Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi[note 1] (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.

Messi and the national team finally broke Argentina's 28-year trophy drought with a victory in the 2021 Copa América, where he was named the tournament's best player and which later helped him win his seventh Ballon d'Or that year.

[3] Growing up in a tight-knit, football-loving family, "Leo" developed a passion for the sport from an early age, playing constantly with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi, both of whom became professional footballers.

A week after suffering a broken cheekbone during a league match, Messi was allowed to start the game on the condition that he wear a plastic protector; soon hindered by the mask, he took it off and scored two goals in 10 minutes before his substitution.

[35][48] His performance, creating two chances and a shot on goal, impressed the technical staff, and he subsequently began training daily with the club's reserve side, Barcelona B, as well as weekly with the first team.

He helped save them from the relegation zone of the Tercera División, scoring five goals in ten games, including a hat-trick in eight minutes during a Copa del Rey match while man-marked by Sevilla's Sergio Ramos.

[50] He made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on 16 October 2004 against Espanyol,[35] and scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005 against Albacete, from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming at that time the youngest-ever scorer for the club.

[110] These statistics, as well as lopsided losses in the Champions League where Messi was unfit, gave credence to the notion of Messidependencia, Barcelona's perceived tactical and psychological dependence on their star player.

[118] A hat-trick scored against Sevilla earlier in the season would also make him the all-time top scorer in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra.

[119] After securing the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League that year, Messi helped Barcelona become the first club to win the continental treble twice.

[153] On 10 August 2021, Messi joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), reuniting him with Neymar, for the 2021–22 season on a two-year deal until June 2023 with an option for an extra year.

[160] Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar year in addition to captaining Argentina to the 2021 Copa América, Messi received a record seventh Ballon d'Or.

[195] During a 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage match against Greece, where a majority of the starters rested due to a secured place in the knockout rounds, Messi would wear the captain's armband for the first time.

[204] In the 2016 Copa América Centenario semi-final against the United States, a goal from Messi would put him ahead of Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches.

[222] Due to his short stature, Messi has a lower centre of gravity than taller players, which gives him greater agility, allowing him to change direction more quickly and evade opposing tackles;[223][224] this has led the Spanish media to dub him La Pulga Atómica ("The Atomic Flea").

[240] Messi's pace and technical ability enable him to undertake individual dribbling runs towards goal, in particular during counterattacks, usually starting from the halfway line or the right side of the pitch.

[223][224] As his career advanced, and his athleticism and tendency to dribble diminished slightly with age, Messi began to dictate play in deeper areas of the pitch and developed into one of the best passers and playmakers in football history.

[248] Upon his first-team debut, he was moved onto the right wing by manager Frank Rijkaard; from this position, he could more easily cut through the defence into the middle of the pitch and curl shots on goal with his left foot, rather than predominantly cross balls for teammates.

[36] Under the stewardship of Luis Enrique, Messi initially returned to playing in the right-sided position that characterised much of his early career in the manager's 4–3–3 formation,[249][250] while he was increasingly deployed in a deeper, free playmaking role in later seasons.

[270][271][272] However, his subsequent victories in the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup resulted in him finally winning every top tier trophy at both the club and country levels, an achievement that many pundits felt cemented Messi's legacy.

[270][292][297] Also unlike Maradona, Messi never played in the Argentine Primera División, therefore depriving his countrymen a chance to watch him develop and prove himself, and through no fault of his own would do this overseas in La Liga instead.

[27][297] Argentines also identified more with the fiery, extroverted and controversial Maradona who came from the slums, character traits that they felt aligned with their national values, as opposed to the reserved, introverted and unassuming Messi who had a comparable unremarkable upbringing in Rosario.

[270][299][300] Furthermore, Messi's lack of outward passion for the Albiceleste shirt, early tendency not to sing the national anthem, and disinclination to emotional displays have in the past led to the false perception that he felt more Catalan rather than truly Argentine.

[319] During the festival, umbrellas carrying the illuminated cut outs of Messi holding the World Cup trophy were displayed on the top of caparisoned elephants during the Kudamattam ceremony.

[345][346] From 2010, concurrently with increased achievements as a player, his marketing appeal widened, leading to long-term endorsement deals with luxury brands Dolce & Gabbana and Audemars Piguet.

[363] It was established in 2007 following a visit Messi paid to a hospital for terminally ill children in Boston, an experience that resonated with him to the point that he decided to reinvest part of his earnings into society.

[364][365] In addition to his own fundraising activities, such as his global "Messi and Friends" football matches, his foundation receives financial support from various companies to which he has assigned his name in endorsement agreements, with Adidas as their main sponsor.

[366][367] A gold replica of his left foot, weighing 25 kg (55 lb) and valued at $5.3 million, went on sale in Japan in 2013 to raise funds for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

[372] In November 2016, with the Argentine Football Association being run by a FIFA committee for emergency due to an economic crisis, it was reported that three of the national team's security staff told Messi that they had not received their salaries for six months.

[376] In January 2025, Messi was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States, by President Joe Biden for his contributions in supporting healthcare and education programs for children around the world.