Eight-time winner of the Golden Ball Lionel Messi. Biography

Lionel Messi is an Argentine football player, striker and captain of the American club Inter Miami, recognized as one of the most decorated players in the history of sports. As a member of the national team, he became the world champion in 2022 and reached the final of the 2026 World Cup. About the life path and sporting achievements of a football player — in the material of Izvestia.

Childhood and education

Lionel Andres Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in the Argentine city of Rosario (Santa Fe province). His father, Jorge Messi, was a department head at a steel mill, and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, worked in a magnet workshop.

Messi started playing football at an early age, but at the age of 10 he was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency. The treatment of the disease required significant financial expenses, which the family began to cover in full when Lionel turned 11 years old.

Long goals: how Messi broke the World Cup record

At his sixth World Cup, the Argentine became the record holder for the number of goals scored.

Moving to Spain and La Masia Academy

In 2000, when Messi was 13 years old, he moved to Spain. The Barcelona football club agreed to pay for his expensive treatment, after which the young man was enrolled in the club's youth academy, La Masia. Having passed through the youth team system, he demonstrated high performance, which allowed him to advance to the main squad in a short time.

Career at Barcelona, PSG and Inter Miami

Messi's debut in the main squad of Barcelona took place in 2004. He played for the Catalan club until 2021, becoming the top scorer in its history with 672 goals scored. During this period, the footballer won 34 trophies, including numerous victories in the Spanish championship and the UEFA Champions League.

In 2021, due to the financial constraints of the Spanish league, Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain in France. As a member of the Parisians, he became the French champion twice (in 2022 and 2023). In 2023, the athlete signed a contract with the American club Inter Miami, playing in the MLS. In 2025, he led the team to victory in the MLS Cup.

Appearances for the national team of Argentina

As a member of the national team, Lionel Messi has worked his way up to the status of a national hero. In 2021, he won his first major tournament with the national team, the America's Cup, and in 2024 he repeated this success. The main achievement in his international career was the victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Messi was recognized as the best player of the tournament.

In July 2026, Messi reached the finals of the 2026 World Cup as part of the national team. The Argentine national team beat the English team. The match ended with a score of 2:1.

Titles and awards

Lionel Messi holds the record for the most individual awards in world football. He has eight Golden Balls and six Golden Boots to his credit. In 2025, U.S. President Joe Biden awarded the football player the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his outstanding contribution to sports. In 2026, Messi's financial fortune reached $1.1 billion, which allowed him to officially enter the world list of billionaires.

Personal life

Lionel Messi grew up in a large family. The footballer has two older brothers— Rodrigo and Mathias, as well as a younger sister, Maria Sol. The player's cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucci, also became professional football players.

The footballer is married to his childhood friend Antonella Rocuzzo. They met at the age of five through Antonella's cousin Lucas Scalia, who was a friend of Messi and played with him in Newell's Old Boys.

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