Lionel Messi is a wonder to behold. As a professional footballer, he has wowed his fans all around the world, and he still does as part of his club Barcelona and his international team Argentina. Here, we would be taking a comprehensive look at some Lionel Messi facts, his career, his childhood, and other aspects of his life.
Lionel Messi – The Man, The Legend.
Let us no dive deep into the world of a footballer whose skills and prowess are unmatched, to say the least,
Who is Lionel Messi?
Lionel Andres Messi is an Argentine pro-footballer who plays for the national team Argentina and club football with FC Barcelona. He is the captain of both the club and the national team. He is considered to be one of the best players in the world and the greatest of all time as well. Lionel Messi’s awards include 6 Ballon d’Or awards which is a record, 6 European Golden Shoes and he was also part of the Ballon d’Or dream team of 2020.
Lionel Messi is the leading goal-scorer all-time and sits on the top of the total number of goals scored in international games. Even though his style of play was that of a diminutive dribbler, he started getting comparisons with the legendary Diego Maradona.
Messi is a creative goal-scorer and his style of play is aggressive and defensive at the same time. He has been with his current club for over 18 years now and has made appearances in the Barcelona B&C teams along with the main side, and has scored 543 goals combined since his inception with the club.
Lionel Messi Childhood & Early Life
Messi was born in Rosario in 1987 and was the third child in the family. His father was a steel factory manager and his mother worked in a magnet manufacturers company. His descent is that of Italian and Spanish and he hails from the immigrants of the Adriatic Marche region belonging to Italy and Catalonia.
The whole family consisted of avid football followers and Messi developed a passion for the game from quite an early age. He played with the club of Rosario when he was 6, and scored 500 goals even then. His future as a pro-footballer came in jeopardy when he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.
Since the family had relatives in Catalonia, they wanted Lionel to try out for Barcelona in 2000, he was only 13 at the time. The board of directors hesitated to bring in such a young player into the national club plus he was an immigrant. After a lot of discussions, he was included in the club, finished his treatment for the growth hormone deficiency, and started focusing on his career in the club.
Lionel Messi Club Career
Lionel Messi’s Club Career included his rise in the team from 2003-04 when he progressed through the ranks. He was named player of the tournament for the Juveniles B team, which enabled him to get promoted to the Juveniles A team. Messi scored 18 goals in 11 games and gained the spotlight as one of the key young players in the club.
Messi made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 16 when he was included in the 75th minute of the game in a friendly match against Porto. His performance was impressive and he was included in Barcelona’s B side and managed to befriend the legend Ronaldinho as well.
In 2005, Lionel signed his first contract as a senior player until 2010 and he provided impressive performances for his team as part of his tenure. At the age of 19, Messi made a name for himself as one of the best players in the 2006-07 campaign. Messi soon eclipsed Ronaldinho by becoming the club’s star player owing to the latter’s retirement from professional football. He was nicknamed the Messiah in the football world and he even replicated Maradona’s famous goal by taking the ball from 66 yards and cruising it through the goalpost. It was considered as the Goal of the Century. As part of Barcelona’s senior club team, he scored 467 goals in 511 appearances.
Lionel Messi National Team Career
Since Lionel is an Argentine-Spanish national, he was eligible for both national teams. Although Spain tried to pursue him to take him in their national team, he had already set his sights on playing for Argentina. He made his debut with the national team at the age of 17 and he played against Paraguay and scored a goal for the team’s 8-0 victory.
Messi made his debut for the senior team at the age of 18 when he was substituted in the 63rd minute in the national team’s game against Hungary. He was the youngest player on the national team to represent his country in the World Cup. He scored a goal against Ivory Coast in their 6-0 victory and became the youngest goal-scorer in the World Cup history.
Messi was also part of the national team in the Beijing Olympics of 2008 where they became gold medallists post their victory against Nigeria in the finals. He was part of numerous World Cups but the dream still eludes him as he is yet to win the cup for the team.
Messi Highlights, Achievements & Awards
Lionel Messi’s awards are just endless since he has accomplished so much for the club, for the national team, for his fans, and himself. He was won the Ballon d’Or, one of the most prestigious awards given to footballers six times and it is the most by any individual football player. He has a club record of 34 trophies with Barcelona which includes ten La Liga titles, six Copa Del Ray titles, and four UEFA Champions League trophies.
Messi has scored 467 goals in La Liga which is the most by any player, he has 36 hattricks to his name in La Liga which is again the most by any player in the world. Plus, he has scored 8 hattricks in the UEFA Champions League as well, again the most by any player.
He has won the 2005 FIFA Youth Championship award, finishing the games with the Golden Boot and the Golden Shoe awards. He won an Olympic Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Personal Life & Legacy
Lionel Messi was in a relationship with Antonella Roccuzzo and he had known her since he was five. The couple got married and have three sons, Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro. Lionel enjoys a close relationship with his family, mainly his mother. His professional affairs are mainly run by his family members only. He has maintained a close bond with his hometown Rosario and has kept ownership of his family home even though it has stayed empty for so many years.
Lionel is also involved with multiple charity trusts and foundations. He has contributed much of his earnings to UNICEF and also served as their goodwill ambassador for some time. He also runs the Leo Messi Foundation that focuses on providing health care, education, and sports facilities for children. Messi was even awarded research grants, medical training and invested his money in medical centers, in Argentina and Spain.
He has also invested in training young footballers in Argentina and even supports a football club named Sarmiento which is based in his hometown.
Conclusion
Lionel Messi is a great football player and a better human being at all counts. He has given everything to the sport, gained awards, experience and fans because of the sport. He has a wonderful family that he takes care of, and a legacy that will benefit many people in his hometown and around the world. All in all, he is a gem of a person and the world is grateful that this star still shines brightly in our midst.
