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Lionel Messi

Professional footballer

Born 1987

Lionel Messi is an Argentine footballer whose low centre of gravity, close control, passing and finishing made him the defining player of his generation. Born in Rosario, he began playing at Grandoli at four and joined Newell's Old Boys at eight. A growth-hormone deficiency required daily injections during childhood; at 13 he moved with his family to Barcelona, where he entered FC Barcelona's academy and endured early registration and injury setbacks before reaching the first team in 2004. Ronaldinho supplied the pass for his first senior goal, the start of a 17-season Barcelona career in which Messi became the club's record scorer and won 34 team trophies, including ten LaLiga titles, seven Copas del Rey and four UEFA Champions Leagues. His game developed from an explosive wide forward into a prolific scorer, creator and captain. After two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain, he joined Inter Miami in 2023 and led the club to the Leagues Cup, Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup and 2026 Campeones Cup. Internationally, Messi won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Olympic gold, the 2021 and 2024 Copa América titles, the 2022 Finalissima and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He retired from Argentina duty after captaining the team to the 2026 World Cup final and continues to play for Inter Miami under a contract through 2028.

Verified identityCore facts checked against named sources.

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Connected people

ConnectionAntonela RoccuzzoWife and childhood connection from Rosario; they raise three sons together.

ConnectionLuis SuárezLongtime Barcelona teammate who reunited with Messi at Inter Miami.

ConnectionSergio BusquetsShared Barcelona's most successful era and later joined Messi at Inter Miami.

Provenance before publication

Source Ledger

Identity, career, awards, current coverage and image rights are listed here so the profile can be checked without guesswork.

Apple Music

Messi: The Warm-Up

Official first-person match-day music playlist.

Date not supplied PrimaryOriginal

FC Barcelona

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini

Official Barcelona appearances, goals and honours.

Date not supplied OfficialOriginal

Inter Miami CF

Match Recap: Inter Miami CF Draws 2-2 Against San Diego FC

Latest completed-match story and Golden Boot context.

Sep 20, 2026 OfficialOriginal

Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami CF Crowned 2026 Campeones Cup Champions

2026 club title and match result.

Sep 16, 2026 OfficialOriginal

Inter Miami CF

Leo Messi Reaches 100 Goals for Inter Miami CF

Current club milestone and Inter Miami honours.

Sep 16, 2026 OfficialOriginal

FIFA

Messi's final farewell

International retirement and 2026 World Cup record.

Aug 31, 2026 OfficialOriginal

FIFA

Spain edge Argentina to win FIFA World Cup 2026

2026 World Cup final result.

Jul 19, 2026 OfficialOriginal

FIFA

The World Cup, The Best and all of Lionel Messi's trophy wins

Career honours and milestone backbone.

Jun 1, 2026 OfficialOriginal

FIFA

Lionel Messi: Quotes, records and career

Current career summary and club trophy total.

Feb 17, 2026 OfficialOriginal

Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami CF Crowned MLS Cup Champion

2025 MLS Cup and final MVP match report.

Dec 6, 2025 OfficialOriginal

Image rights ledger

Lionel Messi with Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Media: Bryan Berlin / WikiPortraits

Wikimedia Commons own-work portrait with verified creator and license metadata.

Source file CC BY-SA 4.0

Lionel Messi playing for Argentina against Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final

Media: Bryan Berlin / WikiPortraits

Wikimedia Commons own-work action photograph with verified creator and license metadata.

Source file CC BY-SA 4.0