcelona, he was reeling from a third international final defeat in as many years (his fourth in total). As if to underline quite how different things were for the player in an Argentina jersey, the country’s talisman missed his penalty in the shootout to decide the Copa America, uncharacteristically blazing the ball high and wide. Enough was enough.

A couple of months later and the decision had been reversed, much to the relief of just about every person in Argentina. There was a sense in some quarters that the player had just one more mountain to scale if he wanted to be considered on a par with his compatriot, Diego Maradona, and that was lifting the World Cup for his country . Messi had come close in 2014 and won the player of the tournament award for his efforts, but ultimately Argentina were defeated by Germany in a close final.

In 2022, at 35, Messi knew this was his last chance. He spoke of “the anxiety within my family and the country as a whole. Particularly my wife Antonela and son Thiago who watches all the national team games and knows all the possible match-ups, the opponents. ‘When are we going?’ he asks. ‘When’s the first game? When’s the second game?’ He’s nervous and the truth is that it puts terrible pressure on me.” This was exacerbated when, in Argentina’s opening game, Messi’s penalty gave his team an early lead but Saudi Arabia fought back in the second half to win 2-1. This was one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history and some felt the Argentina captain would conclude his career without emulating Maradona.

It took Messi 64 minutes to break the deadlock against Mexico in the second group game and Pablo Aimar was so overwhelmed on the sidelines he broke into tears. The game ended 2-0 and another 2-0 victory, in the final group game against Poland, ensured Argentina topped their group despite that early setback. In the round of 16, against Australia, Argentina edged a tight match and Messi finally scored in the knockout stages of a World Cup. It also happened to be the 1,000th game of a storied career.

The quarter-final clash with the Netherlands would prove remarkably dramatic. Messi’s pass for Nahuel Molina’s opening goal somehow took out six Dutch players in one fell swoop and all seemed well until Wout Weghorst came off the bench and scored two late goals to make it 2-2 and take the game to extra time. Argentina won on penalties but it was a spectacularly ill-tempered affair, with Messi taunting both Weghorst and Louis van Gaal, the latter visibly angry after Messi provoked him by cupping his ears.

The semi-final was a relatively straightforward 3-0 win over Croatia (Messi opening the scoring with another penalty) before a final for the ages, perhaps the greatest there has ever been . For the first hour, however, it looked as though it would be a routine victory for Messi and co against the reigning champions France. They were 2-0 up at half-time and the French had contributed nothing of note in an attacking sense. It appeared as though Messi’s dream was finally about to come true with relative ease.

With 10 minutes remaining, France were awarded a penalty and Kylian Mbappe converted before adding another just 97 seconds later with a stunning volley that levelled the scores. The game went to extra time where Messi scored again and gave his team the lead and that appeared to be that until Mbappe, with two minutes remaining, completed his hat-trick and took the final to a penalty shootout. Naturally, both Messi and Mbappe scored their penalties and the shootout concluded with Argentina triumphing 4-2. The defining image of the celebrations was the Argentina great accepting the honour of the robe and rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of lifting the trophy. He was hoisted aloft by his team-mates in a manner that recalled his idol, Maradona, at the conclusion of the 1986 final.

In the immediate aftermath of the match, Messi confirmed it was his last World Cup but he would not be retiring from international football, stating, “I love what I do, being in the national team, and I want to continue living a few more games being world champion.” It might seem surprising that he has been willing to take part in international friendlies having achieved everything there is to achieve but, in the words of the man himself, “What I do is play football, which is what I like. I do it because I love it — and that’s all I care about.”

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The story of Messi’s move to MLS and Inter Miami

When discussing signing Messi for Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer club he co-owns, David Beckham is unequivocal :

“This will be up there with the biggest moves in American sporting history… And we’re talking about the biggest sporting market in the world. Bringing Leo Messi to Inter Miami, to MLS, the year after he wins the World Cup, to a team that is three years old… it’s a hell of an achievement. I never thought I would have the same feeling as an owner as I had when I was a player. When I got the phone call, I had the feeling I had when I walked out at Old Trafford or Wembley. I was like, ‘We’ve just beaten all competition to sign the greatest player to ever play our game’.”

Messi’s arrival in the States is so much more than a boost for a solitary club. Most MLS teams hosting Miami are seeing significant upticks in gameday revenue. Messi shirts are selling out. Apple have announced that three games the week of Messi’s debut set records in viewership. Social media numbers are through the roof, especially given the player’s strong start underlined by an exquisite goal on debut .

It was yet another perfect moment in a career positively littered with them. Inter Miami were drawing 1-1 with Mexican side Cruz Azul in their first Leagues Cup game of the season, a competition that sees MLS teams play against Liga MX sides. Messi, on as a 54th-minute substitute, was fouled and everyone watching knew he was going to take the resultant free kick, about 25 yards from goal in prime territory. Could the icon mark his first match in Florida with a 93rd-minute winner? Everyone watching knew the answer to that one, too.

Messi curled the ball past the goalkeeper and was wheeling away in celebration before it had even hit the back of the net . The Argentine’s set-piece ability is legendary and he tends to deliver when it comes to the crunch. After the game, he reflected on what is already the most memorable goal ever scored for an MLS side:

“It was set up for me at the end. I went for it like I always do. I was lucky that it was on target, that the goalkeeper didn’t get to it and… that it was a goal… I saw the goal and I tried to convert. I knew it was the last play. I was hoping to score in order to avoid going to penalties.”

Messi has already scored 10 goals for Inter Miami, his side winning all of the games he’s taken part in on their way to Leagues Cup triumph. In the process, Messi has become the all-time top scorer in the competition. There is a feeling that, if the player can continue at this rate against far weaker defences than he’s been accustomed to facing throughout his career, the ripple effect for the league could be astronomical.

Commercially, the impact of Messi in America is almost unprecedented . By way of example, DeAndre Yedlin recently arrived at a press conference in a pair of Beats by Dre headphones gifted by Messi, something he revealed each one of the Argentine’s team-mates had been presented with. Beats by Dre is owned by Apple, so this was a visible reminder of the partnership between one of the biggest companies in the world and one of the biggest figures in sport. It is quite clear there is a symbiotic relationship between the sports and business aspects of this deal .

In truth, the repercussions for soccer in the country could be felt long after Messi has left the Sunshine State. Daniel Kirschner is the CEO of Greenfly, a platform used by over 500 sports organizations to optimise digital content. He feels this could be a turning point for the league:

“When we look at athletes active on social, by carrying sponsors with them, jerseys sponsors, arena sponsors, there is an incredible amount of value in that and that value attaches itself to Inter Miami and their sponsors. Inter Miami’s reach and impact, the number of people seeing those logos, has expanded exponentially. For MLS more broadly, it brings value by showing who he is playing against, awareness of teams, awareness of the league. It carries that value to a much broader fan base.”

Like Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia , Messi has been brought in for huge money to boost the league at large and give the whole project a sense that it should be taken more seriously than it currently is. Inter Miami had not won a game in 11 before the player’s arrival and yet, under manager Gerardo Martino ( who Messi played under previously for Argentina and Barcelona ), the club have a serious chance of making waves this season. And the better the player and club perform, the better it will prove for the sport in America ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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• For Messi vs Ronaldo, read U.S. vs Saudi Arabia – a new twist in a famous rivalry

The evolution of Messi’s playing style

Broadly speaking, Messi has played three different roles throughout his career : as a right-winger, as a false nine up front, and as a classic No 10 behind a proper striker. At his best, he combines elements of these three roles and thus defenders can watch endless hours of footage and still find him impossible to stop .

At the start of his career , Messi was a right-winger noted for his ability to dribble past opponents when cutting inside onto his left foot. His ability with the ball at his feet drew comparisons with Maradona from the very start, not least that immortal goal in the 1986 quarter-final match against England. When a teenage Messi scored a goal against Getafe that felt like a carbon copy of perhaps the most famous goal ever scored by an Argentine, one former youth team coach remarked: “The other day I saw him score this goal — they say it was like Maradona. I think he is better. When I watch him play like that, I cry.”

Ronaldinho left Barcelona in the summer of 2008, around the same time Messi turned 21. Guardiola made the decision to hand his young star the number 10 shirt and build the team around him . Messi’s first season in the role was a great success as he regularly cut inside behind Samuel Eto’o up front to undo defences, scoring and assisting more than almost any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. This, however, was only the start.

In May 2009, Guardiola took a bold gamble that paid off in spades. In a game away at bitter rivals Real Madrid, the manager told Messi and Eto’o they should swap positions early in the game leaving the Real defenders unable to decide whether to follow the Argentine into midfield or not. Ultimately Barcelona triumphed 6-2 on the day with Messi scoring two and assisting the opener while playing as a false 9 – neither as a poacher in the box nor just behind the striker. This tactic was equally effective a few weeks later in the Champions League final, Barcelona beating Manchester United 2-0 and Messi securing the trophy with a header twenty minutes from the end .

Messi was as crucial dropping off and joining Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets at the tip of the diamond as he was in the box finding the back of the net. The club and player were both at their peak and records were consistently broken with ease. Most sides don’t use their centre-forward as a spare midfielder but that’s simply because most teams don’t have peak Messi as an option.

Raul Garcia, who faced Messi 33 times between 2004 and 2021, has talked about the difficulties of facing a player devastating in every attacking area : “When you saw him up close, you realised just how great a player he was. He was the best midfielder, the best when he took the ball from the wing, and the best at finishing.”

Messi’s ability to play a one-two and carve out space is unprecedented in the game’s history, no doubt aided by having extraordinarily gifted team-mates, especially during the Barcelona years. As a finisher, the Argentine scored 44 per cent more goals over the course of his career in the top five leagues than an average shooter would have produced from the same chances. Messi has always been a master at finding himself in the right positions to get a shot away but his freakish ability to convert is unlike any other player ever to have lived.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of Messi’s style has been his tendency to stroll around the pitch in a casual manner whenever he doesn’t have the ball, seemingly at odds with the guidance given to young people when they first start playing football. The player has explained that this is, obviously, not a result of laziness but actually a way of conserving energy when it comes time to dribble and score goals. Further still, like a coach on the pitch, he is closely monitoring the movements of the defenders to calculate his next move. Not for nothing did Louis Vitton depict Messi as a chess grandmaster in that famous advertisement with Ronaldo.

In Paris, an ageing Messi took a leaf out of Beckham’s book (the man who concluded his playing career at PSG and was integral in bringing the Argentina great to the U.S.) and adopted the quarterback role . While he continued to take players on at times, the diminutive genius developed a penchant for through balls in his mid-30s that suggested time does, indeed, affect us all in the end. If his rival Ronaldo moved further up the pitch as he aged, Messi went in the opposite direction as his pace diminished over the years.

Ironically, penalties are just about the only thing Messi does not excel at on a football pitch and yet, when it mattered most, at the 2022 World Cup, he delivered time and again from the spot. His game has evolved since he burst onto the scene at Barcelona but the one constant has been that otherworldly ability .

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Messi’s salary and finances in focus

One anonymous figure who worked at one of Messi’s clubs in the last decade was very clear about the man’s hierarchy of interests : “His number one passion is money. Not far behind is football. Everything he does is geared towards money.” An experienced agent echoed these sentiments with the suggestion that Messi and his father are too concerned with the bottom line: “If you manage a player well, you manage it well all-round. If he ends up with serious tax issues, it suggests they just look to capitalise on everything financially to the maximum without looking to the consequences.”

Messi’s tax issues represent an issue for those who have sought to characterise the rivalry with Ronaldo, the other great of the modern game, as a battle between good and evil. The easy narrative is that Ronaldo is the preening egotist in stark contrast with the shy, introvert who loves nothing but playing football. As it happens, both players have had tax issues, so perhaps they are not quite such different characters after all.

The Spanish authorities decided to clamp down on financial impropriety in football around 2013. Leo and Jorge were amongst the first to be targeted with both accused of having evaded more than €4million in taxes between 2007 and 2009 by routing image rights income through offshore tax havens Uruguay and Belize, then through others in the UK and Switzerland. Giving testimony in court in 2016, Messi senior claimed: “Since my son’s career started, I am talking about 2000 when we arrived in Barcelona, I have always tried to make his life easier. He played football, and I accompanied him how I could.”

The player has maintained his father handles everything and pleaded ignorance throughout . In that same Barcelona courtroom, the footballer claimed: “I didn’t know anything, I only worried about playing football.” His argument was that he assumed Jorge always had his best interests at heart and thus would sign any contract put in front of him without thinking too deeply about it. He went as far as to say he had only a vague grasp of the amounts of money involved.

The Messis thought the matter was concluded when they were ordered to pay €5m euros to cover unpaid taxes plus “reparations”, but they did not get off that lightly. They were eventually found guilty on three counts of defrauding the tax department and handed suspended jail sentences of 21 months. They also received astronomical fines — €2million for Leo, €1.5million for Jorge. The verdict led many to suggest the player’s carefully cultivated public persona was exactly that and he was far from the squeaky-clean figure of the popular imagination. But is that a fair assessment?

The truth is probably that Messi is neither hero nor villain but a man who has taken little to no interest in anything beyond football since childhood. He had no problem taking money to promote tourism in Saudi Arabia and is almost certainly not too knowledgeable on the region’s appalling human rights record. At the age of 36, however, perhaps he should know better and care about things beyond the pitch. He would, after all, be a millionaire many times over even if he turned down such offers.

The Argentine has certainly given money to worthy causes over the years, but journalist Marcela Mora y Araujo, who has followed Messi’s career from the start, feels he deserves neither credit nor blame for any of his financial dealings:

“I doubt he has a political ideology. I know he endorses a lot of humanitarian projects, but in his head, I don’t know if he thinks of it as any different to selling razor blades for Gillette. He just likes football. He’s never pretended to be anything else.”

It is quite possible that a man noted for his gargantuan football brain simply doesn’t consider anything else in his life all that deeply. Indeed, the very fact that his father was handed and retained control of his affairs tells its own story. Tellingly, even as his career progressed, the Messis chose to stick with this arrangement .

One source has said: “Having Jorge as his manager is an advantage for Leo in some ways, as you can always rely on your father. But maybe also a disadvantage as sometimes you need someone more experienced. Jorge was not a specialist in business and suddenly he ran a big company called Lionel Messi Limited.”

Nobody with a background in business would have had sufficient training to cope with the demands brought about by Messi’s exploits on the pitch. To throw someone into the role purely by virtue of fathering a football genius seems like madness. The tax fraud situation was inevitable if a man earns that much money without paying proper attention to the world around him. Messi has only ever cared about what happens on the field and, almost inevitably, that has led to some difficulties off it.

• Lionel Messi’s millions: The man, the brand and the money
• ‘He sold himself to the devil’ – Messi, 2030 and a very uncomfortable deal with Saudi Arabia

Written by Darren Richman. Contributors: Pol Ballus, Luke Brown, JJ Bull, Felipe Cardenas, Mark Carey, Laia Cervello Herrero, Dermot Corrigan, Michael Cox, Adam Crafton, Michael Dominski, Sebastian Fest, Dominic Fifield, Jay Harris, Raphael Honigstein, James Horncastle, Simon Johnson, Oliver Kay, Sam Lee, Pablo Maurer, Nick Miller, John Muller, Caoimhe O’Neill, David Ornstein, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Peter Rutzler, Daniel Taylor, Paul Tenorio, Michael Walker.

(All photos: Getty Images; design: Sam Richardson)

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Lionel MESSI

Born in Rosario, Argentina, in 1987, Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, and his illustrious career proves why. The Argentinean footballer, who holds a record eight Ballon d'Or awards , has displayed his talent early on and has always been destined for greatness.

When Messi was 13 years old, he and his family moved to Barcelona, where the club assisted him in treating his growth hormone deficiency . He started playing for FC Barcelona's U14 team. The Argentinean quickly rose through the ranks, impressing everyone with exceptional skills and talent. At 17, he made his first senior appearance for the club and became a vital player for the Blaugranas.

The Rosario's native relationship with Barcelona has been very successful. During his 17-year career with the team, he helped them win numerous titles, including 10 La Liga titles , four Champions League crowns , and seven Copa del Rey trophies . He is also the all-time leading scorer in La Liga , with an incredible 474 goals to his name. He left the Spanish club in 2021 to join French powerhouse Paris Saint Germain , where he played two years before joining Inter Miami in the MLS.

On the international stage, the former Barca star has been a standout player for his country. He was instrumental in helping them win the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, where he won the Golden Ball , awarded to the competition's best player. He was also part of the team that won Olympic gold at the Beijing 2008 Games, which remains one of his most treasured career highlights.

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Lionel Messi Biography Facts, Childhood, Career, Life

Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini (born June 24, 1987) is an Argentine professional football player, who despite the odds against him, turns things around and brings out a miracle when it’s least expected. He captains and plays forward for Barcelona (Spanish club) as well as the Argentina national team. Ever since he was a kid, he has entertained many with his prodigious skills, amazing dribbles, astounding swiftness and powerful shots. Now a global icon, he still adds to the thrill of the beautiful game of football. We discuss the life of Lionel Messi, fondly referred to as the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) in our Lionel Messi biography facts, childhood, career and personal life. 

Our analysis includes Messi’s rise from being a football enthusiast at a tender age to now becoming the modern-age face-of-the-game, and how he overcame the seemingly insurmountable challenges that stood between him and his dreams.

Table of Contents

Lionel Messi Biography Quick Facts, Age

Here are some quick biography facts you should know about the Argentine professional football player.

Lionel Messi Childhood & Early Life

Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini was given birth to on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, to a steel factory manager, Jorge Messi and his wife Celia Cuccittini. Messi was the third of four children they gave birth to. He grew up in a family where the game of football was adored.

At a tender age, he played with his elder brothers before joining a local club, Grandoli, before moving on to Newell’s Old Boys. At Grandoli, Messi was coached by his father, but his grandmother accompanied him to his matches as well as training. He was thus affected by her. His unique style of celebration which involves looking up and pointing to the sky is a tribute to his late grandmother.

Messi’s dream of becoming a professional footballer was threatened when he clocked 10 years. He was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. As a result of his family’s inability to bear the expense of his treatment, they resorted to football clubs who saw Messi as a potential to bear the cost. After several setbacks, Messi’s treatment cost was paid for by Barcelona. After his transfer to Barcelona, he did not make appearances regularly in matches due to transfer issues with Newell as well as the unusual signing of foreign plays by European Clubs. After joining the Royal Spanish Football Federation, he began playing for Barcelona. Upon completion of his growth hormone deficiency treatment, he became a force to reckon with in the Barcelona youth team.

Lionel Messi Club Career

Fc barcelona.

Messi progressed through the ranks of Barcelona’s junior team, leading to his move to the senior team. He debuted for five teams in a season. During the international break, Messi was among the few players who helped strengthen the first team in the absence of the players. Messi finally debuted for the senior team at the age of 16. Messi’s wondrous performance earned him the friendship of Barcelona’s star Ronaldinho, who enabled him to have a smooth transition into the first team. His remarkable antics earned him a juicy contract in 2004 set to expire in 2012, the first professional contract he signed, had a buyout clause of 30 million euros which increased to 80 million euros.

In the 2004–2005 season, he became a regular starter in Barcelona’s B-team. However, he was a substitute player in the A-team, debuting for them in the league on October 16 against Espanyol. Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona as a senior team player on his 18th birthday. The contract was set to expire in 2010, with a buyout clause of 150 million euros. Messi caught the attention of European top clubs, one of such Inter Milan indicated interest in Messi, offering to triple his wages as well as pay his 150 million euros’ buyout clause. However, Messi opted to stay. In September of that season, his contract was updated and was set to expire in 2014. After acquiring Spanish citizenship Messi began playing alongside Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho forging a powerful attacking trio.

During the 2006–2007 season, at the age of 19, Messi became one of the best players in the world. Despite suffering injuries, Messi proved his similarity to Argentina’s legend Diego Maradona after several comparisons. A notable event which speaks of this truth was the 2006–2007 Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe, where he scored a goal similar to Maradona’s 1986 FIFA World Cup goal dubbed as the Goal of the Century. Following the decline of Ronaldinho, Messi became Barcelona’s new star, with Spanish media calling him “Messiah”. He emerged second third in the 2007 Ballon d’Or and second in the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. Following the departure of Ronaldinho, Messi was given the no.10 jersey and signed a new contract with an annual salary of 7.8 million euros, Barcelona’s highest.

In 2008, he came second in the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

He However won the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Player of the year in 2009, at the age of 22. That season Messi had a successful campaign, winning the second consecutive La Liga title.

In 2010, Messi won the inaugural FIFA Ballon d’Or despite his failure at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Messi finished the 2010–2011 season as Barcelona’s all-time single-season highest scorer and the first player in Spain to pass the 50-goal benchmark. Thanks to his wonderful performance, Messi created a reputation for himself as a creator (no. 8), a scorer (no. 9) and an assistant (no. 10). He received the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or award as well as the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Due to his numerous achievements, Messi was regarded as one of the best in the history of the game.

Messi’s incredible form continued, in 2012, he was bestowed with the Guinness book of record title for most goals scored in a calendar year as well as the FIFA Ballon d’Or Award.

In the 2013–2014 season, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona which will see him at Camp Nou until 2018. After Messi sustained an injury and deemed unfit for Barcelona’s champions league match against Bayern Munich, the Catalan Giant were defeated 7-0 on aggregate. Barcelona was heavily criticized for their dismal performance which shows their dependence on the Argentine star. His campaign that season was the worst he had in five years. He signed a new contract with Barcelona which saw his salary increase from 20 million euros to 36 million euros. Under the leadership of new coach, Luis Enrique. Messi became La Liga’s all-time top-scorer. He came second in the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or awards for the second time in a row. Messi established an attacking trio with teammates Suarez and Neymar which prove to be deadly to opponents. At the end of the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe.

In the 2015–2016 season, Messi became the youngest person to make 100 appearances in the champions league. Messi also helped Barcelona claim the 2015 Club World Cup Final, where he was awarded the tournament’s Silver Ball. Messi emerged a runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2016 Ballon d’Or award as well as the 2016 Best FIFA Men’s Player Award, he also claimed the Pichichi and European Golden Boot.

Messi also had a spectacular and incredible performance in the 2017–2018 season, but not spectacular enough to earn him the Ballon d’Or award. Messi was handed the captaincy in the 2018–2019 season following the departure of Andres Iniesta.

Lionel Messi National Team Career

The ace footballer has scored 65 goals in 128 appearances for the Argentina National team. He, however, has failed to extend his successful run with Barcelona to the La Albiceleste. Though he has always put up a good performance, every time he leads the La Albiceleste to a tournament, they end up crashing out in the quarter-final, semi-final or final.

In the 2006 World Cup, Messi who was pretty young was part of the Argentine squad who were knocked out in the quarter-final. Eight years later, on South-American soil, Messi led the La Albiceleste to a wonderful run in the world Cup before seeing his World Cup dream dashed after a late lone strike by their German opponents. The Copa America tournament has also been the same, emerging runners-up successively.

Lionel Messi Family & Personal Life

Lionel Messi is known to be an introvert as well as a reserved individual.

He began his relationship with his wife who he had known since the age of 5, at the age of 20. They got married in Rosario, in 2017. They gave birth to their first son Thiago in 2012, their second Mateo in 2015 and last Ciro in 2018.

Messi has a tight-knitted relationship with his mother, Celia whose face he tattooed on his hand. Messi’s father has been his agent since the age of 14, while his elder brother manages his daily schedule and publicity, his mother and brother, Matias runs his charitable organization, The Lionel Messi Foundation. Since 2010, Messi has been a goodwill ambassador for the UNICEF.

Messi also supports grassroots football. He has an investment with youth football team Sarmiento, based in Rosario.

Messi has also had his fair share of tax evasion charges. In 2013, he was investigated for benefiting in a network of offshore companies to evade taxes. Despite pleading ignorance for the tax evasion charges, Messi was found guilty of tax evasion along with his father and was sentenced to a suspended 21-month prison term and fined 1.7 million euros and 1.4 million euros.

Lionel Messi Highlights, Achievements & Awards

Tournaments won.

• U-20 World Cup champion (2005)
• Spanish Super Cup (Supercopa) (2005/06, 2006/07, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2016/17, 2018/19)
• Spanish Cup (Copa del Rey) (2008/09, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17,2017/18)
• FIFA Club World Cup (2009, 2011, 2015)
• UEFA Supercup (2009/10, 2011/12, 2015/16)
• Olympics Medalist (2008/09)
• Spanish Champion (La Liga) (2004/05 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18)
• UEFA Champions League (2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15)

Individual Awards

• Golden Boot (2016/17)
• Striker of the Year (2014/15)
• Player of the Year (2014 World Cup, 2014/15 La Liga, 2015 Copa America)
• UEFA Best Player in Europe (2009, 2011, 2015)
• Top-scorer (2008/09, 2010/11 & 2013/14 Copa del Rey, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14 & 2014/15 UEFA Champions League, 2009/10, 2010/11 & 2011/12 Supercopa, 2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13 & 2016/17 La Liga, 2011 FIFA Club World Cup)
• Top-10 Highest-Paid Football/Soccer Players 2019
• Top-20 Best Football Academies In The World 2019

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Lionel Messi

20 moments that defined barcelona maestro.

Words by Ben Church and Calum Trenaman, CNN

H e’s one of the world’s greatest ever players, who appeared destined to be a one-club man. But now Lionel Messi’s relationship with Barcelona looks to be irreparably fractured. CNN looks at 20 defining moments in the career of the football superstar, who mesmerized, broke records and transcended his sport.

Lionel Messi and Barcelona: The highs and lows 0:59

October, 2004

La liga debut.

At just 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, Lionel Messi makes his official league debut for Barcelona, coming on as a substitute late in the game. against Espanyol. At the time, he becomes the youngest player to represent the club in an official game after joining the club’s famed La Masia academy in 2000, moving from Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys as a 13-year-old.

August, 2005

International debut.

Messi makes his debut for Argentina in a friendly against Hungary at the age of 18, coming on in the 63rd minute but receives a red card and is sent off just two minutes later for a perceived elbow against defender Vilmos Vanczak.

December, 2005

There’s no doubt Barcelona has something special on its hands and the world is starting to take notice as well when he’s named the Golden Boy -- the award for the best young player in Europe.

March, 2006

First international goal.

After a rocky start to his international career, Messi scores his first goal for Argentina with a signature run and curled left-foot effort in a friendly defeat to Croatia.

World Cup debut

Coming on in the 74th minute against Serbia and Montenegro, Messi becomes the youngest-ever player to represent Argentina at the World Cup. He scores the final goal in a 6-0 win, becoming the youngest scorer at the tournament and the sixth-youngest goalscorer in tournament’s history. However, host Germany knocks Argentina out of the tournament in the quarterfinals.

March, 2007

First club hat-trick.

Messi is gaining a reputation for being one of the hottest teenagers in world football by now and his three goals against Real Madrid in 2007 turned him into a household name. It’s his first hat-trick for the club and certainly not his last.

April, 2007

His greatest goal.

Few goals in the history of football can compare to this one. Messi slaloms his way past multiple Getafe defenders to score perhaps the greatest goal of his career. It strangely mirrors a goal scored by compatriot Diego Maradona against England in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

August, 2008

Olympic gold.

Barcelona initially bans Messi from taking part in the tournament before new club coach Pep Guardiola steps in to allow his participation. Lining up in an all-star Argentina side, featuring fellow youngsters Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria, Argentina wins every match on their way to securing the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

Champions League success

Messi had already won the Champions League in 2006 when making his way into the first team but he is the star man in 2009. He finishes the campaign as the tournament's top scorer and nets in the final against Manchester United in a 2-0 win at Rome’s Olympic Stadium. He’s won a career total of four European titles to date.

December, 2009

First ballon d’or.

Having inspired Barcelona to an historic treble in the same year -- it won the league, domestic cup and Champions League -- Messi is officially named the best player in the world for the first time.

More World Cup agony

Mirroring the 2006 World Cup, Germany defeats Argentina in the quarterfinals in 2010, this time by a 4-0 margin. Messi is still named in the Team of the Tournament, though coach and Argentina legend Diego Maradona is sacked after the World Cup. Failing to replicate his performances for Barcelona, and Maradona’s 1986 World Cup heroics, Messi suffers accusations of caring more about club than country.

August, 2011

Argentina captain.

After a dismal 2011 Copa America tournament held in Argentina, Messi is made captain of the national team under new manager Alejandro Sabella. The appointment surprises many as Messi had come under criticism for what some saw as sub-par performances at the tournament.

March, 2012

Barcelona scoring record.

Goals just keep coming for the magician at club level and, at just 24, he breaks Barcelona’s scoring record previously held by Cesar Rodriguez. His first goal against Granada pulls him equal on 232, before his second and third break it.

World Cup defeat

Argentina loses 1-0 to Germany in the World Cup final after a Mario Götze winner in extra-time. Messi begrudgingly accepts the Golden Ball award for player of the tournament.

November, 2014

La liga scoring record.

Records keep falling at the feet of Messi. He breaks Telmo Zarra's La Liga record of 251 goals. Once again, Messi produces a hat-trick against Sevilla to pull ahead in the all-time rankings. He currently has 444 goals and 10 league titles to his name.

Copa America defeat

Messi’s goal in the Copa America Centenario quarterfinals establishes him as Argentina’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 54 goals. However, having lost the previous year’s Copa America final to Chile, the 2016 edition finishes the same way. Messi announces his international retirement.

August, 2016

Retirement reversal.

After a short campaign for Messi to reverse his decision to retire, which included pleas from Argentina’s president Mauricio Macri and a newly unveiled statue of Messi by Buenos Aires mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta, the Barca star chooses to continue playing for La Albiceleste, saying: “My love for my country and this shirt is too great.”

August, 2019

After a forgettable 2018 World Cup, Argentina finishes third in the following year’s Copa America. However, Messi is sent off in the 37th minute of the third-place playoff. He blames his dismissal on his previous criticism of the tournament’s pitches and refereeing. He refuses to accept his third-place medal, and receives a three-month ban from international football as well as a $50,000 fine.

December, 2019

Record ballon d’or wins.

Messi’s club statistics over his career can only be challenged by one man, Cristiano Ronaldo. The pair practically share the Ballon d’Or award for a decade but, in 2019, Messi wins it for a record sixth time. Ronaldo is still on five.

August, 2020

Barca humiliated.

A tumultuous season for Messi reaches boiling point in the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich. He’s part of Barca team embarrassingly beaten 8-2 in what could be his last game in a Barcelona shirt.

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Leo Messi 's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s. Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks to Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.

From a young age Messi stood out due to his vision and his goalscoring ability, especially with his left foot, an endless source of magical inspiration. 

In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Do Dragao stadium.

The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1). 

That very season Messi became a regular member of Frank Rijkaard's first team squad. However, it was in the 2005/06 campaign that the Argentine really came to centre stage as he helped the team to their second Champions League victory and their 18th league title. With the departure of Ronaldinho in 2008, Messi became the focal point of the Barça forward line. 

Getting better every season, Messi and Barça won 35 trophies during the Argentine's time at the Club, including the six won in 2009 and the treble in 2015. 

Leo Messi and the treble trophies from 2009: Copa del Rey, Champions League and Liga

Messi’s individual achievements are also unprecedented: six Ballon d’Or awards, six times Champions League top scorer, six times Golden Shoe winner, eight times ‘Pichichi’ (top scorer) in La Liga, Ballon d’Or winner at the 2014 World Cup, FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009 and FIFA The Best winner in 2019. 

On an individual level Messi began to set records as a youngster and never looked back. The Argentine has made more appearances than anyone, 778, scored more goals, 672, provided most assists, 305 and won most trophies, 35. 

Other records included 91 goals in a calendar year, beating Gerd Müller's record from 1972 as well as surpassing Pelé's record for one club total of 643 goals.  

With the Argentina national side Messi played in four World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018) as a Barça player, losing in the final in 2014 in Brazil against Germany. He has also played in six Copa Américas (2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021), losing in the final in both 2015 and 2016 to Chile on penalties before finally claiming a major honour for his country with the win over Brazil in the 2021 final. In the summer of 2008 he also played at the Beijing Olympics, and came home with a gold medal.

In the summer of 2021 the love affair between FC Barcelona and Leo Messi came to an end and the Barça number 10 brought an end to his career which has been him become a life long legend for FC Barcelona. 

• Seasons at the Club: 2003-2021
• Appearances: 778

Honours with FC Barcelona

• 3 FIFA Club World Cups (2009, 2011, 2015)
• 4 UEFA Champions League (2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15)
• 3 UEFA Super Cups (2009/10, 2011/12, 2015/16)
• 10 Spanish leagues (2004/05, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18, 2018/19)
• 7 Copas del Rey (2008/09, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2020/2021)
• 8 Spanish Super Cups (2005/06, 2006/07, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2016/17, 2018/19)
• 4 Catalan Cup (2004-05, 2006-07, 2012-13, 2013-14)
• 2 Catalan Supercup (2014-15, 2017-18)

Honours with Argentina

• 1 Olympic gold (2008)
• 1 Copa América (2021)

Individual awards

• 1 Laureus (2020)
• 1 FIFA World Player (2009)
• 1 The Best FIFA Football Award (2019)
• 2 UEFA Player of the Year (2010/11, 2014/15)
• 1 World Soccer Award Best Player (2015)
• 6 Ballons d'Or (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019)
• 4 Golden XI (2009, 2011, 2012, 2018)
• 6 Golden Shoe (2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19)
• 8 La Liga top scorer (2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21)
• 6 Top scorer UEFA Champions League (2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12 i 2018/19)
• 9 MVP LaLiga (2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19)
• 1 Golden Boy (2005)
• 1 Bravo Trophy (2007)

Most important individual records 

• Only player to win Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player, La Liga top scorer and Golden Shoe in same season (2009/10)
• Player with most Ballons d'Or 
• Player with most Golden Shoes
• Player with most Pichichi Trophies
• Top goalscorer in a season in official competition (73 goals in 2011/12)
• Top goalscorer in calendar year (91 goals in 2012)
• Top goalscorer at one club Club (672 goals)
• Longest scoring streak in La Liga (33 goals in 21 consecutive matches 2012/13)
• Player with most matches  for Argentina
• All time top goalscorer in La Liga (474 goals in 520 matches)
• Top goalscorer in a single La Liga season (50 goals in 2011/12)
• Player with most hat-tricks in La Liga (36)
• Player with most goals form a free kick in La Liga (39 goals)
• Player with most wins in official competition (542 wins in 771 matches)
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Lionel Messi's Life Story: The Smallest Boy With The Biggest Dreams

Lionel Messi is a well-known name even to those with no interest in sports. Even though he is shorter than most of his teammates, he rises above his opponents with adept skill and a legendary ability to score goals for his team.

Since his childhood, Lionel Messi, who was nicknamed "Leo", dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. But his ambition seemed blown out of proportion when considering his physical limitations and financial restrictions. No one could have predicted that after 17 years and 114 days of non-stop faith and dedication, the Argentinian footballer would be playing for his national team and FC   Barcelona .

Inspired by his family and motivated by his passion , Lionel Messi pushed his boundaries to go from being the "smallest player on the pitch" to one of the greatest athletes of our time .

Posted by Goalcast

Training since childhood

Lionel Andrés Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in the warm city of Rosario, Argentina. He was the third child in a tight-knit, hard-working family who fervently loved football.

Naturally, young Leo developed a passion for football himself. His two older brothers and cousins would constantly go out to play, and as soon as he was able, Leo tagged along. But the rest of the boys were much older than Leo, and were hesitant to let him join in.

His grandmother, who always went with him, insisted they allow him to play too. After watching Leo take his first football steps, she later convinced Leo's mother to buy his first pair of cleats.

At four years old, Leo joined the Grandoli local club, where he was coached by his father. His grandmother watched him almost every day as he dutifully trained to develop his skills. When he was eight, Leo joined the talented  Newell Old Boys,  another Rosario-based club that he had always looked up to.

Football soon became as important as the air he breathed. Messi practiced day in and day out, skipping outings with his friends to train at home before a game. The sport made him inexplicably happy and motivated and he began to dream of becoming a professional footballer.

Diagnosed with an inability to grow

When he was 10, his beloved grandmother passed away. The family was devastated, and her absence affected Messi beyond description. He didn't touch a football for weeks, but his father nudged him to carry on for the club. He returned, aiming to make his grandmother proud.

Over the following year, Leo played incessantly. But as he grew older, his height remained the same. His concerned parents eventually took their 11-year-old son to a doctor, who broke the news that the boy suffered from a growth hormone deficiency. This meant he was physically unable to grow unless he received special treatment, which would span three years and cost $1,500 per month.

Unable to cover such a costly treatment, Messi's father was left with no choice but to request financial support from the  Newell's Old Boys club. The coach couldn't deny the child's exceptional talent, and accepted to pay for the treatment. They handed over a small sum to his embarrassed father, but that was all he ever received from them.

As his father continued to search for a way to cover the treatment, Leo was scouted by the Buenos Aires club River Plate , home of Pablo Aimar . Leo absolutely idolized the dubbed "football genius" and was ecstatic at the offer. However, the club was unwilling to cover Leo's expenses since Argentina was currently undergoing an economic collapse. He was undeniably crushed, but it wasn't long before another offer came in, this time from Spain.

Accepting the offer of a lifetime

Stories of a 13-year-old boy who had similar talents to legendary Argentinian footballer  Diego Maradona  had reached the ears of FC Barcelona 's technical director, Carles Rexach . Intrigued, he sent an offer to the Messi family, proposing a trial where he could see the boy's famed skills for himself. If he passed, the club would cover his medical bills, but on the condition that Messi moved to Spain.

While Leo didn't want to leave his life in Rosario behind, his dream of becoming a professional football player was too important. So, in September 2000, Leo and his family uprooted their lives and flew across the Atlantic to Barcelona.

The family stayed in a hotel while Leo presented himself to the prestigious FC Barcelona Youth team. He was given his uniform and went to the changing room, where he didn't speak a word to his new teammates. They all looked at him in disbelief of how small he was, but after he spent two minutes on the pitch, they were in disbelief of how good he was.

Coach Carles was so impressed that he offered Leo a contract on the only thing he had at hand -- a paper napkin. Leo signed it, opening the door to the life he had always dreamed of.

Rising through the ranks

At 13, Lionel Messi was scoring his way through the system in record time. While still very quiet and noticeably shorter than everyone else on the field, Leo stood out for his deft ability with the ball and unbeatable goal-scoring. He was even named Player of the Tournament.

Behind the scenes of his success on the field was an arduous routine. Every day he practiced and every night he injected growth hormones into his legs. This was Leo's life until he was 14 years old.

In barely a year and a half, he had already reached a level in the academy where he could join his first team. His treatment was finally over, and his body began to grow normally again, ultimately reaching 5' 7".

In 2003, at 16 years old, Messi made his professional debut representing Barcelona in a match versus Porto. His performance surprised his opponents and impressed the technical staff. Even after being kicked down repeatedly, he got up, dribbled past four players, and scored a goal.

His moves were unprecedented, partly due to not being based on strategy, but driven by instinct. Leo's talent won him a spot with Barcelona's senior squad, and he trained daily with Ronaldinho. The Brazilian player called the shy teen his "little brother," and openly recognized that Messi would surpass even him.

Breaking personal and global records

At 17, Messi made his league debut as the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition. His coach watched in awe as the teenager breezed past his opponents, controlling the ball with an almost surreal precision. Barcelona went on to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in six years.

Leo now viewed his short stature as an advantage on the pitch, enabling a swiftness which soon earned him the nickname "The Atomic Flea" in Spanish media. Although he had to train harder than ever to be strong enough to fend off his older and taller opponents.

At 18, he signed his first contract as a senior team player for FC Barcelona. Shortly after, he made his first international appearance playing for Argentina in a match against Hungary. However, two minutes in, a player grabbed onto his shirt and Leo was sent off for using his arm to shake the player off. He sulked about the foul all the way to the dressing room, where his team later found him in tears.

As the seasons went on, the talented football player kept improving and breaking his own records. At 19, he had already established himself as a world-class football player. His talent as a top scorer led him to win dozens of triumphs for both  FC Barcelona and his national team .  At 22, Messi won the prestigious FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Although he was constantly plagued by serious injuries, by the time he was 24, Lionel Messi had broken the all-time world record for most goals scored in a calendar year. After every goal, he would point two fingers towards the sky, dedicating the triumph to his grandmother.

Resignation, return, and philanthropy

At 27 years old, Messi proudly played for his home country at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He continued to amaze the sports world with his spectacular footwork, creative assists, and eye-opening goals.

However, he was unable to pull Argentina through the final, losing 1-0 to Germany. Even though he earned a Golden Ball, the highest FIFA award for best player, he was utterly disappointed. Leo desperately wanted to bring the cup back to Argentina, as Maradona had done in 1986.

In June 2016, he played for Argentina at the Copa America Centenario 2016. After rigorous training and intense matches, the team made it to the final. The reputed Lionel Messi had his moment of truth as he stepped up to take the defining penalty against Chile. But he missed and Argentina was sent home to disappointed fans.

Crushed by the loss for him and his country, Leo announced his resignation from professional football. His decision was met with a widespread campaign titled "Don't go, Leo!" The Mayor of Buenos Aires even unveiled a statue of Lionel Messi in an effort to change his mind. Eventually, Messi decided he wasn't ready to hang up his shirt just yet and returned to his beloved sport.

Although he has yet to fulfill his goal of bringing home a world cup, Lionel Messi achieved his childhood dream with inspiring strength and dedication.

Dubbed as "Maradona's successor" by the legend himself, Leo continues to make his team and country proud in more ways than one. Off the pitch, he is an advocate for children's rights, funding medical care for the less fortunate and funding youth clubs, including his old football club, Newell's Old Boys .

The boy who was once too small to play with his cousins is now the winner of five Golden Balls, three European Golden Shoes, and is one of the top goal scorers in the world. But the modest Leo finds more joy in simply knowing that his grandmother would be proud. 

You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it. - Lionel Messi

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Shaq helps teen who can't find shoes in his size

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Jor’el Bolden had been looking for shoes for months. The teen is a size 23, which isn’t available in stores. Instead, he needed to find someone to make him custom shoes, which can cost more than a thousand dollars.

That kind of money for a pair of shoes wasn’t realistic for Bolden and his mother, Tamika Neal, so they created a GoFundMe account to raise money for some. In the meantime, Bolden squeezed his feet into the largest pair of shoes he could find, a size 22, which is the largest available commercial size. It was painful and hard.

When local news outlets found out about the campaign and the son and mother shared their story, the support they received was flooring. They soon collected more than their initial $9,500 goal.

“I’m overwhelmed and excited because [his foot size] is something I don’t have control over, but as a parent, not being able to provide something that your kid needs... it does something to you," Neal told KCTV . "Having people reach out and pull through for us was amazing.”

A Superstar Steps In

Someone else who had to deal with being larger than his peers growing up was Shaquille O’Neal. He heard about Bolden’s story and related to the kid, so he reached out himself.

“ Entertainment Tonight , they messaged me, and she was like, ‘Someone special wants to talk to you,’” Neal recalled to the outlet. The next thing she knew, she was giving her number to producers, who forwarded it to O’Neal for a Facetime call.

“[Jor’el] didn’t have a shirt on,” Neal recalled of the surprise. “I said, ‘I’m sorry he doesn’t have a shirt on’ and [Shaq] said ‘What’s up big sexy?’”

O’Neal chatted with the teen for a bit, and they said goodbye. Less than a week later, three big boxes showed up.

A Wonderful Surprise

Inside the boxes were new clothes, at least 20 pairs of shoes, and some personal items from O’Neal’s closet, including a Papa John’s tee that Shaq once wore for a commercial.

“It’s better than Christmas morning, Santa didn’t send this, Shaq did,” Neal said.

Now, Bolden is able to put the money raised from the GoFundMe toward his future, when he will eventually require new shoes.

“Thank you for taking the time and the money that you have earned to give to me when I needed it,” Bolden added. "Thank you for all of the things that will come from it and that already have.”

Ask And You Shall Receive

It can be hard to have a notable difference from your peers, especially when it’s a physical thing like shoe size that requires you to buy custom items to live. But it's also important to remember that those differences are what make us special, and as this story proves, it’s okay to ask for help.

Had this teen and his mom not reached out to their online communities for support, O’Neal would have never heard their story. The fact that he did and contributed is a testament to all of the other non-celebrity folks out there who helped spread the word to make this teen’s life a little easier.

At the end of the day we all need help sometimes, so don’t let pride get in the way. And if you are in a position to help someone else, know that your contribution will go a long way in that person’s life. Community is what we make it, and as this story proves community can be a pretty wonderful thing.

He Thought He’d Be the First Black Man in Space — Now the 90-Year-Old’s Dream is Coming True

Stranger finds poor child selling gum - tests him with 2 choices, man hits on female mma fighter — what happens next is shocking, mom justifies her "no contact" relationship with her son — why she is being called a gaslighter, lamar odom regrets choosing khloe kardashian over taraji p henson, the kardashian redemption - an uncensored documentary, how did betrayal connect jennifer aniston and selena gomez, how tiffany haddish finally found the love she deserved, subscribe to our newsletter, usher opens up on diddy's flavor camp, the great takedown of nickelodeon’s dan schneider - how even small voices have the power for impact, chris gardner beyond the pursuit of happyness: the work begins, 100 powerful motivational quotes to help you rise above, couple marries 10 years after interracial marriage becomes legal — now they’re goals.

Interracial Couple Inspires Next Gen 40 Years After Wedding

When Mike and Jeralyn Wirtz wed more than four decades ago in Virginia, interracial marriage had only been legal for 10 years. Fast forward to today, and their love story is inspiring a new generation thanks to the couple’s active participation in social media .

Destined to be Together

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When the Wirtzs met in 1976, they had both already made strong friendships with people of other races. So when they came into each other’s orbits, race was far from their minds. The couple lived in the same apartment complex, and they noticed each other hanging around the pool.

“I thought, ‘I like this girl, and she’s very attractive and I’m interested in her,’ and so we just started dating,” Mike recalled to Today .

“Obviously, I realized it was an interracial type of situation. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by it, though, because I think one thing that helped was eventually when she met my parents, they welcomed her with open arms, and her family was the same way with me.”

The couple fell in love and married in 1977 — almost 10 years after the Supreme Court struck down laws banning interracial marriage . Mike and Jeralyn had two children and went through life together, even when life threw them challenges.

“We knew that prejudice was out there and people would probably be looking at us, but we didn’t look for that,” Jeralyn added to the publication. “We didn’t, you know, engage in it.”

An Inspiring Love Story

two people holding papercut heart

When the pandemic hit, the Wirtzs decided to create a TikTok account to connect with their children and their grandchildren. Eventually, they began posting videos and old photographs of their love story, and people came flocking.

Today, their account boasts more than 370,000 followers and nearly 16 million likes.

“I’m not like Jeri. I don’t embrace it as much,” Mike said of their newfound fame. “We’re doing something that we enjoy, and we’re having fun at it. And I would have never in a million years guessed that other people would be interested in watching these videos.”

“I like it. I love it. I think it’s fun,” added Jeralyn. “I get to tease my younger friends that are working on becoming influencers and don’t have a lot of followers. I’m like, ‘I’m 72 years old and I’m a ‘YouTuber’ or an ‘influencer.’ It’s fun and funny for us.”

Love Conquers All

If you ever needed a love story to remind you of the power of true love, this is it. This couple met and married during a time when many questioned their decision, and went on to live a beautiful life together. They’re a wonderful reminder that with the right person, you really can take on the world.

Love doesn’t have to be with a romantic partner. This story teaches us that when you invest in the things that truly matter, such as love, friendship, and meaningful connections, societal opinions can fade into the background.

In the meantime, this couple also reminds us that social media and the internet can be a wholesome place and that sometimes, just being yourself is the most powerful attraction of all.​

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Lionel Messi

• Inter Miami CF
• HT/WT 5' 7", 159 lbs
• Birthdate 6/24/1987 (36)
• Nationality Argentina

Career History

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Messi: the definitive biography fully updated to include messi's first season at psg audible audiobook – unabridged.

'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona FULLY UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2022 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH & MESSI'S TRANSFER TO INTER MIAMI As Lionel Messi raised the World Cup triumphantly into the air, the world watched on in awe. Messi's final peak conquered; his final dream achieved. It was the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Yet despite delivering Argentina their third World Cup, Messi's time at Paris Saint-Germain came to a dramatic conclusion, and Miami awaited the Argentinian legend. Guillem Balagué has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle including the player himself: his coaches, team-mates and family. From tracing the origins of Messi's precocious talent in Rosario, Argentina, to chronicling his peerless seventeen-season career at Barcelona, and his tumultuous Parisian adventure, Guillem takes us behind-the-scenes of Messi's World Cup triumph and his long-desired move to the MLS. This is an epic, authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius. 'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

• Listening Length 27 hours and 53 minutes
• Author Guillem Balague
• Narrator Peter Kenny
• Audible release date June 25, 2020
• Language English
• Publisher Weidenfeld & Nicolson
• ASIN B088ZVFFTZ
• Version Unabridged
• Program Type Audiobook
• See all details

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Meet Mateo Messi: All About Lionel Messi’s Kid

Who is Mateo Messi?

M ateo Messi was born on September 11, 2015, in Barcelona, Spain. He is the second child of Argentine soccer legend Lionel Messi , who was playing for the Barcelona club at the time.

Mateo shares his father’s passion for football and is highly enthusiastic about the sport. Like his father, he frequently plays football with Messi and shows off his skills to his dad. Fans admire Mateo’s impressive abilities and playing style.

At a young age, Messi has already started to make a big impact in the football world. When his father joined Inter Miami, Messi also became a part of the club’s youth academy.

He was not yet 10 years old when he amazed everyone with a bicycle kick goal during a game. The video of this impressive goal quickly spread on social media, particularly on TikTok , gaining the attention of fans all over the globe.

The goal scored by Messi showcased both his technical prowess and his calm and confident demeanor, reminiscent of his father’s playing style.

His innate talent for evading defenders and finding the back of the net has led to comparisons being drawn between him and the legendary Lionel Messi. His impressive showing on the field has garnered admiration from supporters and has sparked anticipation for his promising future in the sport.

Moreover, Mateo Messi has demonstrated his talent in numerous games, netting goals, and showcasing his abilities both as an individual and as part of the team. His knack for replicating his father’s iconic goal celebrations adds an endearing aspect to his displays.

Parents & Siblings

Messi hails from a tight-knit family with strong ties to Argentina. His father, Lionel Messi, is a renowned soccer player who is widely recognized as one of the all-time best in the game.

Born in Rosario, Argentina, Lionel Messi ‘s exceptional skills and unwavering commitment to soccer have garnered him numerous awards and a global fanbase.

Antonella Roccuzzo, Mateo’s mother, hails from Rosario, Argentina as well. She and Lionel Messi have been a couple since their teenage years and tied the knot in 2017. Antonella has consistently been a pillar of strength for her husband and children, managing both her family responsibilities and personal goals.

Mateo Messi has two siblings, Thiago and Ciro. Thiago, who is older than Mateo, was born on November 2, 2012. Their father has a tattoo on his calf with Thiago’s name and handprints, showing his deep love for his son.

On March 10, 2018, Mateo Messi’s younger brother, Ciro, became a part of the family. In honor of his birth, both Lionel Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo got tattoos of his name and birth date as a lasting symbol of their love and dedication as parents.

Even though he is still young, Ciro’s father has noticed that his youngest son is starting to show signs of his unique personality by imitating his older brother, Mateo Messi.

Lionel Messi has shared his deep appreciation for the profound changes fatherhood has brought to his life, stating that the births of his three sons have been incredibly transformative experiences. His paternal grandparents, Celia María Cuccittini and Jorge Messi, have also played important roles in raising him.

Celia and Jorge have observed the transformation of Mateo Messi’s father from a young boy who loved football to a worldwide figure. Undoubtedly, their affection and mentorship have impacted Mateo and his siblings as they navigate their own journeys.

Messi’s aunt Maria Sol Messi and uncles Rodrigo Messi and Matias Messi are part of his large family and all play a role in providing extra care and affection for Mateo and his siblings.

Mateo Messi is not yet of legal age and therefore has not begun to generate a financial stream. Nonetheless, his father, Lionel Messi, is an Argentine-born pro athlete with a fortune of $650 million.

Lionel Messi is widely recognized as the top footballer in the world and among the greatest of all time. He is undoubtedly one of, if not THE, most highly compensated players in history.