Regardless of where you stand on the great debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it is indisputable that Lionel Messi is one of the best football players of all time.
Early Years
Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. Jorge Horacio Messi was a manufacturing steelworker, and Celia Maria Cuccittini was a part-time cleaner. He is close to his two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, as well as his sister, Maria Sol.
His family frequently played soccer with their cousins Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, who both went on to become professional footballers. At the age of six, Messi joined the Rosario soccer club and also played for Newell’s Old Boys.
Lionel Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone shortage when he was 10 years old, and his father could no longer afford his medical care. Newell’s first promised to contribute but later reneged on their commitment.
Carles Rexach, the Sporting Director of FC Barcelona, offered to fund Messi’s medical expenses if he relocated to Spain. Rexach made up a contract on a paper napkin with Lionel’s father’s agreement, and the family moved to Barcelona in February 2001.
They moved into an apartment close to the club’s stadium, Camp Nou. Messi felt homesick after his mother and siblings went to Rosario and he remained in Barcelona with his father.
After a year, Messi joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation and became a member of the “Baby Dream Team,” Barcelona’s most talented group of young soccer players.
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Career
Lionel Messi made his league debut against RCD Espanyol at the age of 17 and became the third-youngest player in the history of FC Barcelona. He was also the youngest player to ever score for Barcelona at the time.
During the 2005-2006 season, Messi began receiving first-team compensation and obtained Spanish citizenship. In addition, he made his debut in the Spanish First Division. Messi received a standing ovation after scoring alongside superstar Ronaldinho in his debut game.
Six goals were scored over his seventeen League games. He scored one goal in six Champions League appearances. Messi was the youngest Argentine to play and score in the FIFA World Cup in 2006.
Following the World Cup, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal during the 2006-2007 season, which required three months to repair. He returned to the game against Racing Santander as a second-half replacement.
In March of that season, he scored a hat trick against Real Madrid, becoming the first player to do so in the El Clasico since Ivan Zamorano. In the 2007-2008 La Liga season, Messi guided Barcelona into the top four.
As a forward, he was nominated for a FIFA ProWorld XI Player Award, and the publication Marca named him the finest player in the world. Messi should be given the Ballon d’Or, according to more publications. In 2009, at the age of 22, he won his first tournament, and he went on to win three more consecutively each year.
In addition, he won a gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2012, he broke both the La Liga and European single-season scoring records. This cemented his fate as the all-time leading scorer for Barcelona.
Messi, who is now Barcelona’s captain, finished second for the Ballon d’Or the following two seasons, behind career rival Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2014, Messi guided Argentina to the World Cup finals and was awarded the Golden Ball.
Messi overturned his 2016 retirement announcement and helped Argentina to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, they placed third at the 2019 Copa America. Messi won a record-setting sixth Ballon d’Or in 2019.
Adidas Endorsement
Messi has been sponsored by Adidas since 2006, as he is one of the most well-known and identifiable athletes in the world. He is their primary brand ambassador.
At age 14, he signed with Nike but later switched to Adidas. In 2008, Messi had a long-running signature range of Adidas boots and was given his own Adidas Messi sub-brand.
Charity
Messi is the founder of the Leo Messi Foundation, which helps improve education and health prospects for disadvantaged youngsters. He founded the organization in 2007 after a visit to a Boston children’s hospital, which he claims profoundly altered him.
His organization, with the assistance of Herbalife, helps pay for medical care, transportation, and rehabilitation for children with serious medical conditions.
Since March 2010, Messi is also the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. He performed a UNICEF field tour in Haiti to raise awareness about the situation of the country’s children in the wake of the recent earthquake.
Additionally, Lionel participates in individual fundraising events, such as international football matches that raise money for various charities. Messi provides financial assistance to numerous Argentine youth football clubs, including Sarmiento, Rosario Central, Newell’s, River Plate, and Boca Junior.
In 2012, Messi supported the development of a new gym and dormitory at his boyhood club Newell’s. The Messi Foundation employs his former coach as a scout for emerging players.
In March 2020, Messi contributed $1 million to the battle against the spread of coronavirus. During the COVID-19 emergency, Messi and his Barcelona Football Club teammates had their salaries reduced by 70 percent.
They did this to ensure that no workers in Barcelona would have their wages reduced during the worldwide crisis.
Lionel Messi’s Fortune
Lionel Messi is an Argentine-born professional athlete who is frequently considered to be the best soccer player in the world. The net worth of Lionel Messi is $600 million. As a striker and winger for FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi earned the majority of his net worth.
Personal Life
Messi has been with Antonella Roccuzzo, a fellow Rosario native, since 2008. They had known one another since the age of five. In January 2009, they made their relationship public. Messi and Roccuzzo got married in Rosario in June 2007.
The couple has three children: Thiago (born in 2012), Matero (born in 2015), and Ciro (born in 2016). (b. 2018). Messi has close relationships with his personal family, notably his mother. He has a tattoo of her face on his left shoulder.
Messi’s father has been his agent since he was 14 years old, so his professional concerns are mostly a family matter. Rodrigo, his older brother, controls his publicity.
Real Estate
In 2009, Messi paid $2 million for a property in the Pedrables area of Barcelona. Then, he invested millions in renovations and improvements. Today, the home is estimated to be worth between $7 and $10 million.
In November of 2019, Lionel purchased a condo in Miami for $5 million. In April 2021, he paid $7,300,000 for the ninth story of a separate Miami skyscraper.