Argentine · Rosario, Argentina · Born 24 June 1987Argentine forward and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner — a record no other player has matched — who combined La Liga's all-time scoring record with a 2022 World Cup triumph.
Eight Ballon d'Or awards, 672 goals for Barcelona alone, and a World Cup title finally claimed in Qatar in 2022 make the case for Lionel Messi as the most decorated and prolific footballer in the history of the sport. Barcelona agreed to fund his treatment in exchange for his signing — one of the most consequential decisions in football history. He made his La Liga debut aged 16 and spent 17 years at the club (2004–2021), scoring 672 goals in 778 appearances — a world record for a single club. He joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 before moving to Inter Miami in 2023. His career statistics are unmatched: 838 goals and 380 assists in 1,063 appearances across all competitions, 191 international caps and 112 goals for Argentina — the highest international tally in South American history. He scored 57 professional hat-tricks and won 8 Ballon d'Or awards. He won 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions League trophies and 7 Copa del Rey with Barcelona. The piece that eluded him — the World Cup — finally arrived in Qatar 2022, when he scored 7 goals and 3 assists to win the Golden Ball. He had previously won Copa América 2021. His top speed of 32.5 km/h belies a player who covers 9.7 km per game through precise movement rather than constant running. He holds records for most goals in a calendar year (91 in 2012) and most goals in a La Liga season (50 in 2011–12). Messi guided Inter Miami to their first-ever MLS Cup in 2025 and produced 42 goals and 26 assists across the 2025-26 campaign, form that carried into an electric start to the 2026 World Cup with defending champions Argentina and thrust the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner back into contention for a ninth Golden Ball.
Leading Argentina to World Cup victory in 2022
He scored 91 goals in a single calendar year (2012) — a world record that still stands.
Did You Know?How They Played
Creative attacking midfielder/forward with exceptional dribbling, passing and finishing
Lasting Impact
Transformed modern football with exceptional dribbling, vision and goalscoring ability
Career Honours
- La Liga 10x (Barcelona)
- Copa del Rey 7x (Barcelona)
- Champions League 2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 (Barcelona)
- UEFA Champions League Final MVP 2011
- Ballon d'Or 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023
- FIFA Best Men's Player 7x
- Copa América 2021 (Argentina)
- FIFA World Cup 2022 (Argentina)
- MLS Cup champion 2025 (Inter Miami)
| Club | Period | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona C | 2003–2004 | 10 | 5 |
| Barcelona B | 2004–2005 | 22 | 6 |
| Barcelona | 2004–2021 | 778 | 672 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2021–2023 | 58 | 22 |
| Inter Miami | 2023–Present | 67 | 62 |
 Argentina | — | 191 | 112 |
Argentine Athletes