Biography
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world's best player for a record eight times by FIFA. Until 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and the UEFA Champions League four times. With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals (474), hat-tricks (36), and assists in La Liga (192). He has the most international goals by a South American male (106). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and the most goals for a single club (672).
Awards & recognition
- Princess of Asturias Award — Sports · 2026
- Presidential Medal of Freedom · 2025
- Ballon d'Or · 2023
- Ballon d'Or · 2021
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2021
Show all 189 awards →
- IFFHS World Team · 2021
- IFFHS World's Best Player · 2021
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker · 2021
- La Liga Player of the Month · 2021
- Olimpia Award · 2021
- Pichichi Trophy · 2021
- Ballon d'Or Dream Team · 2020
- diamond Konex award · 2020
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2020
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2020
- IFFHS World Team · 2020
- IFFHS World's Best Player · 2020
- La Liga Player of the Month · 2020
- Laureus World Sports Award — Sportsman of the Year · 2020
- LFP Awards · 2020
- Pichichi Trophy · 2020
- UEFA Club Football Awards · 2020
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2020
- Ballon d'Or · 2019
- Best International Athlete ESPY Award · 2019
- European Golden Shoe · 2019
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2019
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2019
- IFFHS World Team · 2019
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker · 2019
- La Liga Player of the Month · 2019
- LFP Awards · 2019
- list of UEFA Champions League top scorers · 2019
- Pichichi Trophy · 2019
- Saint George's Cross · 2019
- The Best FIFA Men's Player · 2019
- The Guardian 100 Best Footballers in the World · 2019
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano · 2019
- UEFA Club Football Awards · 2019
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2019
- World Soccer Award · 2019
- European Golden Shoe · 2018
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2018
- IFFHS World Team · 2018
- IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer · 2018
- La Liga Player of the Month · 2018
- LFP Awards · 2018
- Onze d'Or · 2018
- Pichichi Trophy · 2018
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira · 2018
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano · 2018
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2018
- European Golden Shoe · 2017
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2017
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2017
- IFFHS World Team · 2017
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker · 2017
- IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer · 2017
- La Liga Player of the Month · 2017
- Pichichi Trophy · 2017
- The Guardian 100 Best Footballers in the World · 2017
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira · 2017
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano · 2017
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2017
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2016
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2016
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker · 2016
- IFFHS World's Best Top Goal Scorer · 2016
- La Liga Player of the Month · 2016
- LFP Awards · 2016
- Premi Barça Jugadors · 2016
- UEFA Club Football Awards · 2016
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2016
- Best International Athlete ESPY Award · 2015
- FIFA Ballon d'Or · 2015
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2015
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2015
- Globe Soccer Awards · 2015
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker · 2015
- LFP Awards · 2015
- list of UEFA Champions League top scorers · 2015
- The Guardian 100 Best Footballers in the World · 2015
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira · 2015
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano · 2015
- Trofeo Gol Televisión · 2015
- UEFA Club Football Awards · 2015
- UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award · 2015
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2015
- World Soccer Award · 2015
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2014
- Mastercard All-Star Team · 2014
- Trofeo Gol Televisión · 2014
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2014
- World Cup Golden Ball · 2014
- European Golden Shoe · 2013
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2013
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2013
- IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer · 2013
- LFP Awards · 2013
- Pichichi Trophy · 2013
- The Guardian 100 Best Footballers in the World · 2013
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira · 2013
- Trofeo Gol Televisión · 2013
- Best International Athlete ESPY Award · 2012
- El País King of European Soccer · 2012
- European Golden Shoe · 2012
- FIFA Ballon d'Or · 2012
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2012
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2012
- IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer · 2012
- IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer · 2012
- IFFHS World's Best Top Goal Scorer · 2012
- LFP Awards · 2012
- list of UEFA Champions League top scorers · 2012
- Onze d'Or · 2012
- Pichichi Trophy · 2012
- The Guardian 100 Best Footballers in the World · 2012
- Trofeo EFE · 2012
- Trofeo Gol Televisión · 2012
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2012
- World Soccer Award · 2012
- El País King of European Soccer · 2011
- FIFA Ballon d'Or · 2011
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2011
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2011
- IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer · 2011
- L'Équipe Champion of Champions · 2011
- LFP Awards · 2011
- list of UEFA Champions League top scorers · 2011
- Olimpia Award · 2011
- Onze d'Or · 2011
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira · 2011
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano · 2011
- Trofeo EFE · 2011
- Trofeo Gol Televisión · 2011
- UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award · 2011
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2011
- World Soccer Award · 2011
- Don Balón Award · 2010
- El País King of European Soccer · 2010
- European Golden Shoe · 2010
- FIFA Ballon d'Or · 2010
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2010
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2010
- IFFHS World Team · 2010
- IFFHS World's Best Player · 2010
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker · 2010
- IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer · 2010
- LFP Awards · 2010
- list of UEFA Champions League top scorers · 2010
- Pichichi Trophy · 2010
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira · 2010
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano · 2010
- Trofeo EFE · 2010
- Trofeo Gol Televisión · 2010
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2010
- Ballon d'Or · 2009
- Don Balón Award · 2009
- El País King of European Soccer · 2009
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2009
- FIFA World Player of the Year · 2009
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2009
- LFP Awards · 2009
- list of UEFA Champions League top scorers · 2009
- Marca Leyenda · 2009
- Onze d'Or · 2009
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano · 2009
- Trofeo EFE · 2009
- UEFA Club Football Awards · 2009
- UEFA Club Footballer of the Year · 2009
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2009
- World Soccer Award · 2009
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2008
- FIFPRO · 2008
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2008
- Premios Protagonistas · 2008
- UEFA Team of the Year · 2008
- Bravo Award · 2007
- Don Balón Award · 2007
- FIFA FIFPro World XI · 2007
- FIFPRO · 2007
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2007
- Trofeo EFE · 2007
- FIFPRO · 2006
- Alejandro buceta · 2005
- FIFA U-20 World Cup awards · 2005
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina · 2005
- IFFHS World Team
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker
Filmography22 titles
Captains of the World
Gold Stars: The Story of the FIFA World Cup Tournaments
Protectors
Take the Ball, Pass the Ball: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World
Messi Meets America
Kidnapping Inc.
Real Madrid: Until the End
Ángel Di María: Breaking Down the Wall
I Choose to Believe
Argentine National Team, Road to Qatar
Ronaldinho: The One and Only
Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend
My Name Is Francesco Totti
Neymar: The Perfect Chaos
Ronaldo
The Panama Papers
Ronaldo vs. Messi: Face Off!
Goal II: Living the Dream
This Is Football
Six Dreams
Emi Martínez: The Kid Who Stops Time
Lionel Messi - The Greatest