Messi: The must-read biography of the World Cup champion, now fully updated (Guillem Balague's Books)

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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 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. 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.

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. Though Messi was part of the Barcelona roster that won the double in the 2005-06 season and established himself as starter in the next two years, his breakout season came in the 2008-09 campaign. With Ronaldinho gone, Messi emerged as the new superstar of Barcelona. The FIFA Football Awards Voting Results 2019" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 23 September 2019 . Retrieved 23 September 2019. 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, Mejor Delantero y Mejor Jugador"[Messi, Best Forward and Best Player] (in Spanish). Liga de Fútbol Profesional. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015 . Retrieved 13 September 2015.

Messi played his first game with the senior team on 17 August 2005 against Hungary. He came on as a substitute. However, he was shown a red card 45 seconds into the game for hitting an opponent in the face on accident while Messi was trying to pull the opponent off from his shirt. Messi scored his first goal for Argentina in a friendly match against Croatia on 1 March 2006. Argentina lost the game 3-2. [16] He was selected for the 2006 World Cup by coach José Pekerman. In Argentina's second game against Serbia, he became their youngest player to play at a World Cup. He also assisted a goal scored the last one in the 6–0 victory. That goal made him the youngest goalscorer in the 2006 World Cup. Barcelona had heard about Messi and his battle. Someone informed FC Barcelona director Carles Rexach about his unbeatable talent in football. Then he added a stipulation that only applied if this guy proved to be talented. Therefore, all of his costs will be covered. He must, however, depart Argentina and travel to Spain. Messi's parents relocated to Barcelona. Fortunately, Messi changed his mind a few months later. That doesn’t mean that things became easier, though. Needless to say, that wonderful year earned Messi his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or award, becoming the first player in history to win the prize on four occasions. In 2021, Messi won the Ballon d'Or trophy for the most outstanding player for a record seventh time. The French football magazine "Ballon d'Or" has granted this award to the finest footballer every year since 1956, even though covid-19 made it impossible to conduct the ceremony the previous year. Net Worth

Messi has three children with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo. They are named Thiago Messi, Mateo Messi and Ciro Messi. Thiago was born on 2 November 2012, Mateo was born on 11 September 2015 and Ciro was born on 10 March 2018. On the bottom of Messi's cleats is the name of his first son, Thiago.

Copa América 2015: Team of the Tournament". Copa América Organisation. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 September 2015 . Retrieved 27 August 2015. Former Results". IFFHS. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019 . Retrieved 30 November 2019.

Messi’s wait for an elusive international title came to an end in epic fashion, with Argentina beating rivals and host country Brazil in the final at the Maracana. La Albiceleste ended a 28-year drought, and Messi achieved his first major success with the senior national team. 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. Six appearances and two goals in Copa América, four appearances and two goals in FIFA World Cup qualification Messi's father would teach him personally after seeing that his son had a desire and talent for the game. George maintained Leo's training; He performed as a model dad by doing everything he could to raise his son despite financial constraints. At the age of just 8, Lionel Messi was accepted into the football team known as the New Wales Old Boys because of his outstanding soccer skill. Where everyone turned to look at him because of his extraordinary abilities while playing, Messi's charm drew the interest of significant and prominent football teams at such a young age. In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the 'heavy' shirt of one of the world's great clubs."In the 2004–05 season Messi, at 17 years old, became the youngest official player and goal scorer for the Spanish La Liga (the country’s highest division of soccer). The next year Messi helped FC Barcelona win the Champions League (the European club championship) title. By 2008 he was one of the most dominant players in the world. During the 2008–09 season Messi scored 38 goals in 51 games and led his team to its first “treble”—winning three major European club titles in one season. He won his first FIFA World Player of the Year honors that year as well. The following season he scored 34 goals, and Barcelona repeated as La Liga champions. Messi won the Golden Shoe award as Europe’s top scorer and his second world player of the year award. La Liga Best Forward: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16 [37] [38] [39] [40]