Lionel Messi

Biography

Born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, Lionel Andrés Messi is the son of a steelworker and a cleaner. His footballing talent was evident from childhood, but at the age of ten he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency that threatened his physical development. The costly treatment was beyond his family's means. FC Barcelona came to his rescue: the Catalan club offered to pay for his treatment in full in exchange for his commitment. Messi moved to Catalonia at 13 and joined La Masia, Barça's famous youth academy.

He rose rapidly through Barcelona's youth teams. In October 2004, at 17, he made his La Liga debut for the first team. From his very first appearances, his dribbling, eye for goal and vision left observers astonished. In 2005 he scored his first Champions League goal and won the FIFA U-20 World Cup with Argentina, finishing as both best player and top scorer. After winning Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008, he received his first Ballon d'Or in 2009, at 22. Under Pep Guardiola, he became the focal point of one of the most brilliant teams in football history, alongside Xavi and Iniesta.

With Barça he won four Champions League titles (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015), ten La Liga titles and seven Copas del Rey. His numbers defy belief: 672 goals in 778 official matches, a club record, as well as records of 50 goals in a La Liga season (2011-12) and 91 goals in a calendar year (2012). In all, he won eight Ballons d'Or, a record. He and Cristiano Ronaldo shared all ten Ballons d'Or awarded between 2008 and 2017, and their rivalry sparked one of the most passionate debates in sporting history. In 2021, Barcelona's financial difficulties prevented the club from renewing his contract: Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain, winning the French league title twice (2022, 2023).

For years, success with Argentina proved elusive: he lost four finals, the Copa América in 2007, 2015 and 2016 and the 2014 World Cup. The turning point came in 2021, when he won the Copa América, his first major trophy with the senior national team. In Qatar in 2022, he produced one of the greatest individual performances in the tournament's history: he scored seven goals, including two in an epic final against France (3-3, won on penalties), and was named player of the tournament. At 35, he finally won the one trophy that had eluded him, putting an end to years of pressure and incomprehension from part of the Argentine public. He retained the Copa América in 2024, then played his sixth World Cup in 2026, at 39: he scored eight goals, but Argentina lost the final to Spain (1-0 after extra time).

For most observers, Lionel Messi is the most complete footballer of all time. His eight Ballons d'Or, his scoring records in La Liga and with FC Barcelona, and his decisive contribution to titles for club and country make him a towering figure in world sport. Based in Miami since 2023, he has won the 2023 Leagues Cup with Inter Miami, then the 2025 MLS Cup, the first in the club's history. Understated, hardworking and deeply Argentine, Messi embodies the ideal of the humble genius.