Lionel Messi

Biography

Messi left Rosario for Barcelona at 13 and became the club's greatest player: 672 goals, 35 trophies, and a style — the low centre of gravity, the left foot, the impossible angles — that highlights alone can't explain. The 2022 World Cup completed the one argument his career still had left.

Argentine footballer regarded by many as the greatest player in the sport's history, famed for dribbling, vision and left-footed finishing.

Known for

FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina's 2022 World Cup win.

Notable works & defining projects

• FC Barcelona
• Paris Saint-Germain
• Inter Miami

Notable achievements

• Won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times
• Captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
• Barcelona's all-time top scorer with 672 goals

Timeline

1. 2004Made his competitive Barcelona debut at 17
2. 2009Won his first Ballon d'Or, the first of a record eight
3. 2022Captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar

Did you know?

• His first Barcelona agreement was famously sketched and signed on a paper napkin in December 2000
• As a boy he received growth-hormone treatment, a cost Barcelona agreed to cover when signing him