Lionel Messi Biography, Age, Birthday, Height, Stats, Records, Net Worth, Diet

Lionel Messi Biography – Early Life

Growing up in Rosario, Messi’s passion for football was obvious even as a little boy. His grandmother, Celia first  took him to a first football game at his early age of 4. Imagine a tiny boy, full of energy, running around the field at his local club, Grandoli, in 1992. But life threw a challenge his way. At just 10, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, and his parents struggled to afford his treatment. Yet, Messi never gave up. His determination was remarkable.

In 2000, when he was 13, his family took a leap of faith and moved to Spain so Messi could join FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia. It was there that his real journey began. By 16, in 2003, he was playing his first game for Barcelona’s senior team. In 2005, he made his international debut for Argentina.It’s amazing how far he’s come from that little boy in Rosario!

Football Career

Player Profile & Football Debut

Criteria	Details
Position of Playing	Forward (Right Wing, False 9, Attacking Midfielder)
Football Playing Style	Playmaker, Dribbler, Finisher, Set-Piece Specialist
Jersey Number	10 (Barcelona, Argentina), 30 (Paris Saint-Germain), 10 (Inter Miami)
Coach/Mentor	Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde, Ronald Koeman, Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona); Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier (PSG); Gerardo Martino (Inter Miami)
Debut in National Level	2003 – Barcelona C (Third Division, Spain)
Debut in Club Level	2004 – Barcelona (La Liga, Spain, Match: Espanyol vs. Barcelona)
Debut in International Level	2005 – Argentina (Friendly Match: Argentina vs. Hungary)

Team Information

Years	Club/Team Name	National/Club Level or International Level
2000-2001	FC Barcelona C	Club (Spain)
2001-2004	FC Barcelona B	Club (Spain)
2004-2021	FC Barcelona	Club (Spain)
2005-2024	Argentina National Team	International (Argentina)
2021-2023	Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)	Club (France)
2023-2024	Inter Miami CF	Club (USA)

Youth Football Stats

Match Name	Team Name	Period	Total Matches Played	Attempts for Goals	Actual Goals	Assists
Youth League	Newell’s Old Boys	1994-1999	176	400	234	80
Youth Friendly Matches	Newell’s Old Boys	1994-1999	60	140	90	20
Youth Regional Tournaments	Newell’s Old Boys	1994-1999	50	120	80	15
Barcelona Youth Academy (La Masia)	FC Barcelona U16	2000-2001	30	70	40	12
Barcelona Youth Academy (La Masia)	FC Barcelona U19	2001-2003	70	160	85	30
Youth National Competitions	Argentina U17	2002	3	7	2	1
Youth International Competitions	Argentina U17	2002	5	15	9	2
Total	–	1994-2003	394	912	540	160

Senior & International Football Stats

Match Name	Team Name	Period	Total Matches Played	Attempts for Goals	Actual Goals	Assists
La Liga	FC Barcelona	2004-2021	520	1,580	474	192
UEFA Champions League	FC Barcelona	2004-2021	149	410	120	45
Copa del Rey	FC Barcelona	2004-2021	80	220	56	28
Supercopa de España	FC Barcelona	2004-2021	20	58	14	5
FIFA Club World Cup	FC Barcelona	2006-2015	5	12	5	2
UEFA Super Cup	FC Barcelona	2009-2015	4	9	3	2
Ligue 1	Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)	2021-2023	58	178	22	20
UEFA Champions League	Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)	2021-2023	14	35	9	6
Coupe de France	Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)	2021-2023	3	5	1	1
Trophée des Champions	Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)	2021-2023	1	0	0	0
Major League Soccer (MLS)	Inter Miami CF	2023-2024	30	65	20	10
Leagues Cup	Inter Miami CF	2023-2024	10	20	8	3
US Open Cup	Inter Miami CF	2023-2024	5	12	5	2
FIFA World Cup	Argentina National Team	2006-2022	26	78	13	8
Copa América	Argentina National Team	2007-2024	35	95	13	17
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers	Argentina National Team	2005-2024	60	180	28	18
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions	Argentina National Team	2022	1	2	1	0
Olympic Games (U23)	Argentina U23	2008	5	15	2	1
FIFA U-20 World Cup	Argentina U20	2005	7	20	6	3
Friendly Matches	Argentina National Team	2005-2024	61	187	54	10
Total	–	2004-2024	1,276	3,721	962	413

Lionel Messi Records

Domestic/Club League Records
Year	Match Name	Played Against Team	Description of the Records
2007	La Liga	Real Madrid	Youngest player to score in El Clásico at age 19.
2009	UEFA Champions League Final	Manchester United	Scored a header in the final, securing Barcelona’s treble (La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Champions League).
2012	La Liga	Real Betis	Set the record for most goals in a calendar year (91 goals).
2014	La Liga	Sevilla	Broke the all-time La Liga goal-scoring record with 253 goals.
2015	UEFA Super Cup	Sevilla	Became the all-time top scorer in UEFA Super Cup with 3 goals.
2017	La Liga	Real Madrid	Scored his 500th goal for Barcelona in all competitions.
2018	La Liga	Deportivo Alavés	First player to score in 15 consecutive La Liga seasons.
2020	La Liga	Atlético Madrid	Scored his 700th career goal.
2021	Copa del Rey	Athletic Bilbao	Won a record 7th Copa del Rey title with Barcelona.
2022	Ligue 1	Nantes	Scored his 1st goal in Ligue 1 for PSG, becoming one of the few to score in Europe’s top three leagues.
2023	Leagues Cup	Nashville SC	Led Inter Miami to their first-ever Leagues Cup victory, scoring in the final.
International Records
Year	Match Name	Played Against Team	Description of the Records
2006	FIFA World Cup	Serbia & Montenegro	Youngest Argentine to score in a FIFA World Cup at age 18.
2012	Friendly Match	Brazil	Scored his first international hat-trick in a 4-3 victory.
2014	FIFA World Cup	Iran	Scored a last-minute winning goal, helping Argentina advance to the knockout stage.
2016	Copa América Centenario	USA	Became Argentina’s all-time top scorer, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta’s record.
2021	Copa América	Brazil	Won his first major international trophy, also named the tournament’s best player with 4 goals and 5 assists.
2022	FIFA World Cup	France	Scored twice in the final, leading Argentina to World Cup victory and winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
2023	Friendly Match	Panama	Scored his 100th international goal for Argentina.
2024	Copa América	Chile	Became the player with the most appearances in Copa América history.

Awards/Honours/Top Achievements

Year	Award/Honour/Top Achievement	Description
2005	FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball & Golden Shoe	Best player and top scorer of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
2006	Copa del Rey Winner	Helped FC Barcelona win the Copa del Rey.
2009	FIFA World Player of the Year	Named the best player in the world by FIFA.
2009	Ballon d’Or	Won his first Ballon d’Or as the best player in the world.
2009	UEFA Champions League Winner	Led FC Barcelona to win the UEFA Champions League, securing a historic treble.
2010	FIFA Ballon d’Or	Awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or, combining the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.
2011	UEFA Best Player in Europe	Named the best player in Europe by UEFA.
2012	FIFA Ballon d’Or	Won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the third consecutive year.
2012	Guinness World Record	Set a Guinness World Record for most goals in a calendar year (91 goals).
2013	FIFA Ballon d’Or	Won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the fourth consecutive year.
2015	FIFA Ballon d’Or	Won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the fifth time.
2015	UEFA Champions League Winner	Won the UEFA Champions League with FC Barcelona for the fourth time.
2016	FIFA Ballon d’Or Runner-up	Finished second in the FIFA Ballon d’Or voting.
2019	FIFA Best Men’s Player	Awarded the FIFA Best Men’s Player.
2019	Ballon d’Or	Won his sixth Ballon d’Or, setting a record for the most Ballon d’Or wins.
2021	Copa América Winner	Won his first Copa América with Argentina, also named Best Player of the Tournament.
2021	Ballon d’Or	Won his seventh Ballon d’Or, the most in history.
2022	FIFA World Cup Winner	Led Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
2022	Laureus World Sportsman of the Year	Awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for the first time.
2023	Best FIFA Men’s Player	Named the Best FIFA Men’s Player for his performances in 2022.
2023	CONMEBOL Copa América Winner	Won the Copa América with Argentina again, making him a two-time winner.
2023	Leagues Cup Winner	Led Inter Miami to their first-ever Leagues Cup victory.
2024	Copa América All-Time Appearance Record	Became the player with the most appearances in Copa América history.

Personal & Family Details

Detail	Information
Full Name	Lionel Andrés Messi
Nickname	Leo, La Pulga (The Flea)
Profession	Professional Footballer
Famous for	Considered one of the greatest footballers of all time
Birthday	24-Jun-87
Age as of 2024	37 years
Birth Place	Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Hometown	Rosario, Argentina
Address	Bellamar, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
Nationality	Argentine
Religion	Roman Catholic
Zodiac Sign	Cancer
Father	Jorge Messi
Mother	Celia María Cuccittini
Brother	Rodrigo Messi, Matías Messi
Sister	María Sol Messi
Marital Status	Married
Wife/Spouse	Antonela Roccuzzo
Son	Thiago Messi, Mateo Messi, Ciro Messi
Daughter	None
Relationship/Girlfriend Name	Antonela Roccuzzo
Educational Qualification	High School Graduate
School Name	Las Heras, Rosario
College Name	Did not attend college
Net Worth/Earnings	$600 million (approx.)
Passion	Football
Hobbies	Playing video games, spending time with family, watching movies
Food Habits/Diet Chart	Mostly vegetarian, includes a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, and chicken
Fitness Schedule	Regular strength and conditioning training, focusing on flexibility, agility, and endurance
Likes	Family time, mate (traditional Argentine tea), Argentine barbecue
Dislikes	Media attention, criticism
Instagram ID	@leomessi
Facebook ID	@LeoMessi
Twitter ID	Does not have an official Twitter account

Body Measurements/Physical Stats

Measurement	Details
Height	170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lbs)
Chest	40 inches
Waist	32 inches
Biceps	12 inches
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Hair Color	Dark Brown

Lionel Messi – Favorites

Category	Favorite
Movies	“Gladiator”, “The Shawshank Redemption”
Songs	“Yo te amo” by Sandro, Argentine folk music
Music	Latin American music, especially Cumbia and Reggaeton
Actor	Russell Crowe
Actress	Julia Roberts
Footballer	Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho, Andrés Iniesta
Cricketer	Sachin Tendulkar
Food	Milanesa (Argentine dish), Empanadas
Perfume	Paco Rabanne, Dolce & Gabbana
Car/Car Owned	Ferrari F430, Audi R8, Maserati GranTurismo, Range Rover
Bike/Bike Owned	Not known to own any motorcycles

Lionel Messi – Controversies

Year	Controversy	Description
2013	Tax Evasion Case	Accused of tax evasion alongside his father, later convicted in 2016 and fined €2 million.
2019	Copa América Remarks	Criticized CONMEBOL after Argentina’s Copa América loss, suggesting the tournament was rigged.
2020	FC Barcelona Exit Saga	Public fallout with FC Barcelona, leading to his request to leave the club.
2021	COVID-19 Protocol Violation	Accused of breaking COVID-19 protocols during a vacation in Rosario, Argentina.
2024	Alleged Misconduct in Inter Miami	Rumors of misconduct and clashes with teammates, though unverified and later dismissed.

Comparison with Other Distinct Players

Comparison Aspect	Lionel Messi	Pele	Diego Maradona	Cristiano Ronaldo	Neymar Jr.	Kylian Mbappé
Goals Scored (Club Level)	819 goals (as of Aug 13, 2024)	643 goals (Santos FC)	259 goals (career total)	870 goals (as of Aug 13, 2024)	398 goals (as of Aug 13, 2024)	245 goals (as of Aug 13, 2024)
World Cup Wins	1 (2022)	3 (1958, 1962, 1970)	1 (1986)	0	0	1 (2018)
Ballon d’Or Titles	7	0	1 (1986)	5	0	0
Assists (Club Level)	358 assists (as of Aug 13, 2024)	Not officially recorded	166 assists (career total)	223 assists (as of Aug 13, 2024)	221 assists (as of Aug 13, 2024)	111 assists (as of Aug 13, 2024)
Playing Style	Playmaker, Dribbler, Visionary	Clinical Finisher, Playmaker, Athletic	Playmaker, Dribbler, Visionary	Versatile, Powerful, Aerial Threat	Flair, Skillful, Creative	Speedster, Finisher, Athletic
International Goals	103 goals (Argentina, as of Aug 13, 2024)	77 goals (Brazil)	34 goals (Argentina)	123 goals (Portugal, as of Aug 13, 2024)	79 goals (Brazil, as of Aug 13, 2024)	46 goals (France, as of Aug 13, 2024)

Unknown/Lesser-Known Facts

• Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at the age of 11, which nearly ended his football career.
• Messi’s paternal family is of Italian descent; his ancestors emigrated from the Italian city of Ancona to Argentina.
• Messi idolized Pablo Aimar, an Argentine footballer, during his childhood.
• Messi’s first contract with FC Barcelona was written on a napkin due to the urgency to secure his signing.
• He played for a local club called Grandoli, coached by his father, before joining Newell’s Old Boys.
• Messi holds dual citizenship: Argentine and Spanish, having obtained Spanish nationality in 2005.
• Messi is known for being a dedicated family man, often sharing moments with his wife and children on social media.
• He founded the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007, focusing on access to education and health care for vulnerable children.
• Messi has several tattoos, including one of his mother’s face on his left shoulder.
• In 2010, Messi was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, contributing to various campaigns and initiatives.
• Messi is a devout Roman Catholic, and he visited the Pope at the Vatican in 2013.
• Messi switched to a primarily plant-based diet in the later stages of his career to improve his performance and recovery.
• Messi owns a luxurious home in Castelldefels, Barcelona, known for its eco-friendly design and football-themed interior.
• Despite his wealth, Messi is known for living a relatively modest lifestyle compared to many other football stars.
• Messi holds the record for the most goals in a calendar year, scoring 91 goals in 2012.
• Messi became the first player to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball twice (2014, 2022).
• Although Messi has lived in Spain for many years, his Spanish still has a strong Argentine accent.
• Messi did not pursue higher education; he dedicated his life entirely to football from a young age.
• Messi is one of the most followed athletes on Instagram, with over 500 million followers as of 2024.
• Messi enjoys listening to a variety of music genres, with cumbia and reggaeton being among his favorites.
• Messi’s first international goal came against Croatia in a friendly match in 2006.
• Messi married his childhood sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo, in a lavish ceremony in their hometown of Rosario in 2017.
• Messi owns a massive Dogue de Bordeaux named Hulk, who often appears in family photos.
• Messi has a few pre-game rituals, including putting his right foot on the field first and always kissing the ball.

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