Leo Messi, also known as Lionel Messi, was born in Rosario, Argentina, on June 24, 1987. He is an Argentine-born football (soccer) player who has won a record-breaking seven Ballon d'Or honors for being the best male player in the world (2009–12, 2015, 2019, and 2021). He assisted Argentina in winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Early Life
He began playing football for Grandoli, a team his father coached, when he was five years old. Messi changed teams in 1995, joining Newell's Old Boys. He was identified as having a growth hormone deficit at the age of 11.
River Plate expressed interest in Messi's development but lacked the funds to cover the cost of the disease treatment, which averaged over £500 per month. Carles Rexach, FC Barcelona's then sporting director, learned of Messi's talent while Argentina's economy was imploding. After witnessing him play, Barcelona signed him and offered to pay for his medical expenses if he would come to Spain to start a new life.The young teen and his family relocated to Europe, where he excelled for the club's youth squads.He immediately found himself starting for the Barcelona B team, scoring 35 goals in 30 games for an average of more than one goal per game.
Messi officially made his first team debut in October 2004 against RCD Espanyol, making him the third-youngest player to ever represent FC Barcelona. Messi was 17 years, 10 months, and 7 days old when he scored his first professional goal for the team against Albacete Balompié on May 1, 2005, making him the club's youngest player to ever score in a La Liga match. Messi was a member of the 2006 double-winning side that captured the Champions League and La Liga (Spanish League). Messi was the starting striker for Barcelona the following season (2006–07) at the age of just 20. He scored 14 goals in 26 league games during that time.
Messi tied Ronaldo's record for Barcelona with 47 goals in all competitions during the 2009–10 season. Messi continued to advance and set records as the seasons went on. He smashed the previous world record for the most goals scored in a calendar year in 2012, setting a new mark. His ultimate tally for the year was 91 goals, breaking Pele's 1958 record of 75 goals and the previous record of 85 held by German Gerd Muller.
As of the beginning of 2013, Messi has 31 goals from 76 appearances in international football and 292 goals from 359 games in club football.Messi declined a highly expensive offer to play with an unknown Russian team at the end of 2012. As Barcelona would have received €250 million, Messi would have received a salary of €20 million annually, making him the most expensive player in the world. He declined the offer because to the challenges of going to Russia and his uncertainty about whether he would be playing in important European tournaments. Instead, he committed to Barcelona through the end of 2018.Messi expressed his sense of loyalty to Barcelona when asked about joining the English Premier League.
International Career
Messi holds Spanish nationality because he was raised in Spain since he was 11 years old. Messi turned down the opportunity to represent Spain's Under 20 team in 2004 in favor of sticking with Argentina, the nation of his birth. The 2005 FIFA Youth Championship was won by Argentina under his leadership. In an exhibition match against Hungary in August 2005, Messi made his full international debut. Messi was ejected from his debut game for allegedly elbowing a player. The choice was divisive and went against Messi's normally fair-playing and clean style of play; the player has very infrequently been accused of diving.
He played in the World Cup in 2006, making him the country of Argentina's youngest participant. Argentina lost in the quarterfinal round. He represented Argentina in football and took home an Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008. Barcelona initially refused to let him play, but new manager Pep Guardiola gave him a break.
Messi played brilliantly to help Argentina go to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2010, but he struggled to score, and Argentina ultimately fell to Germany 4-0. Messi wore the number 10 shirt during that tournament.Messi has acknowledged how anxious he is to participate in a World Cup final. The World Cup would serve as Messi's final ultimate test of brilliance. Pele, on the other hand, was a member of Brazil's three World Cup-winning teams in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
One of the most thrilling players of the modern era, in fact, of any era, is commonly believed to be Messi. He can take on opponents and dribble with unmatched skill. He possesses exceptional ball control, according to Maradona. I've seen great players in my career, but I've never seen someone with Messi's ball control. The ball stays glued to his foot. Messi has stated that he wants to keep the thrill of watching a young child play football.
With a hat-trick on 2021 September 9 in a 3-0 victory against Bolivia at home in a 2022 World Cup qualifier, Messi surpassed Pelé to become South America's leading male international scorer with 79 goals. Messi contributed twice to Argentina's 3-0 victory over Italy in the Finalissima 2022, the third CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions, held at Wembley on June 2, 2022. Messi was named player of the match and won his country's second senior championship. Messi subsequently followed this up on June 6 by scoring all five goals for Argentina in a 5-0 friendly win against Estonia, passing Ferenc Puskás to become the all-time leading scorer for men's national teams.
The Victorious World Cup 2022
With a hat-trick on September 9 in a 3-0 victory against Bolivia at home in a 2022 World Cup qualifier, Messi surpassed Pelé to become South America's leading male international scorer with 79 goals.On June 2, 2022, at Wembley, Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 to win the 2022 Finalissima, the third CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions, with Messi providing two assists. Messi was also named player of the match, winning Argentina's second senior championship trophy.Messi subsequently followed this up on June 6 by scoring all five goals for Argentina in a 5-0 friendly win against Estonia, passing Ferenc Puskás to become the all-time leading scorer for men's national teams.
Messi scored a penalty in Argentina's opening encounter of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, a 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia, and then scored a low 20-yard shot in Argentina's subsequent match against Mexico, a 2-0 victory, while also providing an assist for Enzo Fernández's goal.Messi became the most capped male South American (CONMEBOL member) footballer of all time in Argentina's 2-1 victory over Australia in the round of 16 game,scoring the game's opening goal and breaking several other FIFA World Cup and national team records in the process. Messi also made his 1,000th senior career appearance.
Messi provided a reverse ball that helped Nahuel Molina score Argentina's opening goal in the quarterfinal matchup with the Netherlands, and he later scored a penalty as the game ended 2-2 after extra time. Messi converted the first penalty in Argentina's 4-3 victory in the shootout. Against Croatia in the semi-final, Messi made his record-tying 25th appearance at the World Cup finals, tying him with Lothar Matthäus of Germany. Messi scored Argentina's first goal with a penalty and then provided an assist for Julián lvarez's third goal in the 3-0 victory for Argentina;Messi passed Batistuta to become Argentina's all-time leading World Cup scorer with his 11th goal. Messi said that it would be his final World Cup appearance as Argentina went to the final against France.
Messi made his record-tying 26th appearance at a World Cup final on December 18 at Lusail Stadium during the 2022 FIFA World Cup championship game. With his penalty kick for Argentina's first goal, Messi became the first player since the introduction of the World Cup's last-16 round in 1986 to score a goal in each round. [490] After Kylian Mbappé of France scored twice in the first two minutes to erase Argentina's eventual two-goal advantage, Messi would score once more in extra time to restore Argentina's lead before Mbappé once more pulled France equal. The match went to a penalty shootout because it was tied 3-3 after extra time. Argentina won the shootout 4-2, ending the country's 36-year trophy drought after Messi scored the first goal for his team.
As the winner of the Golden Ball for player of the competition, Messi made history by winning it twice. With seven goals in seven games, he finished one goal behind Mbappé for second place in the Golden Boot race.Messi surpassed Matthaüs in terms of appearances at the World Cup (26), and surpassed Pelé in terms of direct goal contributions at the World Cup with his two goals in the championship game (21 – 13 goals and 8 assists). The final game was hailed as one of the greatest of all time, and media coverage extensively emphasized Messi and Mbappé's rivalry. Messi stated after the match, "I want to continue playingas a champion," that he had no plans to leave the national team.
Income and Wealth
Other football teams with significant transfer budgets have repeatedly targeted Messi, but he has remained devoted to Barcelona FC. He is among the world's highest-paid football players. His yearly base compensation is expected to be €40 million. His total yearly earnings in 2018 were €126m. According to Forbes, this made him the highest-paid sports star. His Barcelona employer has been paying him $667,000 a week as of 2018.
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