Lionel Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team.
Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record seven Ballon d’Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020, he was selected for the Ballon d’Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (192), a La Liga and European league season (21) and the Copa América (17). He has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club.
Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi began playing football at a young age and his talent was soon recognised. At the age of 13, he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD), but he was able to continue his career after Barcelona signed him and paid for his treatment. Messi made his senior debut for Barcelona in 2004, aged 16, and quickly established himself as a key player for the club. He has since won numerous individual and team awards, including the Ballon d’Or a record seven times.
Messi is a global icon and is one of the most popular athletes in the world. He has been sponsored by sportswear company Adidas since 2006 and has appeared in numerous commercials for the company. Messi is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has campaigned for a number of causes, including the fight against poverty and hunger.
In 2021, Messi left Barcelona after 21 years to join Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. He has continued to be successful at PSG, winning the Ligue 1 title in his first season. Messi is also a regular for the Argentina national team, and he has helped them to win the Copa América in 2021.
Messi is widely considered to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. He is a prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, and he has won numerous individual and team awards. Messi is also a global icon and is one of the most popular athletes in the world.
