Career of Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi at Barcelona (left), where he spent a majority of his club career, and with Argentina (right), who he represents internationally.
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Lionel Messi

Argentine professional footballer

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Lionel Messi's individual achievements include eight Ballon d'Or awards, the most for any footballer. Having won 45 team trophies,[note 1] he is the most decorated player in the history of professional football. His remarkable goal-scoring ability, high level playmaking and dribbling skills has earned him recognition as one of the greatest players in football history. In 2024, US-based sports company ESPN named Messi the greatest player of the 21st-century.[11]

Messi's club career began with Barcelona, where he rose through the youth ranks, making his first-team debut in 2004. Over the next years, Messi became the club's all-time leading scorer, amassing numerous domestic and international accolades. During his tenure, Barcelona secured ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, four UEFA Champions League, seven Supercopa de Españas, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups. In August 2021, due to financial constraints faced by Barcelona, Messi transferred to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Joining forces with fellow superstars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, he won two Ligue 1 titles and one Trophée des Champions. In July 2023, Messi transferred to Inter Miami, leading the team to win their first-ever trophies with the Leagues Cup and the Supporters' Shield.

On the international stage, Messi made his debut with Argentina's senior national football team in 2005, and would represent the country in five FIFA World Cups, seven Copa Américas, and one Finalissima. Initially facing criticism for not winning major tournaments with the senior national team, Messi broke Argentina's 28-year international trophy drought by captaining the team to victory in the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América.

  1. ^ "Messi wins 35th trophy with Barça". FC Barcelona. 17 April 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  2. ^ "The World Cup, The Best and all of Lionel Messi's trophy wins". FIFA. 19 January 2024. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  3. ^ Steiner, Ben (21 July 2024). "Lionel Messi: Inter Miami honor Argentine legend's 45 trophies". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Conditions regarding the marketing of the "Spanish Super Cup" audiovisual rights in the international markets" (PDF). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 12 November 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024. Lionel Messi is the competition's all-time leading scorer and most successful player with eight titles.
  5. ^ Aldunate, Ramiro (18 April 2021). "The legend of Messi". Marca. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  6. ^ Corrigan, Dermot (18 April 2021). "Messi's magic has just won him a 35th trophy with Barcelona – but will it be the last?". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  7. ^ Azzoni, Tales (1 July 2021). "Messi's future up in the air as Barcelona contract ends". Associated Press. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  8. ^ Burton, Chris (15 July 2024). "'One more!' – Record-breaking Lionel Messi enjoys trophy win No.45 as wife Antonela & three sons join in with Argentina's Copa America celebrations". Goal. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  9. ^ Romero Nuñez, Fernando (22 August 2023). "Messi wins first title at Miami, does he hold the all-time record?". Buenos Aires Herald. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  10. ^ Maverino, Silvio (15 July 2024). "Lionel Messi se convirtió en el jugador más ganador de la historia del fútbol" [Lionel Messi became the winningest player in football history]. El Gráfico (in Spanish). ISSN 0017-291X. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Ranking the top 25 men's soccer players of the 21st century". ESPN.com. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.


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