"Lionel Messi: The Silent Genius Behind Football’s Greatest Moments"

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina. His father, Jorge Horacio Messi, was a worker at the Acindar metallurgical plant, and his mother, Celia Maria Cuccittini, worked in a magnetic coil workshop and also worked as a cleaner.

Messi's paternal great-great-grandfather, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina from Italy in the late 19th century. Messi's paternal grandmother, Rosa Maria Perez, came from a Catalan family that moved to Argentina in the early 20th century.

Lionel Messi has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, and a younger sister, Maria Sol. His cousins Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucci also became professional footballers.

The beginning of a sports career

From an early age, Lionel Messi played football in the street and would go to the pitch with his maternal grandmother Celia Cuccittini to watch the games of the children's team “Grandoli”, where his older brothers trained.

It was his grandmother who convinced Grandoli coach Salvador Aparicio to take her grandson into the team, even though the boy was much smaller and two years younger than the other players – Messi was only four.

Messi celebrates many of his goals by raising his two index fingers and looking up at the sky. The gesture is a tribute to his grandmother Celia, who, according to the athlete, awakened his interest in football and always supported him, despite health problems.

From the very beginning of Messi's football career, his father accompanied him. He joined his son's training at Grandoli and later became his agent.

In 1994, Messi joined the youth academy of Newell's Old Boys, also based in Rosario, where he quickly became the center of attention thanks to his astonishing technical skills and natural eye for goal. In his first game for the Newell's youth team, nicknamed La Maquina del '87 (all its members were born in 1987), the young striker scored four goals.

In total, Messi played 176 games for Newell's, during which he scored 234 goals.

"He was a very ambitious guy. Even if he was winning - if the team was winning 7-0 - but he didn't score, he was angry. Or if they didn't pass the ball to him, he was angry. You could see it on his face. That was his temperament, his personality," Messi's Newell's teammate Franco Falleroni recalled .

Because of his slight build, Messi was nicknamed El Enano (the Dwarf in Spanish) and El Pulga (the Flea). At the age of ten, the boy was 125 cm tall, which was 10-15 cm shorter than most of his peers. At the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency, a rare disease that leads to slow growth, weak bones, and an inability to withstand serious physical exertion.

The cost of the expensive treatment was initially covered by Messi's father's insurance company and the company where he worked. The management of Newell's Old Boys also announced their willingness to help. Due to the economic crisis that soon broke out in Argentina, funding for the therapy was cut, and Messi's parents were forced to look for a new club that was ready not only to develop their son's football skills, but also to cover his medical expenses.

Thanks to agents Horacio Gaggioli and Josep Maria Minghella, Messi was given the opportunity to have a trial at Barcelona. During a trial period in September 2000, the footballer admired the club's sporting director Carles Rexach. However, doubts arose within the club about signing a contract with such a young player and the need to finance his treatment. Jorge Messi, irritated by Barça's slowness, threatened to take his son back to Argentina. Then Rexach, wanting to convince the father of the 13-year-old footballer that the deal would go through, signed a preliminary agreement on a napkin in the tennis club's café with Messi's agents on December 14, 2000. The following March, the Argentine athlete officially signed a contract with the Blaugrana.

"Barcelona"

The Argentine made his debut for the Barcelona youth team on April 7, 2001, in an away match against Amposta, during which he scored a goal. Seven days later, in a game against Tortosa, Messi suffered a fractured fibula. After recovering from the injury, he returned to La Masia, but for some time, due to bureaucratic red tape, he could not play in official matches as a foreigner. After registering with the Royal Spanish Football Federation in February 2002, the restrictions were lifted. Rapidly advancing through the academy system, Messi was already playing for the Barça B team by the start of the 2004/2005 season. According to statistics from the official Barcelona website, the Argentine striker has scored 89 goals in 97 official matches for the club's youth teams.

Lionel Messi made his debut for Barcelona's main squad on 16 November 2003 in a friendly against Porto: head coach Frank Rijkaard brought him on in the 71st minute to replace Fernando Navarro. Instead of his now iconic number 10, the debutant wore the number 14 shirt.

Messi made his La Liga (Spanish championship) debut on 16 October 2004, replacing Deco in the 82nd minute in a match against Espanyol. The footballer scored his first goal on 1 May 2005 against Albacete, appearing on the field two minutes before the end of regular time.

At Barcelona, Messi played under the guidance of outstanding coaches: Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde. The team's period with Guardiola (2008–2012) was especially successful. At that time, Barcelona won La Liga three times, the Champions League twice, and other trophies, playing in a style based on regular passing and ball control, which received worldwide recognition as “tiki-taka”.

"I already know the player who will take my place in football, his name is Lionel Messi. He is different from any other player. He is a leader who sets an example" (Diego Maradona, March 2007)

At Barcelona, Messi played 778 official matches and scored 672 goals, becoming the top scorer in the club's history. Over 17 seasons, he helped the team win 35 trophies, including 10 Spanish championship titles, seven Spanish Cups and four Champions Leagues.

Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry

One of the iconic phenomena in the history of football at the beginning of the 21st century was the unspoken rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The peak of their rivalry was between 2009 and 2018, when they played for archrivals in La Liga — Barcelona and Real Madrid — and regularly met in El Clásico. Both the Argentine and the Portuguese scored 50 goals per season, each with over 800 goals in their careers. Both players have repeatedly won the Ballon d'Or: Cristiano Ronaldo won the award five times, Messi eight. Sports experts discussed the individual merits of both players, trying to figure out which of them is better, and fans were divided into Messi fans and Ronaldo fans. The players themselves have always spoken respectfully of each other. “He is a phenomenal player of a very high level. They are two good or very good players, they have changed the history of football and continue to do so. "We are respected all over the world, that's the most important thing," Ronaldo said. In 2023, the Portuguese declared that his rivalry with Messi was over. "It was a good confrontation," the footballer said.

Messi's contribution to the team's success was invaluable, and his play inspired both fans and football experts. Thus, former Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola said: “Don't write about him, don't try to describe him, just watch him.”

On January 17, 2021, Lionel Messi received a red card in the Spanish Super Cup final between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao for punching the opposing team's player Asier Villalibre in the face. It was Messi's first dismissal in 753 matches for Barcelona. Following this, the Spanish Football Federation decided to disqualify the Argentine for two matches.

According to El Mundo, Messi had the most lucrative contract in the history of sports at Barcelona. Under the terms of the agreement signed in 2017, the footballer's total compensation could exceed $650 million over a four-year period, subject to various conditions.

Messi's contract with Barcelona expired on July 1, 2021. On August 5, Barca officially announced the player's departure. The club's difficult economic situation and the financial restrictions established by La Liga rules became an obstacle to extending cooperation with Messi, Said Barcelona President Joan Laporta.

“Both parties deeply regret that the wishes of both the player and the club cannot be fulfilled. Barça sincerely thanks the player for his contribution to the club and wishes him all the best in his personal and professional life,” the club said in a statement.

The Argentine striker himself, at a farewell press conference held at the Camp Nou stadium, said that he wanted to sign a new contract with Barcelona.

"After so many years here, it's very difficult for me to leave. I wasn't ready for this. I don't believe it's really happening. Last year I wanted to leave, but now I wanted to stay, I wanted to live in my home. That's what I wanted most," Messi said.

Paris Saint-Germain

On August 10, 2021, Lionel Messi joined French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent. The contract, which was worth approximately €35 million per season, was concluded for two years with the option to extend for a third season. At the time of signing Messi's contract, his salary was second only to Neymar's, but exceeded that of Kylian Mbappé.

Messi made his debut for the Parisians in the French championship on August 29, 2021, in a match against Reims, replacing Neymar in the 66th minute. He scored his first goal on September 28, 2021, against Manchester City during a Champions League group stage game. In the 2021/2022 season, the striker played 34 matches in all competitions, scored 11 goals and made 14 assists, contributing to PSG's victory in the French championship.

In his second season, Messi improved his performance, playing 41 matches, scoring 21 goals and making 20 assists. PSG became the champion of France again, but the team failed to advance beyond the 1/8 finals of the Champions League.

Messi's relationship with fans has been strained since the team's elimination from the Champions League . The anger of fans and the club's management was caused by his trip to Saudi Arabia in May 2023 as part of his duties as a tourist ambassador for the Middle Eastern country. The visit coincided with a scheduled PSG training session, which Messi missed without the club's permission . PSG management perceived this as a breach of discipline and decided to suspend the player from participating in matches and training for two weeks without paying wages for this period.

Lionel Messi's contract with PSG expired in the summer of 2023. Messi won two French championships and the French Super Cup with the team, but he was expected to lead the club to victory in the Champions League. Messi decided not to renew his contract with PSG and, as a free agent, moved to Inter Miami in MLS (the top division of the soccer league system in the United States and Canada).

Messi later noted that the period in Paris was difficult and he was unable to adapt to the new environment.

Inter Miami

In the summer of 2023, Messi signed a contract with Inter Miami until the end of the 2025 MLS season. The guaranteed payments under this agreement amounted to $20.4 million per year with a base salary of $12 million, which became a record for the North American league. Inter Miami is owned and chaired by David Beckham.

Messi made his debut for his new club on 21 July 2023 in a friendly match against Mexican side Cruz Azul in the Copa del Rey. He entered the field in the 54th minute and scored the winning goal from a free kick in injury time, securing a 2-1 victory for the team.

Less than a month later, Inter Miami won their first ever trophy: thanks to ten goals from Messi in seven games, the team became winners of the League Cup.

In 2024, Inter Miami won the Supporters' Shield, an award given for the best regular season finish in MLS.

In July 2025, Messi scored two goals against New England Revolution (2:1) in an away match of the regular championship of the North American MLS and became the first player in MLS history to score twice in four games in a row. Previously, he scored two goals in two matches against Montreal (4:1 and 4:2) and in the game against Columbus Crew (5:1).

Career in the national team

Messi, who received Spanish citizenship in 2005 (while retaining Argentine citizenship), could have played for that country's national team. However, he refused the offer from the Spanish Football Federation, as he wanted to play only for the Argentine national team.

In 2005, he and his team won the World Youth Championship (U-20).

Messi made his first appearance for the national team on 17 August 2005, at the age of 18, coming on as a substitute in a friendly match against Hungary. In 2008, he won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics. In 2011, Messi became the captain of the national team.

Despite his individual achievements, Messi has long been criticized for his lack of titles with the national team. Messi lost the 2007, 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals, as well as the 2014 World Cup final. After losing to Chile at the 2016 Copa America, the footballer announced his retirement from the national team, saying: "I did everything I could. I was in four finals, and it's a shame not to become a champion."

However, Messi did not leave the team and in 2021 he led the national team to victory in the Copa America final, scoring 4 goals and providing 5 assists. It was Argentina's first major title in 28 years .

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi scored 7 goals, two of which were in the final against France. Thanks to the efforts of the captain and the entire team, Argentina became world champions for the third time in its history.

In 2024, the striker again led the national team to victory in the Copa America, becoming the tournament's top scorer.

Lionel Messi is the top scorer in the history of the Argentina national team.

Personal life

Lionel Messi is married to his childhood friend Antonella Roccuzzo. They met when they were five years old through Antonella's cousin Lucas Scalia, who was a friend of Messi's and played with him at Newell's Old Boys.

They started dating in 2005, but Messi officially confirmed that he was in a relationship only in January 2009 in an interview with one of the Catalan TV channels.

Roccuzzo received a bachelor's degree in humanities and social sciences from the National University of Rosario, later enrolled in graduate school, but dropped out to be with Messi.

The girl collaborated as a model with the brands Stella McCartney, Adidas and Alo Yoga. In 2017, she opened a boutique of the shoe brand Sarkany in Barcelona together with her friend Sofia Balbi, the wife of footballer Luis Suarez.

In the summer of 2017, Messi and Roccuzzo had a wedding that the Argentine press called "the wedding of the century": 260 guests were invited to the celebration, which took place at a luxury hotel in the city of Rosario, including Luis Suarez, Neymar, Xavi, Gerard Pique and pop star Shakira, as well as Ezequiel Lavezzi, Cesc Fabregas and Carles Puyol. A private security company was on duty inside the hotel, which did not allow potential uninvited guests inside. According to the organizers, about 150 journalists were accredited to enter a special press area, but did not have full access to the venue.

By the time of the wedding, the couple already had two sons: their firstborn Thiago was born in November 2012, and their second son Mateo was born in September 2015. In March 2018, a third boy was born to the family, who was named Ciro.

Messi's sons followed in their father's footsteps and began playing football at a young age. Thiago Messi trained at the youth academies of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and in July 2023, he joined the Inter Miami U12 team. Mateo Messi also became a product of the American club.

Charity

In 2007, the footballer founded the Leo Messi Foundation, which provides assistance to children in need in Argentina and around the world, developing initiatives in the fields of health, education and sports.

The Messi Foundation participated in the creation of the first specialized pediatric oncology center in Spain, the SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, which became the second largest in Europe. In 2019, the organization supported the Josep Carreras Leukemia Foundation project “No Child with Leukemia,” aimed at researching a very rare type of childhood leukemia that mainly affects children under one year of age.

In 2010, Messi became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and immediately after his appointment went to Haiti to draw public attention to the plight of local children after the earthquake. The athlete also helped implement projects to reduce malaria in Africa, support Syrian refugee children in Jordan, and build medical centers in Nepal. In 2017, Messi's foundation helped UNICEF equip 20 classrooms for children in Tartus, Syria. Thanks to Messi's financial assistance, food was delivered to Kenya for children suffering from malnutrition, and water pumps were installed to provide schools and homes with running water.

In 2013, a 25-kilogram gold replica of Messi's left foot, made by Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka, was put up for sale. Its price was $5.25 million. Part of the proceeds from the sale were donated through the Leo Messi Foundation to help people affected by the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011.

In 2020, the Argentine footballer donated €1 million to fight COVID-19.

Business projects

In 2019, Messi launched his own clothing line, opening his first retail store in Barcelona.

In 2023, the footballer became the face of the educational initiative Blockchain4Youth of the Bitget cryptocurrency exchange, aimed at teaching young people blockchain technologies.

In 2024, Messi registered a real estate investment fund in Spain, Edificio Rostower Socimi. The portfolio included seven hotels in Spain and Andorra, office space and apartments in London and Paris.

That same year, the Argentine founded the production company 525 Rosario to create family programming and premium television content, and also presented a line of luxury wines called 10 GOAT (a reference to his playing number and the acronym for Greatest of All Time).

Lionel Messi earns most of his income from advertising contracts. Since 2006, he has been sponsored by Adidas. He has also collaborated with Pepsi, Gillette, Turkish Airlines, Dolce & Gabbana, Audemars Piguet and other popular brands. In May 2022, the footballer became the ambassador of tourism for Saudi Arabia.

Tax evasion case

In July 2016, Lionel Messi and his father Jorge Messi were found guilty of evading taxes on €4 million in fees they received from the footballer between 2007 and 2009. During the trial, the prosecution alleged that the Messi father and son used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to hide the income.

Lionel Messi has told the court that he had no control over his financial affairs and relied on his father, unaware of possible wrongdoing. Messi senior has confirmed that his son did not know the terms of his contracts. “I didn't think it was necessary to tell him everything,” he said.

A court in Catalonia sentenced each of the men to 21 months in prison. However, under Spanish law, the actual sentence of less than two years for a non-violent crime was replaced with a suspended sentence. Messi was also fined €2 million and his father €1.5 million.

Achievements

Lionel Messi is the most decorated footballer in the world. As of April 2025, he has 46 trophies to his credit. He has been recognized as the best footballer in the world many times.
Among his many achievements:

Barcelona's roster includes:

Ten-time champion of Spain (2004/05, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18, 2018/19);

Seven-time winner of the Spanish Cup (2008/09, 2011/12, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2020/21);

Eight-time winner of the Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018);

Four-time UEFA Champions League winner (2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15);

Three-time UEFA Super Cup winner (2009, 2011, 2015);

Three-time winner of the FIFA Club World Cup (2009, 2011, 2015).

As part of Paris Saint-Germain:

Two-time champion of France (2021/22, 2022/23);

Winner of the French Super Cup (2022).

Inter Miami's roster includes:

League Cup Winner (2023);

MLS Regular Championship Winner (2024).

The Argentina national team includes:

World Champion (2022);

Two-time America's Cup winner (2021, 2024);

Winner of the Finalissima (2022);

Winner of the 2008 Olympic Games;

Winner of the World Youth Championship U20 (2005).

Personal achievements:

Eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023);

Six-time Golden Boot winner (2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019);

The Best FIFA Men's Player Award (2019, 2022, 2023);

Best Player of the World Championship (2014, 2022);

Golden Ball and Silver Boot of the World Cup (2022);

America's Cup Golden Ball (2015, 2021);

America's Cup Golden Boot (2021);

FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (2009, 2011);

The best footballer of the Spanish championship (2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19)

Top scorer of the UEFA Champions League (2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2014/2015, 2018/2019);

Footballer of the Year in Argentina (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

Argentina Sportsman of the Year (2011, 2021, 2022, 2023)

MLS Most Valuable Player Award (2024).

In January 2025, Messi received the highest civilian award in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom .

Income

Messi is one of the highest paid athletes in history. According to Sportico magazine, the footballer earned $1.85 billion during his playing career (this amount includes salary, bonuses, prize money, performances, fees, advertising contracts). As of April 2025, Forbes estimates his fortune at $135 million.