Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He won five FIFA Ballon d'Or awards, four of which he won consecutively, and the first to win three European Golden Shoes.
Messi is famous for a footballer. He is one of the greatest players of all time. He has a record five Ballon d'Or awards, four which he won consecutively, and a record six European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey. He won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which he won the Golden Ball and the 2015 and 2016 Copas America. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. He was also ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019. He was included in Lionel Scaloni's final 23-man Argentina squad for the 2019 Copa America on 21 May 2019.
Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. He holds Argentine nationality and belongs to Mixed (Italian, Spanish, Catalan, and Argentine) ethnicity. At the age of five, he joined a local club called Grandoli coached by her father. At the age of six, he joined the Rosario Club. He was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at the age of eleven. None of the local clubs helped Messi for his medical treatment. Barcelona's sporting director Carles Rexach offered a medical aid for his medical treatment in case if they moved to Spain. Later, he joined Barcelona's youth academy.
Messi was born to a father named Jorge Messi and a mother named Celia Cuccittini. He has Italian and Spanish ancestry. His father is a steel factory manager, whereas his mother worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. He has three siblings.
Messi height of 5 feet 7 inches (1.70m) and body weight of 67 kg. He has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.
Messi is a married man. He married his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo. The couple has known each other since childhood. He is the cousin of his best friend Lucas Scaglia, who is also a football player. They have been dating since 2007. The couple got married on June 30, 2017. The couple has been blessed with two sons, Thiago and Mateo.
Messi estimated net worth of $340 million and his annual salary of $ 44.68. He also earns a good amount of $40 million every year from endorsements. He is the highest paid football player in the world.
Messi has won five Ballon d'Or. He has also received the Golden Ball Award for leading his Argentinian national team to the 2014 World Cup CHampionship game. He was honored with the European Golden Shoe thrice in 2010, 2011, and 2012. He was part of the Argentine football national team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.