Biography
Lionel Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987) is a 37-year-old Argentine professional footballer who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Often considered one of the best players in the world, he is also known as Leo Messi.
He is the captain of the Argentina national team. He played for La Liga club Barcelona FC, where he spent most of his professional career.
He left the club in 2021. He currently holds a record six Balloon d’Or awards and six European Golden Shoes.
During his time at Barcelona, he helped the club win 35 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles and 4 UEFA Champions League titles.
Lionel Messi has scored over 750 career goals for club and country, holding the record for most goals scored for a single club.
Argentine football player
Lionel Messi |
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 Lionel Messi: History, Biography, Photos |
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| Wiki Events & About Data | |
| Full name: | Lionel Andrés Messi |
| Stage name: | Lionel Messi |
| Born: | June 24, 1987 (age 37) |
| Place of birth: | Rosario, Argentina |
| Nationality: | Argentine |
| Parents: | Jorge Messi, Celia María Cuccittini |
| The children: | Mateo Messi Roccuzzo, Ciro Messi Roccuzzo, Thiago Messi Roccuzzo |
| Height: | 1.69 minutes |
| Siblings: | Matias Messi, Rodrigo Messi, Maria Sol Messi |
| Girlfriend • Wife: | Antonela Roccuzzo (married 2017) |
| Job: | Football player |
| Net worth: | 1-4 billion USD |
Early life
Lionel Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, to Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini on June 24, 1987. He is the third child in the family and has three siblings.
Growing up, his father, Jorge Messi, worked as a steel mill manager while his mother, Celia María Cuccittini, worked in a magnet factory. Although he is Argentine by birth, he has Italian and Spanish roots on both his mother’s and father’s sides.
Lionel Messi comes from a football-loving family, so he developed a love for the sport from an early age. He joined a local club, Grandoli, when he was four years old. He was coached by his father for the two years he played as a coach.
At the age of six, he joined Newell’s Old Boys and played there for six years. He was a member of the club’s youth team, scoring nearly 500 goals for the team.
At the age of 10, Lionel Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency by doctors in Argentina. Unfortunately, his parents did not have enough money to pay for his treatment, so they searched for a club that could sign him and help pay for it.
His father, Jorge Messi, finally made his move when Spanish club Barcelona showed interest in signing him. So he joined the club in 2001 and moved to Barcelona with his family. The club rented an apartment for the family near the club’s stadium at Camp Nou.
Career
Lionel Messi spent a year at Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, before enrolling in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). This happened in February 2002. So he was only thirteen years old when he joined Barcelona.
However, he made his debut for Barcelona at the age of seventeen on 14 October 2004. Within three years, he had become a formidable player for the club and was considered one of the club’s best players. In the 2008-2009 season, he helped the club win three trophies. At the age of 22, he won his first Ballon d’Or. The following three seasons were also successful for Lionel Messi, who won three more Ballons d’Or. He thus set a record as the first player to win four Ballons d’Or and do so consecutively.
He set the La Liga and European records for goals scored in a single season in the 2011–12 season. He also achieved the honour of being Barcelona’s all-time top scorer. After a two-year hiatus in which he lost the Ballon d’Or to rival Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi won the award for the fifth time in 2015. At the end of the 2014–15 season, he set the record for all-time top goalscorer in La Liga. He repeated the feat at Barcelona. He became club captain in 2018 and won his sixth Ballon d’Or the following year.
Over the years, Lionel Messi has become Argentina’s most valuable player. He holds the record for most appearances and is the team’s all-time leading scorer. In 2005, he played an active role in helping Argentina’s youth team win the FIFA World Youth Championship. At the end of the tournament, he was awarded the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball. He also won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China.
In 2011, Lionel Messi was named captain of the Argentina national team and led the team to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 2015 and 2016 Copa América. He won the Golden Ball at the 2015 tournament.
He initially wanted to retire from international football in 2016 but reversed his decision and helped his country qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He also helped the team win bronze at the 2019 Copa América and gold at the 2021 Copa América. He returned home with the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards at the end of the tournament.
Since 2006, Lionel Messi has been a brand ambassador for sportswear company Adidas. He also has long-term endorsement deals with Dolce & Gabanna, Audemars Piguet, Pepsi, Konami and Gilette. He was the highest-paid footballer for five years from 2009 to 2013. In 2020, he was named in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team.
Lionel Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2021 after Barcelona failed to pay his school fees. During his time in La Liga, he scored 474 goals. He also holds the record for most hat-tricks in La Liga (36).
Social media
Lionel Messi is considered an idol in football because of his excellent scoring and dribbling skills. Therefore, he has millions of fans all over the world and these fans follow him actively on social media.
He has over 274 million fans on his verified Instagram page.
- Instagram Username – @leomessi
- Twitter Username – @leomessi
Personal life
Lionel Messi married his longtime girlfriend, Antonela Roccuzzo, in 2017. The couple had been dating since 2008. The couple has three children, all sons. Their first son, Thiago Messi Roccuzzo, was born in 2012; their second son, Mateo Messi Roccuzzo, was born in 2015; while their third child, Ciro Messi Roccuzzo, was born in 2018. Antonela Roccuzzo is also from her hometown of Rosario.
Lionel Messi is very close to his family members, and they are part of his management team. His father, Jorge Messi, has been his agent since he was thirteen. While his eldest brother, Rodrigo Messi, is in charge of his daily schedule and promotional activities. His mother and brother, Matías Messi, oversee his NGO, the Leo Messi Foundation. They also help him with his personal and professional matters in Rosario.
Net worth
Lionel Messi is one of the highest paid soccer players in the world. This has helped him accumulate a fortune over the years. The Argentine player has invested part of his earnings in various companies in South America.
Lionel Messi’s net worth is estimated to be between $1-4 billion.
