Lionel Messi Net Worth,  Wife, Age and Biography

• In the 2012 season, Lionel Messi was included in the Guinness World Records for the most goals scored in a calendar year. 91 goals were scored by him in only one year.
  
  
• In 2021, Messi won the Ballon d'Or award for a record seventh time, becoming the first player in football history to do so.
  
  
• In 2020, Lionel Messi broke Pele's record for most goals for a single club by scoring his 644th goal for Barcelona, making him the all-time top goalscorer for a single club.
  
  
• In 2021, Messi had said goodbye to Barcelona Football Club, he had 'agreed' to a deal to join PSG. Messi has become the biggest player available to any club in football history after his contract with Barcelona expired.

Early Life Lionel Messi

• Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, to Jorge Messi, a factory worker, & Celia (née Cuccittini), a part-time cleaner. 
  
  
• Messi's ancestral roots trace back to the Italian city of Ancona, with his forefather Angelo Messi making the journey to Argentina in 1883. Within his family, he has two elder brothers named Rodrigo and Messi, as well as a sister named María Sol. At the tender age of five, Messi's life took a turn as he moved to Rosario with his father, Jorge, where his football journey commenced. Initially, he played for a local club named Grandoli under the guidance of Dr. In 1995, he transitioned to playing for Newell's Old Boys, situated in his hometown of Rosario.
  
  
• At age 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. Primera Division club River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for his treatment, which cost $900 a month. Barcelona's sporting director Carles Ricksack was told of Messi's talent, & since Messi had relatives in Lleida, Catalonia, Messi& his father were able to arrange a trial. After watching him play, Barcelona signed him to a contract, offering to pay for his medical bills provided he agreed to move to Spain. His family moved to Europe & he started playing in the club's youth teams.

Football Club Career of Lionel Messi

Messi in Barcelona

• Messi made his unofficial debut for the first team on 16 November 2003 (aged 16 years & 145 days) in a friendly match against Porto. 
  
  
• Less than a year later, Franck Rijkaard gave him his league debut on 16 October 2004 (at the age of 17 years & 114 days) against Espanyol, making him the youngest player ever to play for Barcelona. 

  Credit - Twitter

  
  
• He became the third youngest player & youngest club player to play in La Liga (a record broken by teammate Boyan Krich in September 2007). 
• When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months & 7 days old & at that time became the youngest player to score in a La Liga game for Barcelona. 
• In 2007, the record was broken by BoyanCrich with an assist from Messi. Reflecting on his former coach, Frank Rijkaard, Messi expressed, "I will never forget that Rijkaard got me into the game. He made me believe when I was only sixteen, seventeen years old."
• During the 2015 season, Lionel Messi established a new record for the most hat-tricks in the Spanish league, amassing an impressive 32. This milestone was achieved through a resounding 6–1 triumph over Rayo Vallecano.

2005–06 Season

• On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract – this time improving his remuneration as a member of the first team & extending the contract until June 2014. 
  
  
• Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September & was finally able to play in the Spanish First Division for the first time in the season. Messi got the opportunity to play for the first time away from home in the UEFA Champions League against Italian club Udinese on 27 September.
• The fans at the Barcelona stadium, Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon his substitution, as his composure on the ball & his combination with Ronaldinho secured a winning position for Barcelona.
• Messi scored six goals in seventeen league appearances & scored one Champions League goal in six. However, his season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006 when he tore a muscle in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea. Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as winners of Spain & Europe.

2006–07 Season

• In the 2006–07 season, Messi established himself as a first team regular, scoring 14 times in 26 matches. On 12 November, in a game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a fractured metatarsal bone, ruling him out for three months. Messi recovered from his injury in Argentina & made his return to the game on 11 February against Racing Santander, coming on as a second-half substitute.
• On 11 March, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick as 10-man Barcelona scored three times, the last coming in injury-time, to draw 3–3. helped in This made him the first player since Ivan Zamorano (in the 1994–95 season for Real Madrid) to score three goals in a row in El Clásico. Messi is also the youngest player ever to feature in this fixture. Towards the end of the season he began to find the net often; Of his 14 league goals for the season, 11 came from the last 13 matches.
  
  
• Messi almost repeating Maradona's most famous goals during the same season, proving that the tag of "the new Maradona" is not just hyperbole. On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals in the Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, known as the goal of the century. It was similar The world's sports journalists compared him with Maradona, & the Spanish press nicknamed Messi "Mescidona". He covered the same distance, 62 m (203 ft), dodged the same number of players (six players including the goalkeeper), scored from exactly the same position & ran to the corner flag as Maradona did 21 years earlier in Mexico was. In a press conference after the game, Messi's teammate Deco said: "It is the best goal I have ever seen in my life." Also against Espanyol, Messi scored a goal that was very similar to Maradona's goal against England in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. 
• Messi launched himself in the direction of the ball &, matching his hand, aimed the ball past goalkeeper Carlos Kameni. Despite protests from Espanyol's players & replays showing it was a clear handball, the goal stood.

2008-09 Season

• Upon Ronaldo's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey. During a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk on 1 October 2008, Messi scored two goals in the last seven minutes after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry to seal a 1–2 win for Barcelona. 
• Changed to The next league game was against Atlético Madrid, which escalated into a friendly clash between Messi& his good friend Sergio Aguero. Messi scored one from a free kick & assisted on another as Barca won the match 6–1. Messi netted another impressive brace against Sevilla, scoring a volley from 23 meters (25 yd) & then dribbling around the goalkeeper, & scoring the second from a tight angle. On 13 December 2008, during the first season of the Clásico, Messi scored the second goal in Barcelona's 2–0 win against Real Madrid. 
• He was nominated for the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards in second place with 678 points.
  
  
• Messi scored the first of three goals in a row in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid, where Barcelona won 3–1. Messi scored another crucial double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second-half substitute to help Barcelona beat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. 
• The second of two strikes was Barcelona's 5,000th league goal. Messi scored the first of three goals in a row in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid, where Barcelona won 3–1. Messi scored another crucial double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second-half substitute to help Barcelona beat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. In round 28 of La Liga, Messi scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions, helping his side to a 6–0 victory against Málaga CF in the process. 
• On 8 April 2009, he scored twice in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, tying a personal record of nine goals in any competition. On 18 April, Messi scored his 20th league goal of the season in a 1–0 win at Getafe, allowing Barcelona to maintain their six-point lead at the top of the league table against Real Madrid.
• As Barcelona headed towards the end of the season, Messi scored two goals (his 35th & 36th goals in all competitions) in a 6–2 victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, the most for Real Madrid since the 1930s. There was defeat. After each goal, he would run towards his fans & cameras & hold up his Barcelona jersey, as well as another T-shirt that read Syndrome X Fragile, Catalan for brittleness X syndrome, through which They were showing their support for the children suffering from this disease. Messi was involved in scoring Andrés Iniesta's injury-time goal against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final, allowing Barcelona to reach the final to face Manchester United. 
• He won his first Copa del Rey on 13 May, scoring one goal & assisting the other two in a 4–1 win against Athletic Bilbao. He helped his team to a double by winning La Liga. On 27 May, he scored the second goal in the 70th minute to help Barcelona win the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final, in which Barcelona took a two-goal lead; With nine goals, he became the top scorer of the Champions League. Capping off an impressive year in Europe, Messi also won UEFA Club Forward of the Year & UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. The victory meant that Barcelona won the Copa del Rey, La Liga& the UEFA Champions League in the same season, marking the first time a Spanish club had ever won the treble.

2009–10 Season

• After winning the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, Barcelona manager JosepGuardiola insisted that Messi was the best player he had ever seen.
• On 18 September, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, which would run until 2016 & include a control-buyout clause of €250 million, giving Messi, along with ZlatanIbrahimovic, approximately €9.5 million in annual income. 
• He become the highest paid player of La Liga. Four days later, on 22 September, Messi scored two goals & assisted another in Barca's 4–1 win against Racing Santander in La Liga. Messi scored his 1st European goal of the season on 29th Sep in a 2–0 win over Dynamo Kyiv. 
• Messi extended his goal scoring tally to six goals in seven matches during a 6–1 thrashing of Real Zaragoza at the Camp Nou in La Liga&Barca's 4–2 win over Mallorca at the Camp on 7 November. Also scored a penalty in the win. On 1 December 2009, Messi was announced as the winner of the 2009 Ballon d'Or, where he beat runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo by a huge margin of 473 to 233. Afterward, France Football magazine quoted Messi as saying: "I dedicate this to my family. 
• They were always there when I needed them & sometimes they felt more deeply than I did." Is. On 19 December, Messi scored the winning goal in the final of the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi. 
• Two days later, he was given the FIFA World Player of the Year award; Where he defeated Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Kaka & Andres Iniesta. It was his first time to win the award & he became the first player from Argentina ever to receive this honour. 
• On 10 January 2010, Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2010 & his first of the season against CD Tenerife in a 0–5 win. On January, Messi scored his 100th goal for the club in a 4–0 win over Sevilla.

International Career of Lionel Messi

• In June 2004, he made his Argentina debut in an under-20 friendly against Paraguay. In the yr 2005 he was one of the member of the team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. There, he won the Golden Ball & the Golden Shoe.
• He made his full international debut on 17 August 2005 at the age of 18 against Hungary. He was substituted on in the 63rd minute, but was sent off in the 65th minute after the referee, Markus Marek, found that he had elbowed defender VilmasVanzack, who was clutching Messi's shirt. 
• The decision was controversial &Maradona claimed that the decision was premeditated. On 3 September, Messi returned to the team for Argentina's 1–0 defeat to Paraguay in World Cup qualification. Before the match started, Messi said that "This is my second start. The first one was only for a short time." He then started his first game for Argentina against Peru; Pekermann described Messi as a "gem" after the match.
• On 28 March 2009, in World Cup qualification against Venezuela, Messi wore the number 10 jersey for the first time for Argentina. The match was the first official match for Diego Maradona as coach of Argentina. Argentina won the match by 4–0, alongwith Lionel Messi opening the scoring.

2006 FIFA World Cup

• The injury that kept Messi out for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season also put Messi's appearance at the World Cup in doubt. Nevertheless, on 15 May 2006, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament. Prior to the World Cup, he played 15 minutes in the final match against the Argentina under-20 team & 64 minutes in a friendly against Angola. 
• He also watched Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the substitutes' bench. In the next match against Serbia, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at the World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted HernánCrespo's goal within minutes of entering the game & scored the final goal in a 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament & the youngest in World Cup history. 
• He became the sixth goal scorer. Messi started in Argentina's 0–0 tie against the Netherlands. In the next game against Mexico, with the score tied at 1–1, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute. He was thought to have scored, but was ruled offside, with Argentina needing a goal to advance in extra time. Coach Jos Pekerman left Messi on the bench for the quarter-final match against Germany, which they lost 4–2 on penalties.

2007 Copa America

• Lionel Messi's performance during the 2007 Copa América left an indelible mark on Argentina's journey. He made his tournament debut on June 29, 2007, as Argentina secured a 4–1 victory over the United States. In this match, Messi displayed his talents as a game creator, assisting a goal for his fellow striker Hernán Crespo and making several shots on target. Carlos Tevez, who substituted for Messi in the 79th minute, managed to score shortly after.
• His next match against Colombia saw Messi win a penalty that Crespo converted, leveling the game at 1–1. He also played a key role in Argentina's second goal, drawing a foul outside the box that led to Juan Román Riquelme scoring from a free kick, giving Argentina a 3–1 lead. The final score stood at 4–2 in favor of Argentina, securing their spot in the quarter-finals.
• In the third group game against Paraguay, Messi was rested as Argentina had already qualified for the quarter-finals. He entered the game as a substitute for Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with the score tied at 0–0. He contributed to a goal by setting up Javier Mascherano in the 79th minute. 
• The quarter-finals saw Argentina facing Peru, and Messi scored his second goal of the tournament, capitalizing on a pass from Riquelme in a convincing 4–0 victory. The semi-final clash against Mexico witnessed Messi's prowess again as he scored with a volley over Osvaldo Sánchez, helping Argentina progress to the final with a 3–0 win. Unfortunately, Brazil emerged victorious in the final with a 3-0 scoreline against Argentina.

2008 Summer Olympics

Personal Life of Lionel Messi

• Messi's romantic history includes a relationship with Macarina Lemos, a resident of his hometown Rosario, who was introduced to him by the girl's father during his recovery from an injury before the 2006 World Cup.
• He was also linked to Argentine model Luciana Salazar in the past. In January 2009, Messi confirmed his relationship status on the program "Hat Trick Barça" on Channel 33, saying, "I've a girlfriend, and she is settled in Argentina. I'm relaxed and happy." 
• Notably, he was seen with Antonella Roccuzzo, a young woman from Rosario, at a carnival in Sitges following a Barcelona–Espanyol derby. The two planned a wedding towards the end of 2010.
• Messi's presence extends beyond the football pitch – he graced the cover of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and participated in a promotional campaign for the game. He continued his association with the game, being featured alongside Fernando Torres on the cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010. Additionally, he engaged in motion capturing and trailer creation for the game.
• Adidas sponsors Messi, and he appears in their television commercials. In the realm of football, Messi's family ties are evident as he has two cousins, Maxi and Emmanuel Biancucci, who are also involved in the sport.