Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi[3] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward or winger. He also holds Spanish citizenship, which makes him eligible as a EU player. Considered one of the best football players of his generation[4][5][6] and frequently cited as the world's best contemporary player,[7] Messi received severalBallon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22.[7][8][9][10] His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".[11][12]
Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first teamregular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Perhaps his most successful season was the 2008–09 season, in which Messi scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. In the following 2009–10 campaign, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona.
Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lionel Andrés Messi[1][2] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Forward / Winger | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Barcelona | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2000 | Newell's Old Boys | ||
| 2000–2004 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2005 | Barcelona B | 22 | (6) |
| 2004– | Barcelona | 158 | (105) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2005 | Argentina U20 | 7 | (6) |
| 2008 | Argentina U23 | 5 | (2) |
| 2005– | Argentina | 53 | (15) |
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