Here’s the biography of a footballer whom people regard as the ‘Greatest of All Times.’
Lionel Messi was born into a family of three on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. Messi was not Born into a wealthy family as his father- Jorge Messi was a factory worker while his mother worked as a cleaner.
Messi developed an interest in football at a very young age. At the age of 4, Lionel Messi was already Playing football and joined a local football club known as “Grandoli.”
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Between the ages of 10-11, Messi developed a strong health challenge. He was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD)- a health condition that stunted his growth and required expensive medical treatment. This health challenge affected his career as no club was willing to foot his medical bills until he met Carles Rexach.
Carles Rexach (Barcelona Coach) signed a contract with Messi on a paper napkin because Messi just had a napkin that could be used to write something. Carles was so impressed with Messi that he wanted to sign him up without wasting any time.
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And since then, Messi has continued to rise in his career as a footballer.
Messi’s debut international appearance for Argentina was on 17 August 2005 when he played for Argentina against Hungary, while his debut appearance for his club was on 16 October 2004 for FC Barcelona against Espanol.
His present club is Paris Saint-German (PSG). He stayed in FC Barcelona from 2004-2021.
Messi has been coached by Salvador Aparica, Frank Rijkaard, and Pep Guardiola.
Some of Messi’s records are:
- Youngest two-time and three-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner.
- Most UEFA Best players in Europe.
- Most La Liga Best player awards.
- Top goal scorer for country and club in a calendar year.
- Top goal scorer in La Liga (312 goals).
- Top goal scorer in the FIFA club world cup.
- Most hat-tricks scorer in a La Liga season.
- Younger player to make 100 appearances in the UEFA champions league.
Messi got married to his long-time girlfriend on June 30, 2017. His wife is a model and a dietitian. He had two sons before getting married – Thiago and Mateo Messi and had his daughter- Ciro Messi after marriage.
See other facts that might interest you:
- Messi is a left-footer player.
- He runs faster when he’s with the ball than without it.
- Messi is known to be the best dribbler.
- He has been compared to Diego Maradona throughout his career.
- In 2015, Forbes magazine listed him as the world’s second highest-paid athlete after Ronaldo.
- Messi also has Spanish nationality.
And one of Messi’s biggest wins is leading Argentina to win the 2022 world cup in Qatar.