Lionel Messi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Messi is the most decorated player in the history of professional football, having won 46 team trophies across more than 1,150 career appearances. His records include most goals in a calendar year (91), most assists in the FIFA World Cup (12), and most assists in international football (65). He has scored over 920 senior career goals and provided over 420 assists for club and country, making him the second-highest goalscorer and the highest assist provider in the history of football. Messi was ranked as the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022. In 2020, he became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings. In 2026, he appeared on Forbes' The World's Billionaires list for the first time, with a net worth of $1.1 billion. In 2004, Messi made his competitive debut for La Liga club Barcelona at age 17 and soon emerged as one of the most talented young players in the world, being awarded the FIFPro Young Player of the Year three times in a row from 2006 to 2008. During his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09, he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football. This resulted in Messi winning the first of four consecutive Ballons d'Or, and by the 2011–12 season he had set the European record for most goals in a season and established himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer. During the 2014–15 season, Messi formed the successful attacking trio MSN with Luis Suárez and Neymar, helping Barcelona achieve a historic second treble and subsequently earning his fifth Ballon d'Or. Messi was named Barcelona's captain in 2018. While playing for the club, he won a club-record 34 trophies, including 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. With Barcelona, he set records for most goals for a single club (672) and most goals in La Liga (474). Financial difficulties at Barcelona forced Messi to depart in 2021 and sign with Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. During the 2022–23 Ligue 1 season, he registered 16 goals and 16 assists in 32 matches, helping PSG win the league title for the second time since he signed with the club. He joined the MLS club Inter Miami in 2023 and led them to their first MLS Cup victory in 2025, while also winning the league MVP award in 2024 and 2025. Following his arrival and impact on football in the United States, Messi was named Time's Athlete of the Year

In Their Own Story

The 2009 UEFA Champions League final was contested between Manchester United and Barcelona on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The match was hyped as the latest battle between Messi and Ronaldo to settle who was the best player in the world. Barcelona won 2–0, with Messi scoring a rare header for his team's second goal. In the 2010–11 season, Messi and Ronaldo faced off in four pulsating games in the season finale. In the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, after Madrid's Pepe was sent off, Messi scored two goals, including one described as 'one of the best goals in Champions League history', to give Barcelona a two-goal lead. Following the game, Messi was praised as both the current best in the world and amongst the greatest players of all time. On 23 March 2014, Messi became the all-time top scorer in El Clásico after he scored a hat-trick, including two penalty kicks, as Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 4–3, a match described as 'the best Clasico in recent years'.

Reader's Guide

Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina. He started playing for Newell's Old Boys at age seven, scoring almost 500 goals in six years. At age 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. He joined Barcelona's youth academy La Masia after a trial in 2000, signing a contract on a napkin. He made his competitive debut for Barcelona in 2004. After 21 years with the Argentina national team, he retired in 2026. He currently plays for Inter Miami in MLS.

Did You Know?

• Messi has won eight Ballons d'Or, six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world's best player by FIFA eight times.
• He is the most decorated player in professional football history with 46 team trophies.
• Messi scored 91 goals in a calendar year, a world record.
• He is the all-time leading goalscorer (125) and most-capped player (207) for Argentina.
• Messi became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice (2014 and 2022).