Lionel Messi

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Lore & Background

Messi's club career began with Barcelona, where he rose through the youth ranks, making his first-team debut in 2004. During his tenure, Barcelona secured ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, four UEFA Champions Leagues, seven Supercopa de Españas, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups, and Messi became the club's all-time top scorer. In 2021, due to club financial constraints and league regulations, Messi left Barcelona and signed with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Joining forces with fellow superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, he won two Ligue 1 titles and one Trophée des Champions. In 2023, Messi joined Inter Miami, where he would lead the team to win their first-ever MLS Cup championship. On the international stage, Messi made his debut with Argentina's senior national team in 2005, and would represent the country in six FIFA World Cups and seven Copa Américas. Initially facing criticism for not winning major tournaments with the national team, Messi broke Argentina's 28-year international trophy drought by captaining the team to victory in the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América.

In Their Own Story

During the 2004–05 season, Lionel Messi was a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring six goals. Since his debut in the friendly against Porto the previous November, he had not been called up to the first team again, but in October 2004, the senior players asked manager Frank Rijkaard to promote him. Messi's usual position was left wing, but Ronaldinho already played this position. Rijkaard put Messi on the right flank, allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot with his dominant left foot. Messi made his La Liga debut with Barcelona's senior team during the next match on 16 October, against Espanyol at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc. The 17-year-old Messi was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition. As a substitute player, he played in nine matches for the first team that season, including his debut in the UEFA Champions League. He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, becoming the youngest-ever scorer for the club at the time. Barcelona won the league for the first time in six years.

Reader's Guide

On 24 June 2005, his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player. It made him a Barcelona player until 2010, and contained a buyout clause of €150 million. Two months later, Messi made his first start for the club against Fabio Capello's Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona's pre-season competition. Capello sought to take Messi to Juventus on loan, but Inter Milan offered to pay his €150 million buyout clause and triple his salary. According to then-president Joan Laporta, it was the only time the club faced a real risk of losing Messi, but he ultimately decided to stay. On 16 September, his contract was updated for the second time in three months and extended to 2014. Due to issues regarding his legal status in the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Messi missed the start of La Liga, but on 26 September he acquired Spanish citizenship and became eligible to play. Wearing the number 19, he gradually established himself as the first-choice right winger, forming an attacking trio with Ronaldinho and striker Samuel Eto'o. Barcelona began the 2005–06 season by winning the Supercopa de España against Real Betis without Messi, who was not selected to participate in the competition. He was in the starting line-up in major matches like his first Clásico against rivals Real Madrid, a 3–0 victory on 19 November, as well as Barcelona's 2–1 victory over Chelsea in the last-16 round of the Champions League. After scoring 8 goals in 25 games, including his first in the Champions League, Messi's season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, when he suffered a torn hamstring. Messi worked to regain fitness in time for the 2006 Champions League final, but he was eventually ruled out. He was so disappointed that he did not celebrate his team's 2–1 victory over Arsenal in Paris, which he later came to regret.

Did You Know?

• Messi is the most decorated player in professional football history with 46 team trophies.
• He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, becoming Barcelona's youngest-ever scorer at the time.
• Messi nearly replicated Diego Maradona's 'Goal of the Century' on 18 April 2007, running 60 metres and beating five defenders before scoring against Getafe.
• He won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009 by the largest voting margin in history.
• Messi broke Argentina's 28-year international trophy drought by captaining the team to victory in the 2021 Copa América.