MESSI THE ENCARAR 🐐
Lionel Andrés Messi
That Winning Moment
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi[note 1] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ⓘ; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career such as eight Ballon d'Or awards and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA.[note 2] He is the most decorated player in the history of professional football having won 45 team trophies,[note 3] including twelve Big Five league titles, four UEFA Champions Leagues, two Copa Américas, and one FIFA World Cup. Messi holds the records for most European Golden Shoes (6), most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club (672, with Barcelona), most goals (474), hat-tricks (36) and assists (192) in La Liga, most assists (18) and goal contributions (32) in the Copa América, most goal contributions (21) in the World Cup, most international appearances (191) and international goals (112) by a South American male, and the second-most in the latter category outright. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi has scored over 850 senior career goals for club and country.
Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13, and made his competitive debut at age 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won the first of his four consecutive Ballons d'Or, the first player to win it four times. During the 2011–12 season, he set La Liga and European records for most goals in a season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer. The following two seasons, he finished second for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, his perceived career rival, before regaining his best form during the 2014–15 campaign, where he became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, led Barcelona to a historic second treble, and won a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015. Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and won a record sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019. During his overall tenure at Barcelona, Messi won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues, among others. Financial difficulties at Barcelona led to Messi signing with French club Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, where he would win the Ligue 1 title during both of his seasons there. He joined American club Inter Miami in July 2023.
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
As a dual Argentine-Spanish national, Messi was eligible to play for the national team of both countries.[184] He debuted for Argentina in 2004 for Argentina's U20 team against Paraguay, and was subsequently included in the squad for the 2005 South American U-20 Championship, where they would finish third.[185] Messi would then lead the team to victory in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, his first success with Argentina. Finishing the tournament with six goals and two assists, he would also win the Golden Ball.[186][187][188]Messi evades Brazil's Marcelo in the semi-final of the 2008 Summer Olympics.Messi would make his debut with the senior national team in 2005, at age 18, coming off the bench in a friendly against Hungary.[189] Messi would have his first start in 2006 against Peru, and would score his first international goal in a friendly against Croatia.[190][191] His World Cup debut came in the 2006 FIFA World Cup as a substitute in the 74th minute against Serbia and Montenegro, assisting one goal and scoring the final one in their victory. This made him the youngest player to represent and score for Argentina in the World Cup.[192] He would represent Argentina again for the 2007 Copa América, where they would ultimately lose in the final. Messi was named the best young player of the tournament, having scored two goals and provided one assist.[193] The 2008 Summer Olympics would mark another major achievement with his country, as he led Argentina's U23 team to claim the Olympic gold medal over Nigeria. Messi registered two goals and three assists throughout, and was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out player from the tournament's best team.[194]
CLUB CAREER
Messi began the 2004–05 season as a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, but after some lobbying by the senior players, he was promoted to the first team by manager Frank Rijkaard.[50] He made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on 16 October 2004 against Espanyol,[35] and scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005 against Albacete, from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming at that time the youngest-ever scorer for the club.[56][57] At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition, and the club won the league title during that season.[52][58] On his 18th birthday, he signed his first contract as a senior team player, which was updated three months later to keep him at the club until 2014.[54][59] Barcelona began the 2005–06 season by winning the Supercopa de España without Messi, who was not selected to participate in the competition.[19] By the end of the season, the team won La Liga again as well as the UEFA Champions League, although Messi did not play in the final for the latter due to injury.[60][61]
PERSONAL LIFE
- Full name : Lionel Andrés Messi[1]
- Date of birth : 24 June 1987 (age 37)
- Place of birth : Rosario, Argentina
- Height : 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
- Position : Forward
Since 2008, Messi has been in a relationship with Antonela Roccuzzo, who he eventually married on 30 June 2017 in their hometown of Rosario.[391][392] He has known Roccuzzo since he was five years old, as she is the cousin of his childhood best friend, Lucas Scaglia, who is also a football player.[393] After keeping their relationship private for a year, Messi first confirmed their romance in an interview in January 2009, before going public a month later during a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona–Espanyol derby.[394] Messi and Roccuzzo have three sons. To celebrate his partner's first pregnancy, Messi placed the ball under his shirt after scoring in Argentina's 4–0 win against Ecuador on 2 June 2012, before confirming the pregnancy in an interview two weeks later.[395] Thiago was born in Barcelona on 2 November 2012.[396] In April 2015, Messi confirmed that they were expecting another child.[397] In October 2017, his wife announced they were expecting their third child.[398] Messi and his family are Catholic.[399] Messi enjoys a close relationship with his immediate family members, particularly his mother, Celia, whose face he has tattooed on his left shoulder. His professional affairs are largely run as a family business: his father, Jorge, has been his agent since he was 14, and his oldest brother, Rodrigo, handles his daily schedule and publicity. His mother and other brother, Matías, manage his charitable organization, the Leo Messi Foundation, and take care of personal and professional matters in Rosario.[400]