Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record-tying five Ballon d’Or awards, four of which he won consecutively and a record five European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won 32 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey. Both a prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most official goals scored in La Liga, a La Liga season, a club football season in Europe, a calendar year, El Clásico, most hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League, as well as those for most assists in La Liga and the Copa América. Messi has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country.
Birth Name
Lionel Andrés Messi
Nickname
Leo, Atomic Flea, La Pulga, La Pulga Atomica, Messidona
Profession
Professional Soccer Player
Position
Forward
Shirt Number
- 10 – FC Barcelona
- 10 – Argentina
Coach
Salvador Aparicio, Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Lionel Messi was born on the 24th of June 1987, in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.
Age
He is currently 36 years old.
Sun Sign
Cancer
Nationality
Argentine
Ethnicity
Multiracial (Hispanic and Caucasian)
He has Italian, Catalan and Spanish ancestry.
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Education
Lionel has not much educational experience as he has been playing football since childhood and at such a low age, he achieved much fame.
Family Details
- Father – Jorge Horácio Messi (factory steel worker)
- Mother – Celia María Cuccittini (part-time cleaner)
- Siblings – Rodrigo (Older Brother), Matías (Older Brother), María Sol (Sister)
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
Lionel Messi has dated –
- Macarena Lemos (2006-2008) – In 2006, Lemos is an Argentinean adult / glamour model, who received fame after dating Messi. They first met in the city of Rosario.
- Antonella Roccuzzo (2007-Present) – She is also from Rosario. They are dating since 2007. They first met at Lucas Scaglia’s place (one of Messi’s closest friends) and now, the couple has 3 children, named Thiago (b. November 2, 2012), Mateo (b. 2015) and Ciro (b. 2018).
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 6½ inches
- In centimeters – 169 cm
- In meters – 1.69 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 65 kg
- In Pounds – 143 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements–40-32-12
- Chest – 40 Inches
- Waist – 32 Inches
- Biceps – 12 Inches
Body Build
Athletic
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Shoe Size
9 (US)
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Quick, balanced and a stylish runner with the football.
Television Debut
In 2005, Lionel appeared in La noche del 10 in season 1 and episode number 3 as a guest. This show was hosted by Diego Maradona.
Brand Endorsements
Adidas, Audemars Piguet, Cherry, Dolce & Gabbana, PepsiCo, Ooredoo, Herbalife, EA Sports.
Controversies
- In 2013, he was investigated for his suspected tax evasion.
- In 2016, his name appeared in the Panama Papers Data Leak.
Records
- Youngest two-time and three-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner (23 and 24 years old).
- Most UEFA Best Player in Europe awards (2009, 2011, 2015).
- Most La Liga Best Player awards, six times (2009-2013, 2015).
- Top goalscorer for country and club in a calendar year (91 goals in 2012).
- Top goalscorer in La Liga (312 goals).
- Top goalscorer in the FIFA Club World Cup (shared with Luis Suárez and César Delgado).
- Most hat-tricks scored in a La Liga season (8 in 2011-2012, shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Only player to score consecutively against all opposition teams in La Liga (19 matches, 30 goals in 2012–13).
- Only player to have won FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball more than one.
- In 2013, became the youngest player to score 200 goals in La Liga.
- Only top-scorer in five UEFA Champions League seasons (2008–09 to 2011–12, 2014–15).
- Record of most hat-tricks in the UEFA Champions League, five times.
- Youngest player to make 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League: 28 years, 84 days in 2015).
- All time top-goalscorer of Argentina.
Career Turning Point
In 2007, Messi scored a hat-trick vs Real Madrid and ended the match with a draw while playing for Barcelona.
Lionel Messi Net worth
Lionel Messi’s net worth has accumulated to approximately $600 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
Some Lesser Known Facts About Lionel Messi
- Messi paternal family originates from Ancona, Italian city.
- He had developed a passion for sports at an early age and joined a local club Grandoli at the age of 4, where he was coached by his father.
- Lionel was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency when he was 10 years old.
- On 16 November 2003, he made his first-team debut at the age of 16 years, 4 months and 23 days, when he came in the 75th minute during a friendly against José Mourinho’s Porto.
- In 2005, he made his first international debut against Hungary and that too only for 47 seconds; as he was shown a Red Card.
- He is predominantly a left-footed player.
- Messi is the first football player in the history to win four FIFA/Ballons d’Or and that too consecutively.
- At 25, he also became the youngest player to score 200 La Liga goals.
- He won UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in the 2010-2011 session.
- He also runs a charity, named, Leo Messi Foundation, which he founded in 2007. This charity is responsible for education and health care of children.
- In 2010, he was made Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
- In 2011 and 2012, he has been mentioned in TIME magazine in the world’s most influential people list.
- In 2013, Lionel has appeared in EA’s FIFA video game.
- In March 2013, a solid gold replica of his left foot weighing 55 lb, went on sale in Japan to raise funds for 2011 tsunami and earthquake victims.
- In 2015-16, Forbes magazine listed him world’s second highest-paid athlete (after Cristiano Ronaldo).
- Diego Maradona has declared Messi as his successor.
- Leo’s favorite music styles are listed as Samba and Cumbi.
- In 2018, Forbes listed him world’s highest paid athlete (with $84 million salary/ winnings) after Floyd Mayweather.
