Lionel Messi
Argentine footballer (born 1987)
Who was Lionel Messi?
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. In 2025, he was named the All Time Men's World Best Player by the IFFHS. Messi is the most decorated player in the history of professional football, having won 46 team trophies. His records include most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club (672 for Barcelona), most goals in La Liga (474), most goals in the FIFA World Cup (18), and most assists in international football (61). Messi has scored over 910 senior career goals and provided over 410 assists for club and country, resulting in over 1,320 goal contributions—the highest total in the sport's history. In 2004, Messi made his competitive debut for Barcelona at age 17.
Historical significance
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Messi has set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career, including eight Ballons d'Or, six European Golden Shoes, and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA.
