Arguably one of the most globally recognized football player, Lionel Andrés Messi, also known as Leo Messi, is a professional footballer who leads Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina National Team as a forward. He is not only considered as Argentina’s greatest player of all time but also enjoys a massive global fan following. Messi boasts seven Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Shoes, earning recognition as the best in the Ballon d’Or Dream Team of 2020.
He has nearly 750 goals for club and country, and holds the record for most goals scored by a person for a single club, which was for his former team, FC Barcelona. At the age of 22, he won his first Ballon d’Or. Messi has a huge bank account, but he is generally very private about his financial situation.
Biography:
- Born: June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina
- Birth name: Lionel Andrés Messi
- Nicknames: La Pulga, Leo Messi, The G.O.A.T
- Height: 5′ 6¾″ (1.69 m)
Net Worth:
Forbes estimates Messi’s net worth to be about $600 million (£464 million), with his total career earnings predicted to be $1.28 billion in 2023. These statistics, however, are speculative, especially given that his business activities are not generally recognised.
The World Cup winner came in second on Forbes’ 2023 list of the highest paid athlete in the world, with claimed earnings of $130 million, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo, whose move to Saudi Arabia helped him top the list.
Personal Life:
Lionel Messi’s family has a long history with football. He is the son of manufacturing steel worker Jorge Horacio Messi and part-time cleaner Celia Maria Cuccittini. Messi is the eldest of three children, with two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, and one sister, Maria Sol.
Football was a shared passion in their family, with brothers and cousins frequently participating. Notably, Messi’s cousins Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi followed professional football careers.
Messi has a deep link with his immediate family, so much so that he has a tattoo of his mother’s face on his left shoulder. His father has been his agent his entire life, and his brother Rodrigo handles all of his Public Relations (PR) and publicity-related issues.
In terms of his personal life, Lionel began dating Antonella Roccuzzo in 2008. Despite having known each other for much of their lives, the pair announced their relationship in January 2009. The couple finally married in Rosario in June of 2007. In fact, they have three lovely children named Thiago (born in 2012), Matero (born in 2015), and Ciro (born in 2018).
Football:
Debut:
International- On 17th August, 2005(Argentina against Hungary)
Club- On 16th October, 2004 (FC Barcelona against Espanyol)
Clubs:
1992-1995: Grandoli (Argentina)
1995-2000: Newell’s Old Boys (Argentina)
2000-2021: Barcelona (Spain)
2021-2023: PSG (France)
2023-current: Inter Miami (USA)
Top Achievements:
- Youngest two-time and three-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner (at 23 and 24 years old).
- Holder of the most UEFA Best Player in Europe awards (2009, 2011, 2015).
- Recipient of the most La Liga Best Player awards (2009-2013, 2015).
- Record holder for one of the highest goal scorers for both country and club in a calendar year (91 goals in 2012).
- Leading all-time goalscorer in La Liga (312 goals).
- Co-holder of the top goalscorer title in the FIFA Club World Cup (shared with Luis Suárez and César Delgado).
- Joint record holder for the most hat-tricks scored in a La Liga season (8 in 2011-2012, tied with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- The only player in La Liga to score against all rival teams in a row (30 goals in 19 matches in 2012-13).
- Multiple-time recipient of the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball Award.
- Youngest player to achieve 200 goals in La Liga in 2013.
- Sole player to secure the top-scorer position in 5 UEFA Champions League seasons (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015).
- Record holder for the most hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League, with five to his name.
- Youngest player to reach 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, achieving this feat at the age of 28 years and 84 days in 2015.
- All-time top-goalscorer of Argentina.
- All-time record scorer for a single club, surpassing Pele with his 644th goal in December 2020.
Awards & Achievements:
- FIFA World Player of the Year: 2009
- UEFA Goal of the Season (2006–07, 2014–15, 2015–16)
- La Liga Best Player (2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15)
- FIFA Club World Cup Final Most Valuable Player (MVP): 2009, 2011
- FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2009, 2011
- FIFA Ballon d’Or: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019
- European Golden Boot: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014
- UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Award: 2011, 2015
- Best FIFA Men’s Player Award: 2023
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