Lionel Messi

Barcelona

As the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000, when Messi was 13. First-team director Carles Rexach immediately wanted to sign him, but the board of directors hesitated; at the time it was highly unusual for European clubs to sign foreign players of such a young age. On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, with no other paper at hand, wrote a contract on a paper napkin. In February 2001, Messi's family relocated to Barcelona, where they moved into an apartment near the club's stadium, Camp Nou.

During his first year in Spain, Messi rarely played with the Infantiles due to a transfer conflict with Newell's; as a foreigner, he could only be fielded in friendlies and the Catalan league. Without football, he struggled to integrate into the team. He was reserved by nature, and was so quiet that some of his teammates initially believed he was mute. At home, he suffered from homesickness after his mother moved back to Rosario with his brothers and younger sister, María Sol, while he stayed in Barcelona with his father.

After a year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, Messi was enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002. He could now play in all competitions, and he quickly befriended his teammates, including Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué. After completing his growth hormone therapy at age 14, Messi became an integral part of the "Baby Dream Team", which has been lauded as Barcelona's greatest-ever youth team. During his first full season (2002–03), he was the top scorer with 36 goals in 30 games for the Cadetes A, who won an unprecedented treble of the league, the Spanish cup, and the Copa Catalunya. In the Copa Catalunya final, their 4–1 victory over Espanyol came to be referred to in club lore as the partido de la máscara, the "final of the mask". A week after suffering a broken cheekbone during a league match, Messi was allowed to play on the condition that he wear a protective plastic mask. When the mask became a hindrance, Messi took it off and scored two goals within 10 minutes. At the end of the season, he received an offer to join the English football club Arsenal, but he chose to remain in Barcelona.

Messi continued to progress through his club's ranks at a rapid pace, debuting for four youth teams during the 2003–04 season. After being named player of the tournament in four separate international pre-season competitions with the Juvenil B, he played only one official match with the team before being promoted to the Juvenil A. In the Juvenil A he scored 18 goals in 11 league games. During the international break, Messi was one of several youth players called up to strengthen the depleted first team. Ludovic Giuly, one of Barcelona's wingers, described Messi's performance during a training session: "He destroyed us all... He would dribble past four players and score a goal. Even the team's starting centre-backs were nervous... He was an alien."

At 16 years old, Messi made his first-team debut when he came on in the 75th minute during a friendly against FC Porto on 16 November 2003. His performance impressed the technical staff, and he subsequently began training daily with the club's reserve team, Barcelona B, as well as weekly with the first team. After Messi's first training session with the senior squad, Barcelona's new star player Ronaldinho told his teammates that he believed the 16-year-old would become an even better player than himself. Ronaldinho called Messi "little brother", and his friendship greatly eased Messi's transition onto the first team.

To gain further match experience, Messi joined his club's third team, Barcelona C, in addition to the Juvenil A. He helped save the third team from the relegation zone of the Tercera División, scoring five goals in ten games, including a hat-trick in eight minutes during a Copa del Rey Juvenil match. His progress was reflected in his first professional contract, signed on 4 February 2004, which lasted until 2012 and contained an initial buyout clause of €30 million. A month later, he made his debut for Barcelona B in the Segunda División B, and his buyout clause automatically increased to €80 million. He played five games with the B team that season but did not score. He was physically weaker than his opponents, who were often much older and taller, and he worked on increasing his muscle mass and overall strength. Towards the end of the season, he returned to both youth teams, helping the Juvenil B win the league. He finished the campaign having scored goals for four of his five teams, with a total of 36 goals in all official competitions.

2008–2012: Success under Pep Guardiola

At the beginning of the 2008–09 season – his first under Barcelona's new manager, former captain Pep Guardiola – Messi was given the number 10 shirt. Over time, he effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola's strategy, increasing his goalscoring rate as a result. During that season, Messi scored 38 goals, and alongside Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry, contributed to a total of 100 goals in all competitions, a record at the time for the club. Messi played in his first final as Barcelona won the Copa del Rey. Barcelona also won the La Liga title and the Champions League, thus achieving the first treble in the history of Spanish football.

During the first half of the 2009–10 season, Barcelona won the Supercopa de España, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first club to achieve the sextuple. Messi finished as the Champions League top scorer, the youngest in the tournament's history. For his efforts in 2009, Messi won the Ballon d'Or, the FIFA World Player of the Year award and his first European Golden Shoe. He scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo's club record from the 1996–97 campaign. He signed a new 7-year contract with Barcelona through 2016.

During the 2010–11 season, Barcelona won the Supercopa de España, the Champions League, and a third consecutive La Liga title. Messi's club performances in 2010 earned him his second consecutive Ballon d'Or. He was the top scorer in the Champions League for the third consecutive year, and the league's top scorer and assist provider. He became Barcelona's all-time single-season top scorer with 53 goals. During the 2011–12 season, Barcelona won both the Spanish and European Super Cup trophies, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup. Messi won the Golden Ball for the second time and the Ballon d'Or for the third time, as well as the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. During 2012, Messi became the second player to be top scorer in four Champions League campaigns. He became the top goalscorer in Barcelona's history at age 24, overtaking César Rodríguez's 57-year record of 232 goals. He finished the season as the league top scorer in Spain for the second time with 50 goals, a La Liga record. His 73 goals in all competitions made him the single-season top scorer in the history of European club football excluding regional and local competitions. Barcelona won the Copa del Rey that season, their 14th trophy under Guardiola, who resigned after a four-year cycle of success.

2012–2014: Record-breaking year and Messidependencia

For the start of the 2012–13 season, Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by the start of 2013. A double scored against Real Betis saw Messi becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga, and surpassed Gerd Müller's record of most goals scored in a calendar year; Messi scored a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina throughout 2012. Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times. He signed a new contract committing himself to the club through 2018, and wore the captain's armband for the first time in a league match against Rayo Vallecano. The team won La Liga again that year, Messi's sixth, equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season. With 60 goals in all competitions, including 46 goals in La Liga, he finished the campaign as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times.

Messi's overall input into the team's attack had increased significantly. Whereas he contributed to 24% of the team's goals in their treble-winning campaign in 2008–09, this number rose to more than 40% by the end of the 2012–13 season. These statistics, as well as lopsided losses in the Champions League where Messi was unfit, gave credence to the notion of Messidependencia, Barcelona's perceived tactical and psychological dependence on their star player.

To offset the load on Messi, Barcelona signed Brazilian forward Neymar from Santos before the 2013–14 season. The team won the Supercopa de España at the beginning of the season. Messi finished the campaign with his worst output in five seasons, though he still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions. For the first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy.

2014–2017: Arrival of Luis Enrique and birth of MSN

Barcelona hired coach Luis Enrique before the 2014–15 season, and continued to aid Messi in the attack by signing Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez, who had won the European Golden Shoe with Liverpool the previous year. Luis Enrique's system featured quick transitions from defence to attack, led by the forwards Messi, Suárez and Neymar. The attacking trio, which colloquially became known as MSN, broke goalscoring records. With Messi in the right wing position, Suárez in the middle, and Neymar in the left wing position, the trio were able to create a "symbiotic" relationship in which Suárez was a relentless runner, Messi was at the centre of play orchestration, and Neymar was an explosive and creative threat.

A hat-trick by Messi against Sevilla in November 2014 made him the all-time top scorer in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra. After securing the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League that year, Messi helped Barcelona become the first club to win the continental treble twice. Messi recorded 58 goals during the season, while the MSN trio scored a total of 122 goals in all competitions, a record in Spanish football.

Messi opened the 2015–16 season by helping Barcelona defeat Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. He finished 2015 by winning the FIFA Club World Cup, defeating River Plate in the final and collecting his fifth club trophy of the calendar year. In January 2016, he won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for a record fifth time in his career, and he finished the season by winning both La Liga and the Copa del Rey again. Messi scored 41 goals during the season, while the MSN trio scored a total of 131 goals, breaking the record they had set the previous season.

The 2016–17 season ended with Barcelona winning the Supercopa de España and the Copa del Rey. Messi finished the season with 54 goals, while his 37 goals in La Liga saw him claim both the Pichichi and European Golden Shoe Awards for the fourth time in his career. MSN came to be regarded as one of the greatest attacking trios in the game, and ended with Neymar's August 2017 transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

2017–2021: Final years at Barcelona

Messi signed a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November 2017, keeping him with the club through 2021. The 2017–18 season saw Barcelona winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey once again. Messi again finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, with 34 goals, and won his fifth European Golden Shoe award. With the departure of captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team's new captain for the 2018–19 season. He lifted his first trophy as Barcelona's captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. He also helped Barcelona clinch the La Liga title. With 36 goals in 34 appearances that season, Messi won his sixth La Liga Golden Shoe trophy. He also captured his sixth European Golden Shoe award, setting a record for winning the award three seasons in a row.

Messi won his sixth Ballon d'Or, but the subsequent 2019–20 season saw Barcelona go trophyless for the first time since 2007–08. Following a disappointing season, Messi expressed to the club his desire to leave, but ultimately decided to fulfill the final year of his contract. In 2021, he led Barcelona to victory in the Copa del Rey. His last two seasons with Barcelona saw him lead La Liga in goal scoring, giving him a record-breaking total of eight Pichichi trophies. With 30 goals in the 2020–21 La Liga campaign and a triumph with Argentina at the 2021 Copa América, where he was jointly named Best Player and won the Golden Boot, Messi was awarded the 2021 Ballon d'Or.

Although Messi became a free agent after his contract expired, he expressed his intention to stay with Barcelona, even though the club was facing significant financial challenges due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following initial progress in contract negotiations, Messi intended to sign a new contract with a 50% salary cut, but Barcelona announced that they could not re-sign him, citing financial constraints and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations. On 8 August 2021, Messi held a tearful press conference at Camp Nou, confirming that he would leave the club.

Paris Saint-Germain

2021–2023: 7th Ballon d'Or and consecutive Ligue 1 titles

On 10 August 2021, two days after his farewell remarks to Barcelona, Messi joined the Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a two-year contract with an option for an extra year. He chose 30 as his squad number, which is the number he wore when he made his senior debut for Barcelona. He scored his first goal for the club in a Champions League group stage win over former manager Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Messi won his first Ligue 1 title, which was a recording-tying 10th league title for PSG. Overall, he had an underwhelming season, scoring 6 goals in the league.

Near the start of the 2022–23 season, Messi won his second trophy with PSG in the Trophée des Champions. A goal against Nice saw him surpass Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time highest goalscorer in European club football with 702 goals; during the match, he also achieved 1,000 career goal contributions (goals scored and assists served) at the club level. By the end of the Ligue 1 season, he had scored 16 goals and had the highest number of assists with 16, which helped PSG clinch their 11th Ligue 1 title and Messi's second in a row. Messi was awarded the Ligue 1 Best Foreign Player of the Season and was recognised as the season's best player in Europe, according to Opta data. At the end of the season, he departed PSG.

Inter Miami

2023–present: 8th Ballon d'Or, all-time assists record and MLS champion

On 15 July 2023, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami CF announced the signing of Messi on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Messi's pay set an MLS record, with his earnings from salary, signing bonus, and an equity stake in the club reportedly surpassing $50 million. According to Goal, Messi's arrival in the United States helped to raise the profile of MLS within the US and abroad. Inter Miami co-president Xavier Asensi said that for MLS "there is a before and after Messi. He has changed everything."

After Messi joined Inter Miami, the club's games began selling out. The frenzy over his arrival was dubbed "Messimania", and Inter Miami's No. 10 Messi jersey became the best-selling jersey in the league, and nearly the best-selling in the world. Messi was made the team captain of his new club, and began the 2023 season by scoring nine goals in his first six games. He led Inter Miami to their first-ever trophy as they defeated Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final. Miami missed the MLS playoffs, however, finishing second to last in the Eastern Conference. On 30 October 2023, following his World Cup win with Argentina and Ligue 1 trophy with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi was awarded a record eighth Ballon d'Or. He was also named Time Athlete of the Year, the first footballer ever to win the award.

During the 2024 season, Messi broke the record for the most assists in a single MLS game with five assists. On 2 October, he scored two goals in a 3–2 win over the Columbus Crew, clinching the Supporters' Shield award for Miami. In the final game of the season, Messi scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 6–2 victory. Miami finished the regular season with 74 points, an MLS league record, while Messi finished with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches, becoming the all-time top goalscorer for the young team. Miami made their first postseason appearance in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs but was eliminated in the first round. Messi was named the MLS Most Valuable Player for the season.

During the 2025 season, Messi became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 40 league goals. He ended the season by winning the MLS Golden Boot as the league's top scorer, with 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 games. On 23 October, he signed a contract extension with the club through 2028, by which time he would be 41 years old. During the Eastern Conference final against New York City FC in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, an assist from Messi put his career assists across all competitions at 405, surpassing Ferenc Puskás for the most career assists of all time. Messi led Miami to MLS Cup 2025, where they won 3–1 over the Vancouver Whitecaps to win the team's first league championship. Providing two assists during the match, Messi was named MLS Cup MVP. At the end of the season, Messi was again named MLS MVP, becoming the first player in league history to win the award in back-to-back years.

In March 2026 it was reported that Messi was earning between $70 and $80 million per year from Inter Miami from his compensation and equity rights. On 18 March 2026, Messi scored his 900th career goal during Inter Miami's 1–1 draw with Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. He became the second player to reach the mark in top-level men's football after Cristiano Ronaldo.

International career

As a citizen of both Argentina and Spain, Messi was eligible to play for both national teams. He began his international career in 2004 with Argentina's U20 team, and was subsequently included in the squad for the 2005 South American U-20 Championship, in which they finished third. Messi then led the team to victory in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He finished the tournament with six goals and two assists, and won the Golden Ball.

Messi made his debut with the senior national team in 2005, at age 18, and scored his first international goal in a 2006 friendly against Croatia. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he became the youngest player to represent and score for Argentina at the World Cup, where he scored in his debut match. Messi was named the best young player of the 2007 Copa América, during which he scored two goals and provided one assist. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Messi led Argentina's U23 team to claim the Olympic gold medal over Nigeria; he was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out player from the tournament's best team.

With the international retirement of Juan Román Riquelme in 2009, Messi was given Argentina's number 10 shirt. Argentina built their team around Messi ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2011 Copa América; Messi scored no goals during either tournament, as the team suffered quarter-final exits on both occasions. At 24 years old, Messi became captain of the national team, but over the next several years was unable to lead Argentina to a trophy. During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Argentina lost to Germany in the final, though Messi was awarded the Golden Ball. The following year, Argentina lost to Chile in the 2015 Copa América final; Messi was reportedly selected to receive the Golden Ball, but he rejected the honour. During a semi-final match against the United States during the 2016 Copa América Centenario, Messi became Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches. Argentina won the semi-final but lost again to Chile in the final.

Losing three finals in three consecutive years caused Messi to retire from international football, but a nationwide campaign in Argentina helped convince him to return to the national team to lead them to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Argentina were in jeopardy of missing the tournament on the last game of the qualifiers against Ecuador, but a hat-trick from Messi secured their entry. They went on to lose to France in the round of 16 during the World Cup, with Messi scoring one goal and making two assists in the tournament. The next year, Messi contributed one goal and one assist at the 2019 Copa América. Argentina finished the tournament in third place after defeating Chile, a victory which marked the start of a 36-game winning streak for the team that lasted for more than three years.

Messi led his team to the end of a 28-year trophy drought in the 2021 Copa América, during which he surpassed Javier Mascherano for most international appearances for Argentina. Messi's team defeated Brazil in the final, and he was named the player of the tournament, having either scored or assisted nine of Argentina's 12 goals. He led Argentina to another victory over Italy at the 2022 Finalissima, where he was named player of the match, providing two assists in the 3–0 win. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Messi led Argentina to their first World Cup victory in 36 years, scoring twice in the final to defeat France. Having scored seven goals and assisted three during the tournament, Messi again won the World Cup's Golden Ball, becoming the first player to win it twice.

In 2023, Messi became the third male player to reach 100 international goals. Later that year, he became the all-time top goalscorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers. In 2024, Argentina won the Copa América for a second consecutive time, with Messi setting a new record for most appearances at Copa América tournaments, with 39. Later that year, he became the all-time top assist-provider in men's international football. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he registered eight goals and four assists, overtaking Miroslav Klose and Marta to become the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer of any gender, before his record was surpassed by Kylian Mbappé later in the tournament. He also set a new record for the most assists in World Cup history (12) since records began in 1966. Messi led Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final, where they lost 1–0 to Spain in extra time. He was awarded the Silver Boot as the second-highest goalscorer of the tournament, and won the Silver Ball as the second-best player.

On 31 August 2026, Messi announced his retirement from international football. However, he was called up to the national team again to play one final match against Benin at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires on 6 October. Messi contributed to every goal in the 3–0 victory, assisting the first two before scoring his final international goal on a penalty.

Business ventures

On 4 June 2024, Messi announced the release of Más+, an American brand of sports drinks and energy drinks. Messi created the drinks because he could not find a flavourful and healthy hydration option that suited his needs. On 19 September, Messi launched the production company 525 Rosario, which produces films, sporting events coverage and branded commercials for athletes worldwide. It is a joint venture with Smuggler Entertainment, which co-produced Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend earlier in 2024. In 2025, Messi was invited by his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez to play a role in Deportivo LSM, the Uruguayan professional football club that Suárez founded. On 16 April 2026, Messi acquired full ownership of the Spanish football club UE Cornellà.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 18 October 2026

Family and relationships

Since 2008, Messi has been in a relationship with Antonela Roccuzzo, whom he married on 30 June 2017 in their home city of Rosario. Roccuzzo is the cousin of Messi's childhood best friend, Lucas Scaglia, and Messi has known her since he was five years old. After keeping their relationship private for a year, Messi confirmed their romance in an interview in January 2009. Messi and Roccuzzo have three sons, born in 2012, 2015, and 2018. To celebrate Roccuzzo's first pregnancy, Messi placed the ball under his shirt after scoring in Argentina's 4–0 win against Ecuador on 2 June 2012, before confirming the pregnancy in an interview two weeks later. Messi and his family are Catholic.

Messi has a close relationship with his immediate family members, particularly his mother, Celia, whose face is tattooed on his left shoulder. His professional affairs are largely run as a family business. His father Jorge was his agent and manager from 2000 until 2026, when he died at the age of 68. His oldest brother, Rodrigo, handles his daily schedule and publicity. His mother and other brother, Matías, manage his charitable organisation, the Leo Messi Foundation, and take care of personal and professional matters in Rosario. His younger sister, María Sol, had a leadership role at Messi's fashion brand The Messi Store before joining his production company 525 Rosario.

Since leaving for Spain at age 13, Messi has maintained close ties to Rosario, and has preserved his Rosarino accent. He has retained ownership of his family's old house, although it has long stood empty, and he maintains a penthouse apartment in an exclusive residential building for his mother, as well as a family compound just outside the city. Messi keeps in frequent contact with a small group of confidants in Rosario, most of whom were fellow members of "The Machine of '87" at Newell's Old Boys. He was on bad terms with the club after his transfer to Barcelona, but by 2012 their public feud had ended, with Newell's embracing their ties with Messi and issuing a club membership card to his newborn son. Messi has long planned to end his playing career at Newell's. Messi has citizenship in Argentina, Italy, and Spain.

Tax fraud

Messi came under investigation in 2013 for suspected tax evasion in Spain. Offshore companies in tax havens such as Uruguay, Switzerland and Belize were used to evade €4.1 million in taxes related to his sponsorship earnings between 2007 and 2009. Messi, who pleaded ignorance to the scheme, voluntarily paid arrears of €5.1 million in August 2013. On 6 July 2016, Messi and his father were both found guilty of tax fraud and were given suspended 21-month prison sentences and ordered to pay €1.7 million and €1.4 million in fines, respectively. In court, Messi told the judge, "I just played football. I signed the contracts because I trusted my dad and the lawyers and we had decided that they would take charge of those things." An unrelated shell company in Panama set up in 2012 was subsequently identified as belonging to the Messis in the Panama Papers data leak.