Lionel Messi

 

Profile Football Stars | Lionel Messi | Messi began playing football at a young age and his skill and potential was soon realized by Barcelona. Messi received the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 (2009 Ballon d'Or and FIFA 2009 World Player of the Year), 2010 (2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or) and 2011 (2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or). Followed Major honors soon as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. Messi then had the most Successful season of his playing career, the 2008-09 season, in the which he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign. This record-breaking season was then eclipsed in the following 2009-10 campaign, where Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equaling Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona.

Messi has won five league titles, three Champions League titles, two of Those scoring in finals, against Manchester United in both 2009 and 2011. After scoring 12 goals in the 2010-11 Champions League, Messi Became only the third player (after Gerd Müller and Jean-Pierre Papin) to top-score in three successive European Champion Clubs' Cup campaigns. Messi is the fourth football player to win three Ballon d'Ors, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten and the second player to win three consecutive Ballon d'Ors, after Michel Platini (however, two of his Ballon d'Ors FIFA Ballon d'Ors are, the which he won consecutively). Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, Including two in the final game. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honor, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team. At international level Messi scored 19 goals in 66 games.

Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi, a steel factory worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys WHO were based in his home city Rosario. Barcelona Offered to pay for Messi's medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi Enrolled in the club's youth academy.

 

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario.Messi also has two cousins in football INVOLVED: Maxi, a winger for Club Olimpia of Paraguay, and Emanuel Biancucchi, WHO plays as a midfielder for Spain's Girona FC.

In 2007, Leo Messi established the Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children. In response to Messi's own childhood medical Difficulties, the Foundation has Leo Messi Offered Argentine children diagnosed with Illnesses treatment in Spain and funds covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs. Messi's foundation is supported by his own fundraising activity with additional assistance from Herbalife. On 11 March 2010 Announced Messi was as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. UNICEF ambassador Messi's activities are aimed at supporting children's rights. 

Personal information
Full name Lionel Andrés Messi
Date of birth 24 June 1987 (age 24)
Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 6 1/2 in)
Playing position Forward

Club information
Current club Barcelona
Number 10

Youth career
Newell's Old Boys 1995-2000
Barcelona 2000-2003

Senior career 

years Team
Barcelona 2003-2004 C 8 (5)
2004-2005 Barcelona B 22 (6)
2004 - Barcelona 200 (146)

National team
2005 Argentina U20 7 (6)
2008 Argentina U23 5 (2)
2005 - Argentina 66 (19)

Honours

Barcelona
    La Liga (5): 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11
    Copa del Rey (1): 2008-09: Runner-up 2010-11
    Supercopa de España (5): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
    UEFA Champions League (3): 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11
    UEFA Super Cup (2): 2009, 2011; Runner-up 2006
    FIFA Club World Cup (2): 2009, 2011

Argentina
    FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
    Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
    Copa América: Runner-up 2007

Individual
    FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2
        2010, 2011
    Ballon d'Or: 1
        2009
    FIFA World Player of the Year: 1
        2009
    World Soccer Player of the Year: 2
        2009, 2011
    World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 3
        2006, 2007, 2008
    ESM Team of the Year: 5
        2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11
    European Golden Shoe: 1
        2010
    La Liga top goalscorer: 1
        2010
    Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 1
        2011
    La Liga Player of the Year: 3
        2009, 2010, 2011
    LFP Best Player: 3
        2009, 2010, 2011
    LFP Best Forward: 3
        2009, 2010, 2011
    La Liga Foreign Player of the Year: 3
        2007, 2009, 2010
    La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year: 4
        2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
    UEFA Champions League top goalscorer: 3
        2009, 2010, 2011
    UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 1
        2011
    UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 1
        2009
    UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year: 1
        2009
    UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 1
        2011
    UEFA Team of the Year: 4
        2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
    Onze d'Or: 3
        2009, 2010, 2011
    Bravo Award: 1
        2007
    Tuttosport Golden Boy: 1
        2005
    FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2
        2009, 2011
    FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament: 1
        2005
    FIFA U-20 World Cup top goalscorer: 1
        2005
    Copa América Young Player of the Tournament: 1
        2007
    FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 3
        2006, 2007, 2008
    FIFA / FIFPro World XI: 5
        2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
    Olimpia de Oro: 1
        2011
    Olimpia de Plata: 6
        2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
    Best Male Athlete in Latin America: 1
        2011
    Marca Leyenda: 1
        2009
    L'Equipe Champion of Champions: 1
        2011