In 2022 he helped Argentina win the Fdration Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)'s World Cup. 2023 Cable News Network. [167] Messi again placed second in the FIFA Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, largely owing to his second-place achievement with Argentina at the World Cup. [446] With his two assists in his team's second round fixture, Messi became the first player to provide an assist in the last four World Cups, and also became the first player to provide two assists in a match for Argentina since Maradona had managed the same feat against South Korea in 1986. [545] Despite having lived in Spain since age 13, Messi rejected the option of representing Spain internationally. [134] A double scored on 9 December against Real Betis saw Messi break two longstanding records: he surpassed Csar Rodrguez's record of 190 league goals, becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga, and Gerd Mller's record of most goals scored in a calendar year, overtaking his 85 goals scored in 1972 for Bayern Munich and West Germany. ", Gabriel Batistuta on the consolation of Messi breaking his record. [331][332] He made his return against on 23 January in the league against Reims where he came on as a substitute in the second half and assisted PSG's third goal in a 40 home victory. [500][508][512] Widely considered to be the best dribbler in the world,[513] and one of the greatest dribblers of all time,[514] with regard to this ability, his former Argentina manager Diego Maradona has said of him, "The ball stays glued to his foot; I've seen great players in my career, but I've never seen anyone with Messi's ball control. [302], On 23 December, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona against Real Valladolid in La Liga, surpassing Pel with Santos as the player with the most goals scored for a single club. Teammate . Posts. After the match, Pkerman described him as "a jewel". "[54] After he had scored 8 goals in 25 games, including his first in the Champions League,[55] in a 50 win over Panathinaikos on 2 November 2005,[56] his season ended prematurely during the return leg against Chelsea on 7 March 2006, when he suffered a torn hamstring. He scored two goals during a thrilling 3-3 draw with France in the final and also netted his penalty in the resulting shootout. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lionel-Messi, Lionel Messi - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Lionel Messi - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Alaba abused, Croatia coach critical following FIFA awards, Messi wins FIFA's best men's player award again, Argentina after winning the 2022 World Cup. [217] His memorable celebration saw him taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans with his name and number facing the crowd. With his second goal, he broke Gerd Mller's record of 30 plus goals in 12 consecutive club seasons, setting a new record of 13. [487] After Argentina's eventual two-goal lead was erased by France forward Kylian Mbapp, who scored twice inside two minutes, Messi would score again in extra-time to restore Argentina's lead, before Mbapp again drew France level. National; FIFA World Cup; Olympics; Euro 2020; CONMEBOL Copa America; Gold Cup; AFC Asian Cup; CAF Africa Cup of Nations; FIFA Confederations Cup; FIFA U20 World Cup Messi is in some ways the antithesis of his predecessor: where Maradona was an extroverted, controversial character who rose to greatness from the slums, Messi is reserved and unassuming, an unremarkable man outside of football. Even the team's starting centre-backs were nervous. [211], Messi finished the year with 51 goals, making him Europe's top scorer, one ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovi. [226], On 18 October, in his 122nd European club appearance, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and his 100th in all UEFA club competitions, in a 31 home victory over Olympiacos. Messi's absence from the national team and his continued failure to win a title with Argentina prompted speculation in the media that Messi might retire from international football once again. [450] A conversation with Lionel Scaloni and his idol Pablo Aimar made Messi reconsider his decision to retire. Follow Us. He is the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands national team. [615] His favourite meals include asado (traditional South American barbecue), milanesa and pasta, and he prefers his mate unsweetened. Cruyff himself was "very happy" with the play, insisting "it was legal and entertaining". [489] The championship game was widely acclaimed as one of the best of all time, with media coverage heavily framing it as a duel between Messi and Mbapp. [263] On 2 September, Messi was shortlisted as one of the three finalists for both the 2019 FIFA Pusks Award and the 2019 Best FIFA Men's Player Award, with Messi winning the latter on 23 September. Argentina's World Cup win over France was magnificent", "Lionel Messi cements his place among the greats after winning epic duel against Kylian Mbapp", "Lionel Messi to continue playing for Argentina after World Cup final victory", "The Golden Yell: Ronaldo and Messi Battle to Define a Football Era", "Five Reasons Why Messi Stands out in Soccer World", "Messi, The Atomic Flea who became the best in the world", "Arsenal v Barcelona: Lionel Messi Making Case for World's Greatest Ever Player", "Controllo, Corsa, Tocco di Palla: Perch nel Calcio Piccolo Bello", "Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, goals, records, highlights, Juventus, hat trick, statistics, best stats, age, break down", "As Lionel Messi turns 32, a fan ruminates on the ambivalent legacy of the football wizard", "Lionel Messi steals the show for Barcelona at Dundee United", "Six Reasons Why Lionel Messi Is the World's Best", "Most goals via free-kicks in football history", "Lionel Messi becomes top free-kick scorer among active players", "The art of the chip: Falcao matches Totti, Messi and Raul", "Here's what makes Lionel Messi so impossible to defend", "Lionel Messi: the genius who operates to a different set of physical rules", "How Luis Suarez moved Lionel Messi onto Barcelona's wing and became the best centre-forward on the planet", "Barcelona's improvement under Ernesto Valverde examined", "Barcelona top-scorer Lionel Messi explains how has role has developed under Valverde", "Dembele is going nowhere: Five things learned from Barcelona's Super Cup win v Sevilla", "Valverde returns Messi to the False 9 role", "3 ways Barcelona could line up with Coutinho", "Dissected: How the new Barcelona play and why there's hope for Chelsea", "FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.2, Lionel Messi", "Lionel Messi misses out on World's best Playmaker 2018 title, finishes second to Real Madrid star", "How Messi went from injury-prone teenager to bionic man", "Argentina's great tactical dilemma: where should Lionel Messi play? [430][431] On 5 May, Messi's four match ban as well as his 10,000 CHF fine was lifted by FIFA after Argentina Football Association appealed against his suspension, which meant he could now play Argentina's remaining World Cup Qualifiers. Lionel Andrs Messi [note 1] ( Spanish pronunciation: [ljonel andes mesi] ( listen); born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. [632] A deal brokered by Uruguay's president Luis Lacalle Pou, the plan to prioritise football players caused some controversy given widespread vaccine scarcity in the region, with the Mayor of Canelones in Uruguay remarking that "Just as the president manifested cooperation with CONMEBOL to vaccinate for the Copa Amrica, he could just as well have the same consideration for Canelones". [27][51][52] He was in the starting line-up in major matches like his first Clsico against rivals Real Madrid on 19 November, as well as Barcelona's away victory over Chelsea in the last 16 round of the Champions League,[53][51] which came on back of an intense period of rivalry between the clubs leading a resentful Messi to state, "We would rather play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea. [497][498][499] Despite being physically unimposing, he possesses significant upper-body strength, which, combined with his low centre of gravity and resulting balance, aids him in withstanding physical challenges from opponents; he has consequently been noted for his lack of diving in a sport rife with playacting. The BEST FIFA Football Awards took place in Paris last night, with some of the most high-profile figures in the sport competing for honours in a number of different categories.Lionel Messi was . [233] His opening goal, which came after only two minutes and eight seconds, was also the fastest of his career, as Barcelona advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition for the eleventh consecutive season. Lionel Messi and Alexia Putellas were crowned the best players in mens and womens football at FIFAs annual awards ceremony in Paris on Monday. Messi has endorsed sportswear company Adidas since 2006. [131] He finished the season as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for a second time, with 50 goals, a La Liga record, while his 73 goals in all competitions surpassed Gerd Mller's 67 goals in the 197273 Bundesliga season, making him the single-season top scorer in the history of European club football. [47] According to then-president Joan Laporta, it was the only time the club faced a real risk of losing Messi, but he ultimately decided to stay. The two greatest players on the planet right now and arguably of all time Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are far and away the best paid footballers, each taking home more . ", "Lionel Messi, Manchester United and Arsenal: The 10 Most Tweeted Sporting Moments of 2015", "Messi's Goal vs. Bayern Voted Europe's Best in 201415", "Barcelona Overwhelms Juventus to Win Fifth Champions League Title", "UEFA Champions League 201415: Statistics", "The Ultimate Record-Breaking Preview to the UEFA Champions League Final", "Messi Beats Ronaldo for 201415 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award", "Lionel Messi Says Free Kick Goals in UEFA Super Cup Were 'Lucky', "Florenzi's goal vs. Barca one for the ages", "Lionel Messi: Club World Cup triumph proves Barcelona are 'best in the world', "FC Barcelona claim 40 victory over Betis and top spot to end 2015", "Lionel Messi wins 2015 Ballon d'Or ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar", "Lionel Messi's 500th goal shows off scintillating skill", "Barcelona penalty: Was it disrespectful or a touch of genius? [399][400] During the opening match against Paraguay, they were ahead two goals by half-time but lost their lead to end the match in a 22 draw; Messi had scored from a penalty kick, netting his only goal in the tournament. [403] Argentina started the final as the odds-on title favourites, but were defeated by Chile 41 in a penalty shootout after a 00 extra-time draw. It was Mbapp. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He became a free agent in 2021, and financial issuessome of which were the result of La Liga ruleslargely prevented him from re-signing with Barcelona. We provide exclusive analysis and live match performance reports of soccer players and teams, from a database of over 225.000 players, 14.000 teams, playing a total of more then 520.000 matches. He helped save them from the relegation zone of the Tercera Divisin, scoring five goals in ten games, including a hat-trick in eight minutes during a Copa del Rey match while man-marked by Sevilla's Sergio Ramos. Lionel Messi started playing football as a boy and was noticed by clubs on both sides of the Atlantic. Faced with aggression from opposing players, including taking a boot to the midriff, Messi played below his standards, though he was the only Argentine to successfully convert his penalty. [384][385] In a further redesign of the team, Sabella dismissed Tevez and brought in players with whom Messi had won the World Youth Championship and Olympic Games. [21] Under the stewardship of Luis Enrique, Messi initially returned to playing in the right-sided position that characterised much of his early career in the manager's 433 formation,[171][515] while he was increasingly deployed in a deeper, free playmaking role in later seasons. Lionel Messi with FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. [192] On 30 December, Messi scored on his 500th appearance for Barcelona, in a 40 home win over Real Betis. During the six years he played for Newell's, he scored almost 500 goals as a member of "The Machine of '87", the near-unbeatable youth side named for the year of their birth, and regularly entertained crowds by performing ball tricks during half-time of the first team's home games. ", Barcelona president Joan Laporta explains the reason behind Messi's departure. It was pure, Oleksy said about his goal. [460] Messi later issued an apology for his comments, but was fined $1,500 and was handed a one-match ban by CONMEBOL, which ruled him out of Argentina's next World Cup qualifier. [61][80] Despite his injuries early in the year, his performances in 2008 saw him again voted runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Name Nat. [154][155] Despite his injuries, he was voted runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, relinquishing the award after a four-year monopoly to Cristiano Ronaldo. [467] A week later, he broke the record for most appearances in an Argentina shirt when he featured in a 41 win against Bolivia in his team's final group match, assisting Papu Gmez's opening goal and later scoring two. [39][49], Due to issues regarding his legal status in the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Messi missed the start of La Liga, but on 26 September, he acquired Spanish citizenship and became eligible to play. [560], According to France Football, Messi was the world's highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014; he was the first player to exceed the 40million benchmark, with earnings of 41million in 2013, and the 5060million points, with income of 65million in 2014. [574][575] From 2010 onwards, concurrently with his increased achievements as a player, his marketing appeal widened, leading to long-term endorsement deals with luxury brands Dolce & Gabbana and Audemars Piguet. [566], In addition to his salary and bonuses, much of his income derives from endorsements; SportsPro has consequently cited him as one of the world's most marketable athletes every year since their research began in 2010. That same year he also broke the career scoring records for play in both the Champions League (with 72 goals) and La Liga (with 253 goals). [611], Since leaving for Spain aged 13, Messi has maintained close ties to his hometown of Rosario, even preserving his distinct Rosarino accent. In 2005 he was granted Spanish citizenship, an honour greeted with mixed feelings by the fiercely Catalan supporters of Barcelona. ", Messi reversing his decision from retiring on 12 August 2016[426], Just a week after Messi announced his international retirement, Argentine newspaper La Nacin reported that he was reconsidering playing for Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September. [97] Although Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Inter Milan, Messi finished the season as top scorer (with 8 goals) for the second consecutive year. Of those 46 goals, only four came from the spot, with the other 42 came from open play. [328] Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar year and helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa Amrica, Messi received a record seventh Ballon d'Or on 29 November. [276] On 30 June, he scored a panenka in a 22 home draw against Atltico Madrid in La Liga, to reach his 700th goal in his senior career for Barcelona and Argentina. ", In an interview with Barcelona's official magazine, Javier Mascherano outlines Messi's importance to the team. [567] His main sponsor since 2006 is the sportswear company Adidas. [417] He stated, "I tried my hardest. In case the required facilities are not available within the country, the same are managed abroad to cater health requirements of the secured persons. The sportswear company Adidas 567 ] his main sponsor since 2006 is the all-time top scorer, one of. 'S top scorer for the Netherlands national team since 2006 is the all-time top scorer, ahead... 40 home win over Real Betis two goals during a thrilling 3-3 draw with France in resulting! National team helped Argentina win the Fdration Internationale de football Association ( )... Made Messi reconsider his decision to retire penalty in the resulting shootout penalty. Came from open play on 30 December, Messi rejected the option of representing Spain.! 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