Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Messi playing for Barcelona at the 2011 FIFA Club World CupPersonal information Full name Lionel Andrés Messi Date of birth 24 June 1987 Place of birth Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) Playing position Forward Club information Current club Barcelona Number 10 Youth career 1995–2000 Newell's Old Boys 2000–2003 Barcelona Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2003–2004 Barcelona C 10 (5) 2004–2005 Barcelona B 22 (6) 2004– Barcelona 257 (223) National team‡ 2004–2005 Argentina U20 18 (14) 2007–2008 Argentina U23 5 (2) 2005– Argentina 83 (37)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:03, 10 November 2013 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 September 2013
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club FC Barcelonaand the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team. By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or andFIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the inauguralFIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, and then again in 2011 & 2012. He also won the 2010–11UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At the age of 24, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions. At age 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200 La Liga goals.
Widely recognised as the best player in the world and rated by some commentators, coaches and players as the greatest footballer of all time, Messi is the first football player in history to win four FIFA/Ballon d'Or, all of which he won consecutively, as well as the first to win three European Golden Shoe awards. Messi has won six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
Messi is the first and only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns, and also holds the record for the most hat-tricks (4) scored in the history of the competition. In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match. He also matched José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single Champions League season. Messi set the European record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals. In the same season, he set the current goalscoring record in a single La Liga season, scoring 50 goals. Also in that season, Messi became the first player ever to have scored as well as assisted in six different official competitions in one season. On 16 February 2013, Messi scored his 300th Barcelona goal. On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in his 19th consecutive La Liga game, becoming the first footballer in history to net in consecutive matches against every team in a professional football league. Messi later extended his record scoring streak to 21 consecutive league matches. The run ultimately came to a halt in a match against Atlético Madrid in which he had to leave play due to a hamstring injury.
Messi helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top scorer (with 6 goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa Américatournament the following year, in which he was elected young player of the tournament. In 2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic Gold Medal, with theArgentina Olympic football team. SportsPro has rated Lionel Messi as the second-most marketable athlete in the world. His playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriot Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".
Messi playing for Barcelona at the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lionel Andrés Messi | ||
| Date of birth | 24 June 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Barcelona | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2000 | Newell's Old Boys | ||
| 2000–2003 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2004 | Barcelona C | 10 | (5) |
| 2004–2005 | Barcelona B | 22 | (6) |
| 2004– | Barcelona | 257 | (223) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2005 | Argentina U20 | 18 | (14) |
| 2007–2008 | Argentina U23 | 5 | (2) |
| 2005– | Argentina | 83 | (37) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:03, 10 November 2013 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 September 2013 | |||
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club FC Barcelonaand the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team. By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or andFIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the inauguralFIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010, and then again in 2011 & 2012. He also won the 2010–11UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At the age of 24, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions. At age 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200 La Liga goals.
Widely recognised as the best player in the world and rated by some commentators, coaches and players as the greatest footballer of all time, Messi is the first football player in history to win four FIFA/Ballon d'Or, all of which he won consecutively, as well as the first to win three European Golden Shoe awards. Messi has won six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
Messi is the first and only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns, and also holds the record for the most hat-tricks (4) scored in the history of the competition. In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match. He also matched José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single Champions League season. Messi set the European record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals. In the same season, he set the current goalscoring record in a single La Liga season, scoring 50 goals. Also in that season, Messi became the first player ever to have scored as well as assisted in six different official competitions in one season. On 16 February 2013, Messi scored his 300th Barcelona goal. On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in his 19th consecutive La Liga game, becoming the first footballer in history to net in consecutive matches against every team in a professional football league. Messi later extended his record scoring streak to 21 consecutive league matches. The run ultimately came to a halt in a match against Atlético Madrid in which he had to leave play due to a hamstring injury.
Messi helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top scorer (with 6 goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa Américatournament the following year, in which he was elected young player of the tournament. In 2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic Gold Medal, with theArgentina Olympic football team. SportsPro has rated Lionel Messi as the second-most marketable athlete in the world. His playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriot Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".
Records
- World
- Most FIFA Ballon d'Or awards: 4 Guinness World Records title for the most goals in a year: 91 goals
- Most international goals in a year (club and national team): 25 goals
- Most goals scored in FIFA Club World Cup: 4 goals
- Most consecutive league matches scored in: 21 matches (33 goals)
- First footballer ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league
Europe
- Most European Golden Shoe awards: 3
- Most goals scored in a season (club): 73 goals
- Most goals scored in a year (club): 79 goals
- Most goals scored in a European Cup season: 14 goals
- Most European Cup top scorer awards: 4
- Most consecutive European Cup top scorer awards: 4
- Most hat-tricks in UEFA Champions League: 4 hat-tricks
- Highest scorer in a UEFA Champions League game: 5 goals
- Only player to score in 20 different cities in the European Cup
Argentina
- Most goals scored in a year (national team): 12 goals
Spain
- Most away goals scored in La Liga history: 100 goals
- Most goals scored in La Liga in a season: 50 goals
- Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 hat-tricks
- Most goals scored in the Supercopa de España: 10 goals
- Most consecutive La Liga matches scored in: 21 matches (33 goals)
- Most goals scored in El Clásico matches: 18 goals
Barcelona
- Top scorer in official competitions: 324 goals
- Top scorer in La Liga: 223 goals
- Top scorer in UEFA Champions League: 62 goals
- Top scorer in European competitions: 63 goals
- Top scorer in international competitions: 67 goals
- Most hat-tricks in official competitions: 24 hat-tricks
- Most hat-tricks in La Liga: 17 hat-tricks
SKILL
