Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer widely considered one of our time’s best players. He is a player with FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has been named FIFA’s top player four times (a record in itself). He has been referred to as Diego Maradona’s successor due to his prolific goalscoring performance and ability to pass over opponents.
“I have met the player who will take my place in Argentine football. His nickname is Messi, and Messi is a genius, and he could be a more effective player.”
His possibilities are limitless, And I think he has everything he needs to be the best player in Argentina.”
– Diego Maradona
messiLionel Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina, to a working-class family. His dad was a steel factory worker, and his mother was employed as a cleaner.
He began playing soccer at three, and his potential was obvious. But at 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone insufficiency (GHD). This condition hindered growth and demanded costly medical treatment, which included treatment with the medication Human growth hormone.
The club he plays for, River Plate, was interested in signing Messi, but they didn’t want to cover his medical treatments. Then, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and his coach Carles Rexach was amazed – and offered Messi the chance to sign a contract (written on a napkin!) that covered the treatment he received in Spain. Messi relocated to Barcelona with his parents and was part of the famous FC Barcelona youth academy.
“I made many sacrifices when I left Argentina and left my family behind to begin an entirely new life. I did everything I did for football to realize my goal, and that’s why I didn’t party or engage in a variety else.” – Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi made his way up the ranks and debuted during the 2004/05 season as the youngest soccer player to get the league’s goal. The year 2006 was when Messi played in the double-winning team that was able to win both La Liga (Spanish League) and the Champions League. In the following season (2006-07), at just 20 years old, Messi was the first preferred striker and an integral component of the Barcelona team, scoring 14 goals in the league in 26 games.
From 2009-2010, Messi recorded 47 goals in all competitions; This was more than Ronaldo’s record for Barcelona. As the seasons progressed, Messi kept improving and breaking his records. In 2012 Messi broke the record for most goals scored within the calendar year. The final number of goals for 2012 stood at 91, surpassing records set in the past of 85 held by German Gerd Muller. He also broke Pele’s record of 75 goals in 1958.
“My records lasted for over 40 years, scoring 85 goals in an entire year. But now, the greatest player on earth has broken the record, and I’m ecstatic to be a part of it. He’s an amazing player, and he is huge.” – Gerd Muller
Since the beginning of 2013 in the club game, Messi has scored 292 goals across 359 matches, and in international matches, he has scored 31 goals in 76 games.
In the final months of 2012, Messi declined a highly lucrative deal to join an unidentified Russian team. The deal would have offered Messi the pay of EUR20 million per year, which would have made Messi his most costly player (Barcelona would have earned EUR250 million). He rejected the offer because he was unsure if Messi would play in the big European championships and because of the challenges in moving to Russia. Instead, the player signed a contract with Barcelona through the end of the 2018 season. If asked about his move into the English Premier League, Messi expressed his commitment to Barcelona.
“Barcelona is my home. They’ve led me here to where I am now. I can’t go, and I’m not ready to go anywhere else. I am aware that it is a great place to play. Premier League is perfect. However, I don’t see myself playing football in England since my soul is always with Barcelona.” – Lionel Messi
International Career
Because Messi was born in Spain at the age of aged 11 years, he is of Spanish nationality. In 2004 he was offered the opportunity to play for Spain’s Under-20 team; however, Messi chose to join Argentina, the country where he was born. He helped lead Argentina to victory at the 2005 FIFA Youth Championship. Messi made his debut for the international team in August 2005 during a friendly game against Hungary. In his first match, Messi was sent off for being accused of elbowing the player. The incident was a source of contention and was not in line with Messi’s style of play, which is typically clean and within an atmosphere of fair play. Messi has rarely had to be charged with diving.
2006 was the first time he played at his first World Cup, becoming Argentina’s youngest participant in the tournament, and Argentina fell in the quarterfinals. In 2008, he was awarded the Olympic Gold medal in Argentina in soccer at the Beijing Olympics. At first, Barcelona had not allowed the player to play, but the new coach Pep Guardiola gave him to take time off.
At the 2010 World Cup, Messi wore the number 10 shirt. He played well to assist Argentina in the semi-finals; however, Messi struggled to score goals, and Argentina was surprisingly defeated 4-0 by Germany at the end of the quarterfinal. Messi has acknowledged his eagerness to be a part of the World Cup final. A win for Messi during this World Cup would be the final test of his greatness. Pele, in contrast, was one of Brazil’s three-time successful World Cup sides in ’58, ’62, and ’70.
Messi is widely considered among the most thrilling footballers of our time or at any age. He is a master at moving his feet and tackling opponents. Maradona has stated that his ball control is awe-inspiring. “The ball stays glued to his foot; I’ve seen great players in my career, but I’ve never seen anyone with Messi’s ball control.” Messi has stated that he wants to keep the excitement of watching the game played as a kid.
“I have not changed anything. My style of play is the same as the child. I realize that, above all else, it’s my job to do it, and I must think differently about it; however, one should keep in mind that it is still a sport. It is essential to play to entertain oneself, have fun, and be content. It is what kids do, and I am doing the same.” (total Barca) – Lionel Messi
After having won the Ballon d’Or for the fourth time in January 2013, Messi declared:
“To tell the truth, this is quite amazing. The fourth award I’ve received is amazing beyond words. ” (BBC)
Messi and Ronaldo
Messi has often been compared to the legendary Real Madrid goalscorer Christiano Ronaldo, and both have tried to minimize the rivalry.
“Messi has a personality, as do I. He has his style, and I play mine. I also play for an elite club similar to his. We’re completely distinct in every way. However, right now, He is the most effective.”
–Christiano Ronaldo, in September 2011
Messi’s record for goalscoring
Messi
Source: Christopher Johnson, Barcelona FC. CC-SA-2.5
In any way, Messi’s record in goal scoring is extraordinary. As of June 2019, he has been able to score 419 goals across 445 officially sanctioned games for Barcelona FC.
As of 2012-2013, Messi achieved an all-time world record of scoring in the span of 21 games (33 goals in 21 games)
In 2012, he held the Guinness World Record for most goals during an entire calendar year, with several goals was 91 in 2012.
It is the first time a player has scored the same four Champions League campaigns.
His record international record in Argentina includes 68 goals in 133 matches.
Messi major awards
Barcelona
Spanish La Liga title(*10) : 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16
Spanish Cup (*6) – Copa del Rey
Supercopa de Espana (*6)
UEFA Champions League (*4) : 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15
UEFA Super Cup (*3)
FIFA Club World Cup (3)
Argentina
Olympic Gold Medal
FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
2006 World Cup – QF
2010 World Cup – QF
2014 World Cup – Runners-up.
2018 World Cup
Income and wealth
Messi has often been the focus of other clubs with large transfer budgets. However, Messi has always remained loyal to Barcelona FC. He is among the highest-paid footballers around the world. The base salary of his team is estimated to be EUR40 million annually. The total income he earned in total for 2018 came from all sources. EUR126m. He was also the highest-paid sports person, as per Forbes. Since 2018, his salary from Barcelona has been $667,000 weekly.
Private life
According to the norms of modern soccer, Messi lives a modest and private life. He tries to maintain connections to his hometown of Rosario. He is married to an Argentinian girlfriend, Antonella Roccuzzo, and they are parents to two kids. The first of his children, Thiago, is due to be born in November of 2012.
Book CoverRecommended Book – Lionel Messi – Real Bios
Lionel Messi – Real Bios at Amazon by Marie Morreale.
Messi serves as Unicef’s ambassador and runs his foundation for charitable purposes, aiming to improve access to education and sports for children. Due to his expensive medical treatment, he’s also assisted Argentinian hospitals in paying for similar treatments as his own.
World Cup 2014
Numerous commentators have said that Lionel Messi has performed at his best in every competition, except during the World Cup. Both in his 2006 and 2010 World Cup, Argentina was eliminated in the quarterfinals because Messi was not at his peak.
This year’s World Cup in Brazil is an occasion for Messi to shine at the top of all. In the first match against Bosnia – Herzegovina, Messi scored a fantastic goal to provide Argentina with an early win. Messi scored four goals to assist in helping Argentina to reach the World Cup Final. In the final match, Argentina fell 1-0 to Germany. Messi was named the Golden Ball’ for his performance in the tournament, even though the award was not widely agreed upon. Following the event, Messi replied:
“I don’t think about”the Golden Ball. I’m upset about the missed opportunities. We had the best chance. We knew that we would not be dominant, but we knew what we wanted to accomplish. At the moment, I don’t focus on my prize. I wanted to take the cup to bring the prize to Argentina. The pain is intense.”
In June of 2016, Messi was highly disappointed. Messi announced his retirement from international soccer following a missed penalty if Argentina was eliminated from the Copa America final. But, Messi later reversed his decision, saying that he enjoyed the game with Argentina too much as well as “I see there are many problems in Argentinian football, and I don’t intend to create another one.”
In the end, Messi returned to international football and led Argentina during the 2018 World Cup. Even though it was a massive expectation of a nation, a disappointing World Cup was considered a huge disappointment. But, in the 2018/19 season, Messi came back with his spectacular performance for Barcelona.
