| Capital: | € 380 million |
|---|---|
| Age: | 32 |
| Born: | June 24, 1987 |
| Country of origin: | Argentina |
| Source of wealth: | Soccer player |
| Last updated: | 2024 |
Short introduction
Born in Rosario, Lionel Messi is an Argentine footballer with additional Spanish citizenship who is under contract with FC Barcelona. The 1.70 meter winger and striker is considered one of the most successful athletes in his discipline and has been crowned with the title of world football player several times. As a player who played several hundred games for FC Barcelona and has remained loyal to the club since his professional debut, he is considered a club legend and, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, is considered the best player of today. In addition, as a footballer with an estimated annual income of 110 million euros, he is one of the best paid athletes in the world. In his vita are several Spanish championships and victories in the Champions League.
Early life
Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, the third largest city in Argentina. At the age of five, he took his first steps at Grandoli FC, but three years later he moved to the youth division of the Argentine successful club Newell’s Old Boys, which won the Argentine championship several times. Due to the Argentine economic crisis, his parents emigrated to Spain with him and his three siblings in 2000. Already during the trial training at FC Barcelona, the then 1.40 meter tall striker was so convincing that he received a contract worth 600 euros per month in the youth academy of the Spanish club. In his premier season, Lionel Messi scored 35 goals for the youth team in 30 games.
Career
Lionel Messi took his first steps in the adult sector from the 2003/04 season in the 2nd and 3rd teams of FC Barcelona. After several successful assignments and goals for the reserve teams, he was part of the club’s professional squad from the 2004/05 season. Finally, Messi made his local derby debut against Espanyol Barcelona on October 16, 2004 when he was substituted on for the first time. Lionel Messi played a total of nine times for Barcelona in his first professional season, scoring a goal and ultimately winning the Spanish championship.
The number of appearances increased significantly the following season, also scoring his first goal in the Champions League, which he eventually won with the club. Apart from an injury break due to a midfoot fracture, Lionel Messi has been an uncontested regular player since the 2006/07 season and finished with 17 goals in 36 competitive matches. Lionel Messi has always been associated with other clubs due to his good performance. However, the Argentine always refused offers and regularly extended his contracts with FC Barcelona. Messi decided not to switch to Manchester City before the 2009/10 season for a transfer fee of 150 million euros. In 2009 Lionel Messi was also crowned World Soccer Player of the Year.
In 2005 Lionel Messi took Argentina to the U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. With six goals, he was top scorer, with the team prevailing 2-1 in the final against Nigeria. Thereupon he also belonged to the squad of the senior national team and took part with it for the first time in 2006 in Germany in the world championship.
Career highlights
Lionel Messi scored his first goal for FC Barcelona’s 1st team on May 1, 2005 against Albacete Balompié and was considered the youngest ever league shooter until he was replaced by his future teammate Ansu Fati. At the end of the same season, he also won the Spanish championship. Lionel Messi was top scorer in the Spanish league for the first time in the 2009/10 season after scoring 34 times in one season. Lionel Messi secured the title of world footballer for the first time in 2009 and then won the trophy five times. Messi won the World Cup with the U-20 national team in 2005 and finished second in Germany with the senior national team in Brazil in 2014.
Famous quotes
“I am more concerned about being a good person than being the best football player in the world. When it’s all over, what’s left for you? ”
“It doesn’t matter if I’m better than Cristiano Ronaldo. The important thing is that Barcelona is better than Madrid. ”
“To become a legend, you have to win a world title.”
Amazing facts
Lionel Messi stopped growing due to a lack of growth hormones at the age of 11. Since his parents could not afford the monthly treatment costs for hormone therapy of 900 euros, FC Barcelona then took over.
Lionel Messi played his first international for the senior team against Hungary in 2005. But after only 47 seconds the substitute striker had to leave the pitch after seeing a red card due to an attack.
It could easily have been prevented that Messi did not achieve any notable successes with the national team. So he was offered a place in the Spanish national team, which became European champion in 2008 and 2012 and world champion in 2010.
