Lionel Messi

Argentine footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, known for his dribbling, vision, and goal-scoring ability.

Lionel Andrés Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina in 1987 and diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at ten. Barcelona agreed to fund his treatment in exchange for his signing — one of the most consequential decisions in football history. He made his La Liga debut aged 16 and spent 17 years at the club (2004–2021), scoring 672 goals in 778 appearances — a world record for a single club. He joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 before moving to Inter Miami in 2023. His career statistics are unmatched: 838 goals and 380 assists in 1,063 appearances across all competitions, 191 international caps and 112 goals for Argentina — the highest international tally in South American history. He scored 57 professional hat-tricks and won 8 Ballon d'Or awards. He won 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions League trophies and 7 Copa del Rey with Barcelona. The piece that eluded him — the World Cup — finally arrived in Qatar 2022, when he scored 7 goals and 3 assists to win the Golden Ball. He had previously won Copa América 2021. His top speed of 32.5 km/h belies a player who covers 9.7 km per game through precise movement rather than constant running. He holds records for most goals in a calendar year (91 in 2012) and most goals in a La Liga season (50 in 2011–12).

Creative attacking midfielder/forward with exceptional dribbling, passing and finishing

Transformed modern football with exceptional dribbling, vision and goalscoring ability

• FIFA World Cup 2022 (Argentina)
• Copa América 2021 (Argentina)
• Champions League 4x (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015) (Barcelona)
• La Liga 10x
• Copa del Rey 7x
• Ballon d'Or 8x (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023)
• FIFA Best Men's Player 7x
• UEFA Champions League Final MVP 2011
• FIFA World Cup 2022
• Copa América 2021