Lionel Messi, born in 1987 in Rosario, Argentina, joined FC Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy at the age of 13. The club financed his treatment for a growth hormone deficiency, enabling him to develop into one of the most skilled players in the history of football.
Known for his outstanding dribbling, precision passing, and playmaking, Messi has broken numerous club and international scoring records.
Off the field, he leads charitable initiatives through the Leo Messi Foundation, focusing on healthcare and education for vulnerable children.
Lionel Messi Stats
At the age of 17, Lionel made his league debut against RCD Espanyol and became the third-youngest person ever to play for FC Barcelona. At that time, he was also the youngest player to ever score for Barcelona. During the 2005-2006 season, Messi began being paid as a first-team member and also got his Spanish citizenship.
He also made his debut in the Spanish First Division league. Messi received a standing ovation during his first match after he scored alongside superstar Ronaldinho. Out of his seventeen League appearances, he scored six goals. He scored one goal in six for the Champions League. In 2006, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in the FIFA World Cup.
After the World Cup, in the 2006-2007 season, Messi was injured with a broken metatarsal, which took three months to heal. He was back in the game against Racing Santander as a second-hand substitute.
In March of that season, he scored a hat trick against Real Madrid, which made him the first player since Ivan Zamorano to do so in the El Clasico. In the 2007-2008 season, Messi led Barcelona into the top four of La Liga. He won the nomination, as a forward, for a FIFA ProWorld XI Player Award, and the Marca newspaper named him the best player in the world. Other newspapers followed and stated that Lionel should be awarded the Ballon d’Or. He finally won his first in 2009, at age 22, and went on to win three more in a row each year.
He also obtained an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season. This sealed his fate as Barcelona’s all-time top scorer. In the next two seasons, Messi, now the team captain for Barcelona, finished second for the Ballon d’Or behind career rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
In 2014, Messi led Argentina to the finals of the World Cup, for which he also won the Golden Ball. Lionel announced his retirement in 2016 but reversed his decision and led Argentina to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They also finished third at the 2019 Copa America. In 2019, Messi secured a record-breaking sixth Ballon d’Or.
Messi’s Major Achievements:
- Multiple Ballon d’Or Awards: Like Ronaldo, Messi has claimed this honor multiple times, reflecting his dominance in world football.
- Numerous La Liga Titles: During his long spell at Barcelona, he helped the team secure numerous league championships and European titles.
- FIFA World Cup (2022) with Argentina: After several near misses, Messi achieved his lifelong dream of leading Argentina to a World Cup victory, cementing his legacy on the global stage. On December 18, Lionel and his Argentina teammates defeated France in the 2022 World Cup final. Not including penalty kicks, Lionel had two goals in the game, which went to over time and then a shootout.
Lionel Messi Net Worth
Lionel Messi is an Argentinian-born professional athlete who has a net worth of $850 million. Lionel Messi is often regarded as the best soccer player in the world and one of the best in history. He is certainly one of, if not THE, highest-paid player in history. Lionel Messi played for Barcelona from his teenage years through 2021.
During his time with Barcelona, Lionel scored 672 goals in 778 games. On August 10, 2021, it was announced that Lionel would move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. He also plays for the Argentina National Team. On December 18, 2022, Lionel and the Argentina National team won the World Cup.
Lionel Messi Salary – Lionel Messi Contract
When he was at his peak with Barcelona, Lionel Messi was easily the highest-paid soccer player in the world. In 2017, he signed a contract with Barcelona that paid a base salary of $168 million. His contract numbers were a closely guarded secret for several years, but in January 2021, the Spanish newspaper “El Mundo” published the leaked contract details. Under a previous contract, his annual base salary was $44.68 million.
In August 2021, Lionel signed with Paris Saint-Germain. His initial contract is a two-year deal that works out to $75 million per year before taxes, roughly $40 million after taxes. Messi’s contract also allowed him to earn additional bonuses based on milestones and a cut of jersey sales.
Messi earns an additional $70 million every year from endorsements. He has a lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas.
$1 Billion Saudi Contract
In May 2023, it was reported that Lionel Messi was on the verge of signing a $1 billion contract with an unnamed Saudi Pro League team. The deal would reportedly pay Lionel a salary of $400 MILLION per season.
If true, that annual salary would have nearly doubled the 2.5-year, $535 million deal that Cristiano Ronaldo accepted in December of 2022 from a Saudi Pro League team called Al Nassr. Lionel ultimately rejected this offer and instead signed with David Beckham’s MLS team Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi Wife
Antonela Roccuzzo was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina and has Italian ancestry; she met Lionel Messi when the two were toddlers through her cousin Lucas Scaglia, and in 2009 the two confirmed their relationship. Messi and Roccuzzo married in 2017, and have three sons.
Inter Miami Lionel Messi
On June 7, 2023, it was reported that Messi intended to sign with Inter Miami of MLS, the David Beckham co-owned American franchise. Reportedly, the deal would pay him a salary of $1.03 million per week ($54 million a year) over four years.
In an interesting twist, Messi’s Miami contract will be supplemented by a rev share of subscriptions sold by Apple to its MLS Season Pass. It was later revealed that Lionel’s Inter Miami contract pays him $60 million per year in salary and gave him a 10% stake in the team, a team that has been valued at as much as $2 billion.
Lionel Messi Age – How Old Is Lionel Messi?
Lionel Andrés “Leo” Messi; born 24 June 1987)
Lionel Messi Height
According to his player profile on their website, Messi’s height is listed as 1.7 metres — or 5 foot 7 inches.
Did Lionel Messi Die?
Why is ‘Lionel Messi dead’ trending? FOOTBALL fans panicked after Lionel Messi was the victim of another online death hoax.It has been reported for months that football legend Lionel Messi was fatally killed in a car crash.
This is untrue and the footballer is alive and well.Lionel Messi, was the victim of a death hoax which has become more common and affected other celebrities such as Tom Holland, Dwayne Johnson and more.
Lionel Messi Bodyguard
Over the years, another person has gathered notoriety is Messi’s bodyguard Yassine Cheuko, a former military operative physically equipped to monitor every move the star player makes and thwart unwanted advances.
Lionel Messi Jersey
Lionel Messi currently wears jersey number 30 at Paris Saint Germain. The Argentina forward moved to PSG from FC Barcelona last summer on a free transfer and since then has been wearing the number 30 jersey at Parc des Princes.
Messi wearing the number 10 jersey was a familiar scene during his time at Barcelona as the player looked pretty comfortable in that iconic jersey in Spain. Messi also wears the number 10 for the national team and will be seen wearing the same number in the upcoming Qatar World Cup.
Lionel Messi Injury
This list includes all injuries across Lionel Messi’s career that caused him to miss three or more games.
- Ankle injury: Mon, Jul. 15, 2024 — TBD (Inter Miami, 2 matches minimum)
- Hamstring injury: Wed, Mar. 13, 2024 — Sat, Apr. 5, 2024 (Inter Miami, 4 matches — Argentina, 2 matches)
- Adductor injury*: Feb. 1, 2024 — Feb. 7, 2024 (Inter Miami, 2 preseason matches)
- Scar tissue flare-up: Sep. 21, 2023 — Oct. 6, 2023 (Inter Miami, 4 matches)
- Calf strain: Oct. 5, 2022 — Oct. 13, 2022 (PSG, 3 matches)
- Knee injury: Oct. 29, 2021 — Nov. 11, 2021 (PSG, 3 matches)
- Calf injury: Aug. 5, 2019 — Sep. 16, 2019 (Barcelona, 4 matches — Argentina, 2 matches)
- Forearm fracture: Oct. 21, 2018 — Nov. 9, 2018 (Barcelona, 5 matches)
- Adductor tear: Sep. 22, 2016 — Oct. 15, 2016 (Barcelona, 4 matches — Argentina, 2 matches)
- MCL injury: Sep. 28, 2015 — Nov. 18, 2015 (Barcelona, 9 matches — Argentina, 4 matches)
- Hamstring tear: Nov. 10, 2013 — Jan. 6, 2014 (Barcelona, 9 matches — Argentina, 2 matches)
- Hamstring strain: Sep. 28, 2013 — Oct. 18, 2013 (Barcelona, 2 matches — Argentina, 2 matches)
- Hamstring strain: May 13, 2013 — Jun. 6, 2013 (Barcelona, 3 matches)
- Hamstring strain: Apr. 3, 2013 — Apr. 22, 2013 (Barcelona, 4 matches)
- Thigh injury: Mar. 4, 2008 — Apr. 10, 2008 (Barcelona, 8 matches — Argentina, 1 match)
- Hamstring strain: Dec. 17, 2007 — Jan. 14, 2008 (Barcelona, 6 matches)
- Foot fracture: Nov. 13, 2006 — Feb. 8, 2007 (Barcelona, 18 matches — Argentina, 1 match)
- Hamstring tear: Mar. 8, 2006 — May 21, 2006 (Barcelona, 17 matches)
Lionel Messi Family
Messi and Roccuzzo, who were childhood friends and later reconnected in 2005, welcomed their first son, Thiago, in 2012. Their second son, Mateo, arrived in 2015, followed by their third son, Ciro, in 2018. The athlete later told FC Barcelona that fatherhood changed his entire perspective.