Lionel Messi – Wikipedia

Argentine association football player ( give birth 1987 )
“ Messi ” redirects here. For early uses, see Messi ( disambiguation )
Lionel Andrés Messi [ note 1 ] ( spanish pronunciation : [ ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi ] ( ) ; born 24 June 1987 ), besides known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine master football player who plays as a ahead for Ligue 1 cabaret Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the global and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all clock, Messi has won a commemorate seven Ballon d’Or awards, [ note 2 ] a criminal record six european Golden Shoes, and in 2020 was named to the Ballon d’Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his stallion professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 35 trophies, including ten-spot La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. A fecund goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals in La Liga ( 474 ), a La Liga and European league temper ( 50 ), most hat-tricks in La Liga ( 36 ) and the UEFA Champions League ( 8 ), and most assists in La Liga ( 192 ), a La Liga season ( 21 ) and the Copa América ( 17 ). He besides holds the read for most external goals by a south american english male ( 80 ). Messi has scored over 750 elder career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a actor for a individual club.

Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13, for whom he made his competitive introduction aged 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, and in his beginning uninterrupted season in 2008–09 he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in spanish football ; that class, aged 22, Messi won his first Ballon d’Or. Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning four consecutive Ballons d’Or, making him the first player to win the award four times and in a rowing. [ 10 ] During the 2011–12 season, he set the La Liga and european records for most goals scored in a one season, while establishing himself as Barcelona ‘s all-time top scorer. The stick to two seasons, Messi finished second for the Ballon d’Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo ( his perceived career rival ), before regaining his best form during the 2014–15 campaign, becoming the all-time exceed scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic moment treble, after which he was awarded a one-fifth Ballon d’Or in 2015. Messi assumed captainship of Barcelona in 2018, and in 2019 he won a record sixth Ballon d’Or. Out of contract, he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021. An Argentine international, Messi is both his state ‘s highest appearance-maker and their all-time lead goalscorer. At young degree, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and an Olympic amber decoration at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His dash of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with his compatriot Diego Maradona, who described Messi as his successor. After his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup in 2006, and reached the final examination of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named young player of the tournament. As the police squad ‘s captain from August 2011, he led Argentina to three back-to-back finals : the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which he won the Golden Ball, and the 2015 and 2016 Copa América, winning the Golden Ball in the 2015 edition. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to reservation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a third-place coating at the 2019 Copa América, and won the 2021 Copa América, while winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot award for the latter. This accomplishment would see him receive a record one-seventh Ballon d’Or in 2021. Messi has endorsed sportswear company Adidas since 2006. According to France Football, he was the world ‘s highest-paid football player for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014, and was ranked the global ‘s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019. Messi was among Time ‘s 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and 2012. In February 2020, he was awarded the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, therefore becoming the first football player and the inaugural team sport athlete to win the award. Later that year, Messi became the second football player ( and second team-sport athlete ) to surpass $ 1 billion in career earnings .

early liveliness

Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe, [11] the third gear of four children of Jorge Messi, a sword factory coach, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a attraction manufacture workshop. On his church father ‘s side, he is of italian and spanish descent, the great-grandson of immigrants from the northcentral Adriatic Marche area of Italy and Catalonia, and on his mother ‘s side, he has chiefly italian lineage. 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. At the age of four he joined local cabaret Grandoli, where he was coached by his church father, though his earliest determine as a actor came from his maternal grandma, Celia, who accompanied him to prepare and matches. [ 13 ] He was greatly affected by her death, shortly before his eleventh birthday ; since then, as a devout Catholic, he has celebrated his goals by looking up and pointing to the flip in tribute to his grandma. [ 15 ]

“ When you saw him you would think : this kid ca n’t play ball. He ‘s a dwarf, he ‘s besides delicate, excessively small. But immediately you ‘d realise that he was born different, that he was a phenomenon and that he was going to be something impressive. ”

– Newell ‘s Old Boys youth passenger car Adrián Coria shares his beginning depression of the 12-year-old Messi .
A lifelong garter of Newell ‘s Old Boys, Messi joined the Rosario club when he was six years previous. During the six years he played for Newell ‘s, he scored about 500 goals as a extremity of “ The Machine of ’87 ”, the near-unbeatable youth slope named for the year of their birth, and regularly entertained crowd by performing ball tricks during half-time of the first team ‘s base games. [ 17 ] however, his future as a professional musician was threatened when, at old age 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone insufficiency. As his don ‘s health indemnity covered merely two years of growth hormone discussion, which cost at least $ 1,000 per calendar month, Newell ‘s agree to contribute, but late reneged on their promise. [ 19 ] He was scouted by Buenos Aires club River Plate, whose playmaker, Pablo Aimar, he idolised, but they were besides unable to pay for his discussion due to Argentina ‘s economic collapse. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] His goalscoring paragon growing up was Ronaldo, with Messi calling him “ the best fore I ‘ve ever seen ”. [ 22 ]
As the Messi kin had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000. First team director Charly Rexach immediately wanted to sign him, but the board of directors hesitated ; at the clock it was highly strange for european clubs to sign foreign players of such a young long time. On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, with no other composition at hand, offered a narrow on a paper diaper. [ 20 ] [ 23 ] In February 2001, the syndicate relocated to Barcelona, where they moved into an apartment near the club ‘s stadium, Camp Nou. During his beginning class in Spain, Messi rarely played with the Infantiles due to a transfer battle with Newell ‘s ; as a foreigner, he could only be fielded in friendlies and the Catalan league. Without football, he struggled to integrate into the team ; already reserved by nature, he was thus hushed that his teammates initially believed he was muffle. At home, he suffered from homesickness after his mother moved back to Rosario with his brothers and fiddling sister, María Sol, while he stayed in Barcelona with his father. [ 17 ] [ 23 ] [ 24 ] After a year at Barcelona ‘s youth academy, La Masia, Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation ( RFEF ) in February 2002. immediately playing in all competitions, he befriended his teammates, among whom were Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué. After completing his growth hormone discussion aged 14, Messi became an built-in part of the “ Baby Dream Team ”, Barcelona ‘s greatest-ever youth side. During his foremost full season ( 2002–03 ), he was top scorer with 36 goals in 30 games for the Cadetes A, who won an unprecedented ternary of the league and both the spanish and Catalan cups. [ 27 ] The Copa Catalunya concluding, a 4–1 victory over Espanyol, became known in club lore as the partido de la máscara, the final of the mask. A workweek after suffering a break cheekbone during a league match, Messi was allowed to start the game on the stipulate that he wear a formative defender ; soon hindered by the dissemble, he took it off and scored two goals in 10 minutes before his substitution. At the close of the season, he received an offer to join Arsenal, his beginning from a extraneous club, but while Fàbregas and Piqué soon left for England, he chose to remain in Barcelona. [ 23 ] [ 29 ] [ 30 ]

Club career

Barcelona

2003–2005 : rise to the first team

“ It seemed as if he had been playing with us all his biography. ”

– Barcelona ‘s then assistant coach Henk ten Cate on Messi ‘s first-team debut. [ 31 ]
During the 2003–04 temper, his fourthly with Barcelona, Messi quickly progressed through the club ‘s ranks, debuting for a read five young person teams in a single campaign. [ 32 ] After being named player of the tournament in four external pre-season competitions with the Juveniles B, he played only one official pit with the team before being promoted to the Juveniles A, where he scored 18 goals in 11 league games. [ 34 ] Messi was then one of several youth players called up to strengthen a depleted first team during the international better. french winger Ludovic Giuly explained how a adolescent Leo caught the eye in a train session with Frank Rijkaard ‘s first team : “ He destroyed us all … They were kicking him all over the identify to avoid being ridiculed by this kid, he equitable got improving and kept on dally. He would dribble past four players and score a goal. evening the team ‘s starting centre-backs were skittish. He was an stranger. ” [ 35 ] At 16 years, four months, and 23 days honest-to-god, Messi made his first team debut when he came on in the 75th moment during a friendly against José Mourinho ‘s Porto on 16 November 2003. [ 23 ] [ 36 ] His performance, creating two chances and a shoot on goal, impressed the technical foul staff, and he subsequently began training casual with the cabaret ‘s substitute side, Barcelona B, a well as weekly with the first team. After his first coach school term with the senior squad, Barça ‘s raw star actor, Ronaldinho, told his teammates that he believed the 16-year-old would become an even better actor than himself. Ronaldinho soon befriended Messi, whom he called “ little brother ”, which greatly eased his transition into the first team. [ 40 ]
Messi playing against Málaga in 2005 To gain further match experience, Messi joined Barcelona C in addition to the Juveniles A, playing his first game for the third base team on 29 November. He helped save them from the relegation zone of the Tercera División, scoring five goals in ten-spot games, including a hat-trick in eight minutes during a Copa del Rey match while man-marked by Sevilla ‘s Sergio Ramos. His build up was reflected in his first professional contract, signed on 4 February 2004, which lasted until 2012 and contained an initial buyout article of €30 million. A calendar month later, on 6 March, he made his debut for Barcelona B in the Segunda División B, and his buyout clause mechanically increased to €80 million. He played five games with the B team that temper but did not score. [ 43 ] Physically he was weaker than his opponents, who were much much older and tall, and in education he worked on increasing his muscle mass and overall forte in order to be able to shake off defenders. Towards the end of the season, he returned to both youth teams, helping the Juveniles B win the league. He finished the campaign having scored for four of his five teams with a total of 36 goals in all official competitions. During the 2004–05 temper, Messi was a undertake starter for the B team, playing 17 games throughout the political campaign and scoring on six occasions. [ 44 ] Since his introduction the former November, he had not been called up to the inaugural team again, but in October 2004, the senior players asked director Frank Rijkaard to promote him. Since Ronaldinho already played on the left fly, Rijkaard moved Messi from his usual status onto the right flank ( though initially against the musician ‘s wishes ), allowing him to cut into the center of the lurch and shoot with his dominant leftover foot. [ 46 ] Messi made his league debut during the next match on 16 October, against Espanyol, coming on in the 82nd minute. [ 23 ] At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest musician to represent Barcelona in an official competition. [ 40 ] As a substitute player, he played 244 minutes in nine matches for the first team that season, including his debut in the UEFA Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk. [ 44 ] He scored his first aged finish on 1 May 2005, against Albacete, from an help by Ronaldinho, becoming – at that clock – the youngest-ever scorekeeper for the club. [ 47 ] Barcelona, in their second season under Rijkaard, won the league for the inaugural time in six years. [ 48 ]

2005–2008 : Becoming a start eleven player

“ In my entire animation I have never seen a actor of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the ‘heavy ‘ shirt of one of the world ‘s great clubs. ”

– Fabio Capello praises the 18-year-old Messi following the Joan Gamper trophy in August 2005 .
On 24 June, his eighteenth birthday, Messi signed his first shrink as a aged team actor. It made him a Barcelona player until 2010, two years less than his former condense, but his buyout article increased to €150 million. His breakthrough came two months later, on 24 August, during the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona ‘s pre-season contest. A starter for the first fourth dimension, he gave a well-received performance against Fabio Capello ‘s Juventus, receiving an ovation from the Camp Nou. While Capello requested to lend Messi, a wish to buy him came from Inter Milan, who were will to pay his €150 million buyout clause and triple his wages. [ 50 ] According to then-president Joan Laporta, it was the only time the club faced a veridical risk of losing Messi, but he ultimately decided to stay. On 16 September, his contract was updated for the moment time in three months and extended to 2014. [ 52 ]
Messi during a coach session with Barcelona in 2006 due to issues regarding his legal condition in the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Messi missed the start of La Liga, but on 26 September, he acquired spanish citizenship and became eligible to play. [ 52 ] Wearing the count 19 shirt, he gradually established himself as the first-choice right winger, forming an attacking trio with Ronaldinho and hitter Samuel Eto’o. [ 30 ] [ 55 ] He was in the starting line-up in major matches like his first gear Clásico against rivals substantial Madrid on 19 November, a well as Barcelona ‘s aside victory over Chelsea in the last 16 round of the Champions League, which came on back of an intense time period of competition between the clubs leading a resentful Messi to department of state, “ We would preferably play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea. ” [ 57 ] After he had scored 8 goals in 25 games, including his beginning in the Champions League, [ 58 ] in a 5–0 win over Panathinaikos on 2 November 2005, [ 59 ] his season ended prematurely during the retort stage against Chelsea on 7 March 2006, when he suffered a tear hamstring. Messi worked to regain seaworthiness in time for the Champions League final, but on 17 May, the day of the final examination, he was finally ruled out. He was so disappoint that he did not celebrate his team ‘s victory over Arsenal in Paris, something he belated came to regret. [ 48 ] While Barcelona began a gradual decline, the 19-year-old Messi established himself as one of the best players in the populace during the 2006–07 crusade. [ 60 ] [ 61 ] Already an paragon to the culés, the club ‘s supporters, he scored 17 goals in 36 games across all competitions. [ 61 ] [ 62 ] however, he continued to be plagued by major injuries ; a metatarsal fracture sustained on 12 November 2006 kept him out of action for three months. [ 63 ] [ 64 ] He recovered in prison term for the last 16 round of the Champions League against Liverpool, but was efficaciously marked out of the crippled ; Barcelona, the predominate champions, were out of the competition. In the league, his finish contribution increased towards the end of the season ; 11 of his 14 goals came from the last 13 games. [ 62 ] On 10 March 2007, he scored his beginning hat-trick in a Clásico, the first musician to do therefore in 12 years, equalising after each finish by real Madrid to end the catch in a 3–3 draw in wound time. [ 66 ] His growing importance to the clubhouse was reflected in a new abridge, signed that calendar month, which greatly increased his wages .
Messi making his Maradona-esque ply against Getafe in 2007 already frequently compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, Messi proved their similarity when he about replicated Maradona ‘s two most celebrated goals in the straddle of seven weeks. [ 68 ] During a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe on 18 April, he scored a goal signally alike to Maradona ‘s second finish in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, known as the Goal of the Century. Messi collected the ball on the right side near the halfway line, ran 60 metres ( 66 yd ), and beat five defenders before scoring with an angle polish, just as Maradona had done. [ 20 ] [ 69 ] A league equal against Espanyol on 9 June saw him score by launching himself at the ball and guiding it past the goalkeeper with his hand in exchangeable fashion to Maradona ‘s Hand of God finish in the like World Cup equal. [ 70 ] As Messi continued his individual rise, Barcelona faltered ; the team failed to reach the Copa del Rey final after Messi was rested during the second leg against Getafe and lost the league to Real Madrid on neck and neck results. [ 71 ] [ 72 ] After Ronaldinho lost form, Messi became Barça ‘s new star player at lone 20 years honest-to-god, receiving the nickname “ Messiah “ from the spanish media. [ 20 ] [ 73 ] [ 74 ] His efforts in 2007 besides earned him award recognition ; journalists voted him the third-best musician of the year for the 2007 Ballon d’Or, behind Kaká and runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo, while external managers and national team captains voted him second for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, again behind Kaká. [ 76 ] Although he managed to score 16 goals during the 2007–08 campaign, [ 77 ] the second base half of his season was again marred by injuries after he suffered a pluck hamstring on 15 December. [ 78 ] He returned to score twice in their away victory against Celtic in the final 16 beat of the Champions League, becoming the rival ‘s top scorer at that point with six goals, [ 79 ] but reinjured himself during the restitution leg on 4 March 2008. Rijkaard had fielded him despite warning from the checkup staff, leading master Carles Puyol to criticise the spanish media for pressuring Messi to play every match. [ 78 ] Barcelona finished the season without trophies, eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Manchester United, and placed third in the league. [ 80 ]

2008–09 : First treble

After two unsuccessful seasons, Barcelona were in motivation of an overhaul, leading to the deviation of Rijkaard and Ronaldinho. Upon the latter ‘s departure, Messi was given the number 10 shirt. [ 55 ] He signed a new contract in July with an annual wage of €7.8 million, becoming the club ‘s highest-paid player. [ 82 ] Ahead of the new season, a major concern remained his frequent mesomorphic injuries, which had left him side-lined for a sum of eight months between 2006 and 2008. To combat the problem, the club implemented new prepare, nutrition, and life style regimens, and assigned him a personal physical therapist, who would travel with him during call-ups for the Argentina national team. As a result, Messi remained about injury-free during the following four years, allowing him to reach his full potential. [ 64 ] [ 83 ] Despite his injuries early in the year, his performances in 2008 saw him again voted runner-up for the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times behind Cristiano Ronaldo. [ 84 ]
In his first continuous campaign, the 2008–09 season, he scored 38 goals in 51 games, contributing aboard Eto’o and winger Thierry Henry to a total of 100 goals in all competitions, a criminal record at the meter for the cabaret. [ 85 ] [ 86 ] During his first season under Barcelona ‘s new director, erstwhile captain Pep Guardiola, Messi played chiefly on the right wing, like he had under Rijkaard, though this time as a assumed winger with the exemption to cut inside and roam the center. During the Clásico on 2 May 2009, however, he played for the first time as a false nine, positioned as a centre-forward but dropping deep into midfield to link up with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. He set up his side ‘s first goal and scored doubly to end the match in an emphatic 6–2 victory, the team ‘s greatest-ever score at Real Madrid ‘s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. [ 88 ] Returning to the wing, he played his first base final since breaking into the beginning team on 13 May, scoring once and assisting a second goal as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–1 to win the Copa del Rey. [ 89 ] With 23 league goals from Messi that season, Barcelona became La Liga champions three days late and achieved its fifth double. [ 85 ] [ 90 ] As the season ‘s Champions League top scorekeeper with nine goals, the youngest in the tournament ‘s history, [ 91 ] Messi scored two goals and assisted two more to ensure a 4–0 quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich. He returned as a faithlessly nine during the final on 27 May in Rome against Manchester United. Barcelona were crowned champions of Europe by winning the match 2–0, the second goal coming from a Messi heading over goalkeeper Edwin avant-garde five hundred Sar. Barcelona therefore achieved the first ternary in the history of spanish football. [ 92 ] This success was reflected in a raw contract, signed on 18 September, which committed Messi to the club through 2016 with a new buyout article of €250 million, while his wage increased to €12 million .

2009–10 : first Ballon d’Or

His team ‘s prosperity continued into the second half of 2009, as Barcelona became the first golf club to achieve the sextuple, winning six top-tier trophies in a individual year. [ 93 ] After victories in the Supercopa de España and UEFA Super Cup in August, Barcelona won the FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes de La Plata on 19 December, with Messi scoring the winning 2–1 finish with his thorax. [ 94 ] At 22 years old, Messi won the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times by the greatest vote margin in each trophy ‘s history .

“ Messi is the best musician in the world by some distance. He ‘s like a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make. ”

– Arsène Wenger commends Messi for his four-goal expose against Arsenal in April 2010. [ 95 ]
The new year, however, started on a less cocksure note for Barcelona, as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Sevilla in the Round of 16. [ 96 ] Unsatisfied with his position on the properly wing – with the baseball club ‘s summer acquisition Zlatan Ibrahimović occupying the cardinal forward function – Messi resumed playing as a faithlessly nine in early 2010, beginning with a Champions League death 16-round match against VfB Stuttgart. After a first-leg draw, Barcelona won the second stage 4–0 with two goals and an help from Messi. At that charge, he effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola ‘s team, and his goalscoring rate increased. Messi scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions that season, equaling Ronaldo ‘s clubhouse phonograph record from the 1996–97 campaign. [ 98 ] [ 99 ] He scored all of his side ‘s four goals in the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal on 6 April while becoming Barcelona ‘s all-time crown scorekeeper in the competition. [ 100 ] Although Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Inter Milan, Messi finished the temper as crown scorer ( with 8 goals ) for the second consecutive year. [ 101 ] As the league ‘s exceed scorer with 34 goals ( again tying Ronaldo ‘s read ), he helped Barcelona win a second gear back-to-back La Liga trophy with lone a single get the better of and earned his first european Golden Shoe. [ 99 ] [ 102 ]

2010–11 : Fifth La Liga title and third base Champions League

Messi secured Barcelona ‘s first trophy of the 2010–11 campaign, the Supercopa de España, by scoring a hat-trick in his english ‘s second-leg 4–0 victory over Sevilla, after a first-leg kill. [ 103 ] Assuming a playmaking function, he was again implemental in a Clásico on 29 November 2010, the first with José Mourinho in charge of Real Madrid, as Barcelona defeated their rivals 5–0. [ 104 ] Messi helped the team achieve 16 consecutive league victories, a commemorate in spanish football, concluding with another hat-trick against Atlético Madrid on 5 February 2011. [ 105 ] [ 106 ] His clubhouse performances in 2010 earned him the inaugural FIFA Ballon d’Or, an amalgamation of the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, though his succeed was met with some criticism due to his miss of success with Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. [ 107 ] Under the award ‘s old format, he would have placed just outside the top three, owing his acquire to the votes from the external coaches and captains. [ 107 ] Towards the end of the season, Barcelona played four Clásicos in the bridge of 18 days. A league match on 16 April ended in a pull back after a punishment from Messi. After Barcelona lost the Copa del Rey concluding four days late, Messi scored both goals in his side ‘s 2–0 acquire in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals in Madrid, the second of which – a slalom drip past three Real players – was acclaimed as one of the best ever in the rival. [ 108 ] Although he did not score, he was again authoritative in the second-leg draw that sent Barcelona through to the Champions League final, [ 109 ] where they faced Manchester United in a repeat of the concluding two years in the first place. As the competition ‘s top scorer for the third gear straight year, with 12 goals, Messi gave a man-of-the-match performance at Wembley on 28 May, scoring the match-winning goal of Barça ‘s 3–1 victory. [ 111 ] [ 112 ] Barcelona won a third base consecutive La Liga title. In addition to his 31 goals, Messi was besides the league ‘s top help supplier with 18. [ 113 ] [ 114 ] He finished the season with 53 goals and 24 assists in all competitions, becoming Barcelona ‘s all-time single-season top scorekeeper and the inaugural player in spanish football to reach the 50-goal benchmark. [ 113 ] [ 115 ]
As Messi developed into a combination of a number 8 ( a creator ), a 9 ( scorekeeper ), and a 10 ( assistant ), [ 116 ] he scored an unprecedented 73 goals and provided 29 assists in all baseball club competitions during the 2011–12 season, producing a hat-trick or more on 10 occasions. [ 118 ] [ 119 ] He began the campaign by helping Barcelona win both the spanish and european Super Cups ; in the Supercopa de España, he scored three times to achieve a 5–4 aggregate victory over Real Madrid, overtaking Raúl as the contest ‘s all-time top scorer with eight goals. [ 120 ] [ 121 ] At the cheeseparing of the class, on 18 December, he scored doubly in the FIFA Club World Cup final, a 4–0 victory over Santos, earning the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament, as he had done two years previously. [ 122 ] For his efforts in 2011, he again received the FIFA Ballon d’Or, becoming only the one-fourth player in history to win the Ballon d’Or three times, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. [ 123 ] additionally, he won the inaugural address UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, a revival of the old-style Ballon d’Or. [ 124 ] By then, Messi was already wide considered one of the best footballers in history, alongside players like Diego Maradona and Pelé. [ 24 ]

2012 : A record-breaking year

“ I feel good-for-nothing for those who want to compete for Messi ‘s throne – it ‘s impossible, this kid is alone. ”

– Pep Guardiola after Messi became Barcelona ‘s all-time top scorekeeper at age 24 in March 2012 [ 125 ]
As Messi maintained his goalscoring kind into the second half of the season, the class 2012 saw him break respective longstanding records. On 7 March, two weeks after scoring four goals in a league regular against Valencia, he scored five times in a Champions League last 16-round equal against Bayer Leverkusen, an unprecedented accomplishment in the history of the competition. [ 126 ] [ 127 ] In summation to being the joint circus tent assist provider with five assists, this feat made him top scorekeeper with 14 goals, tying José Altafini ‘s commemorate from the 1962–63 season, angstrom well as becoming only the second player after Gerd Müller to be top scorer in four campaigns. [ 128 ] [ 129 ] Two weeks later, on 20 March, Messi became the top goalscorer in Barcelona ‘s history at 24 years old, overtaking the 57-year record of César Rodríguez ‘s 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada. [ 130 ]
Messi pointing to the flip following his criminal record five-goal display against Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in 2012 Despite Messi ‘s individual form, Barcelona ‘s four-year motorbike of achiever under Guardiola – one of the greatest earned run average in the cabaret ‘s history – drew to an end. [ 131 ] Although Barcelona won the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao on 25 May, its 14th entitle of that period, the team lost the league to Real Madrid and was eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Chelsea, with Messi sending a all-important second-leg penalty recoil against the crossbar. [ 132 ] [ 133 ] In Barça ‘s last home league match on 5 May, against Espanyol, Messi scored all four goals before approaching the bench to embrace Guardiola, who had announced his resignation as coach. [ 134 ] He finished the season as league top scorekeeper in Spain and Europe for a second time, with 50 goals, a La Liga read, while his 73 goals in all competitions surpassed Gerd Müller ‘s 67 goals in the 1972–73 Bundesliga temper, making him the single-season top scorer in the history of european club football. [ 135 ] [ 136 ] Under director Tito Vilanova, who had first coached him aged 14 at La Masia, Messi helped the club achieve its best-ever start to a La Liga season during the second base half of 2012, amassing 55 points by the competition ‘s midway point, a record in spanish football. [ 137 ] A double scored on 9 December against Real Betis saw Messi break two longstanding records : he surpassed César Rodríguez ‘s record of 190 league goals, becoming Barcelona ‘s all-time acme scorer in La Liga, and Gerd Müller ‘s commemorate of most goals scored in a calendar year, overtaking his 85 goals scored in 1972 for Bayern Munich and West Germany. [ 138 ] Messi sent Müller a count 10 Barcelona shirt, signed “ with obedience and wonder ”, after breaking his 40-year criminal record. [ 139 ] At the close of the year, Messi had scored a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina. [ 140 ] Although FIFA did not acknowledge the accomplishment, citing verifiability issues, he received the Guinness World Records title for most goals scored in a calendar class. [ 141 ] [ 142 ] As the odds-on favorite, Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d’Or, becoming the alone player in history to win the Ballon d’Or four times. [ 140 ] [ 143 ]

2013–14 : Messidependencia

Barcelona had about secured their La Liga title by the depart of 2013, finally equalling Real Madrid ‘s 100-point record of the previous season. however, their performances deteriorated in the second one-half of the 2012–13 campaign, concurrently with Vilanova ‘s absence due to ill health. [ 144 ] After losing consecutive Clásicos, including the Copa del Rey semi-finals, they were about eliminated in the first hard round of the Champions League by AC Milan, but a revival of form in the second leg led to a 4–0 rejoinder, with two goals and an assist from Messi. [ 145 ] now in his ninth elder season with Barcelona, Messi signed a new sign on 7 February, committing himself to the club through 2018, while his fix engage rose to €13 million. [ 147 ] He wore the captain ‘s armband for the first base clock a month late, on 17 March, in a league match against Rayo Vallecano ; by then, he had become the team ‘s tactical focal point to a degree that was arguably rivalled only by former Barcelona players Josep Samitier, László Kubala and Johan Cruyff. [ 148 ] Since his development into a false nine three years earlier, his input signal into the team ‘s attack had increased ; from 24 % in their treble-winning campaign, his goal contribution rose to more than 40 % that season .

“ In Leo we are talking about the best player in the worldly concern and when things are not going well you have to use him. even if he is half square, his presence on the pitch is adequate to lift us and our play in general. ”

– Defender Gerard Piqué explains Barcelona ‘s reliance on an unfit Messi against Paris Saint-Germain in April 2013. [ 150 ]
After four largely injury-free seasons, the muscular injuries that had previously plagued Messi reoccurred. After he suffered a hamstring form on 2 April, during the first quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, his appearances became sporadic. In the second branch against PSG, with an underperform Barcelona down a goal, Messi came off the bench in the second half and within nine minutes helped create their game-tying goal, which allowed them to progress to the semi-finals. still unfit, he proved ineffective during the first peg against Bayern Munich and was unable to play at all during the second base, as Barcelona were defeated 7–0 on aggregate by the eventual champions. [ 151 ] These matches gave credenza to the notion of Messidependencia, Barcelona ‘s perceive tactical and psychological addiction on their star player. [ 151 ]
Messi during a plot against Almería in 2014 Messi continued to struggle with wound throughout 2013, finally parting ways with his long-time personal physical therapist. [ 152 ] Further price to his hamstring sustained on 12 May ended his goalscoring mottle of 21 back-to-back league games, a worldwide criminal record ; he had netted 33 goals during his run, including a four-goal display against Osasuna, while becoming the first base actor to score consecutively against all 19 opposition teams in La Liga. [ 153 ] [ 154 ] With 60 goals in all competitions, including 46 goals in La Liga, he finished the campaign as league peak scorer in Spain and Europe for the second consecutive year, becoming the first musician in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times. [ 155 ] [ 156 ] Following an irregular starting signal to the new season under coach Gerardo Martino, once of his boyhood club Newell ‘s Old Boys, Messi suffered his fifth injury of 2013 when he tore his hamstring on 10 November, leaving him sidelined for two months. [ 158 ] Despite his injuries, he was voted runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d’Or, relinquishing the prize after a four-year monopoly to Cristiano Ronaldo. [ 159 ] During the second half of the 2013–14 temper, doubts persisted over Messi ‘s form, leading to a perception among the culés that he was reserving himself for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Statistically, his contribution of goals, shots, and passes had dropped significantly compared to former seasons. [ 160 ] [ 161 ] He inactive managed to break two longstanding records in a cross of seven days : a hat-trick on 16 March against Osasuna saw him overtake Paulino Alcántara ‘s 369 goals to become Barcelona ‘s crown goalscorer in all competitions including friendlies, while another hat-trick against Real Madrid on 23 March made him the all-time top scorer in El Clásico, ahead of the 18 goals scored by former Real Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano. [ 160 ] [ 162 ] Messi finished the crusade with his worst output signal in five seasons, though he distillery managed to score 41 goals in all competitions. [ 161 ] [ 163 ] For the first clock in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy ; they were defeated in the Copa del Rey final by veridical Madrid and lost the league in the end game to Atlético Madrid, causing Messi to be booed by sections of fans at the Camp Nou. [ 164 ] After prolong speculation over his future with the golf club, Messi signed a new condense on 19 May 2014, alone a year after his last contractual update ; his wage increased to €20 million, or €36 million before taxes, the highest wage in the fun. [ 165 ] It was reported that Vilanova played a key function in convincing Messi to stay [ 166 ] amid impregnable interest from Mourinho ‘s Chelsea. [ 167 ]

2014–15 : second double

Messi celebrating his second goal against Granada in 2014 Under fresh coach and early captain Luis Enrique, Messi experienced a largely injury-free begin to the 2014–15 temper, allowing him to break three more longstanding records towards the end of the year. [ 168 ] A hat-trick scored against Sevilla on 22 November made him the all-time circus tent scorer in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra. [ 169 ] A third hat-trick, scored against city rivals Espanyol on 7 December, allowed him to surpass César Rodríguez as the all-time top scorer in the Derbi barceloní with 12 goals. [ 170 ] Messi again placed moment in the FIFA Ballon d’Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, largely owing to his second-place accomplishment with Argentina at the World Cup. [ 171 ] At the start of 2015, Barcelona were perceived to be headed for another disappoint end to the season, with renewed speculation in the media that Messi was leaving the golf club. A turn point came on 11 January during a 3–1 victory over Atlético Madrid, the first base time Barça ‘s attacking trident of Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, dubbed “ MSN ”, each scored in a match, marking the begin of a highly successful range. [ 172 ] [ 173 ] After five years of play in the center of the pitch, Messi had returned to his old position on the right annex late the previous year, by his own hypnotism according to Suárez, their striker. [ 173 ] [ 174 ] From there, he regained his best – arguably his best-ever – mannequin, while Suárez and Neymar ended the team ‘s attacking colony on their ace player. [ 175 ] [ 176 ] With 58 goals from Messi, the three scored a sum of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in spanish football. [ 177 ]
Towards the end of the campaign, Messi scored in a 1–0 away win over Atlético Madrid on 17 May, securing the La Liga championship. [ 178 ] Among his 43 league goals that season was a hat-trick scored in 11 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on 8 March, the fastest of his elder career ; it was his 32nd hat-trick overall for Barcelona, allowing him to overtake Telmo Zarra with the most hat-tricks in spanish football. [ 179 ] As the season ‘s top aid supplier with 18 he surpassed Luís Figo with the most assists in La Liga ; [ note 3 ] he made his phonograph record 106th serve in a fixture against Levante on 15 February, in which he besides scored a hat-trick. [ 180 ] [ 181 ] [ 182 ] Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–1 in the Copa del Rey concluding on 30 May, achieving the one-sixth double in their history. His opening goal was hailed as one of the greatest in his career ; he collected the ball near the halfway line and beat four opposing players, before feinting the goalkeeper to score in a nasty quad by the near post. [ 183 ] In the Champions League, Messi scored twice and set up another in their 3–0 semi-final victory over Bayern Munich, immediately under the stewardship of Guardiola. [ 184 ] His second gear goal, which came lone three minutes after his foremost, saw him chip the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after his dribble by Jérôme Boateng had made the defender cliff to the ground ; it went viral, becoming the year ‘s most pinch about sporting consequence, and was named the best goal of the season by UEFA. [ 185 ] [ 186 ] Despite a second-leg loss, Barcelona progressed to the final examination on 6 June in Berlin, where they defeated Juventus 3–1 to win their second double, becoming the first gear team in history to do so. [ 187 ] [ 188 ] Although Messi did not score, he participated in each of his side ‘s goals, peculiarly the moment as he forced a parry save from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from which Suárez scored the match-winning goal on the rally. [ 177 ] In addition to being the top assist supplier with six assists, Messi finished the competition as the roast top scorekeeper with ten-spot goals, which earned him the distinction of being the first base player ever to achieve the exceed score cross off in five Champions League seasons. [ 189 ] [ 190 ] For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe prize for a second time. [ 191 ]

2015–16 : domestic success

Messi opened the 2015–16 season by scoring twice from complimentary kicks in Barcelona ‘s 5–4 victory ( after extra time ) over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. [ 192 ] On 16 September, he became the youngest actor to make 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League in a 1–1 away reap to Roma. [ 193 ] After a knee injury, he returned to the pitch on 21 November, making a utility appearance in Barcelona ‘s 4–0 away win over rivals real Madrid in El Clásico. [ 194 ] Messi capped off the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Final on 20 December, collecting his one-fifth club trophy of 2015 as Barcelona defeated River Plate 3–0 in Yokohama. [ 195 ] On 30 December, Messi scored on his five-hundredth appearance for Barcelona, in a 4–0 home winnings over real Betis. [ 196 ] On 11 January 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for a record fifth time in his career. [ 197 ] On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick in Barcelona ‘s 7–0 win against Valencia in the first stage of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Camp Nou. [ 198 ] In a 6–1 home succeed against Celta Vigo in the league, Messi assisted Suárez from a penalty kick. Some saw it as “ a touch of brilliance ”, while others criticised it as being disrespectful to the opponent. The Celta players never complained and their bus defended the punishment, state, “ Barca ‘s forwards are very respectful. ” The penalty routine has been compared to that of Barça icon Johan Cruyff in 1982, who was battling lung cancer, leading many fans to indicate that the penalty was a protection to him. Cruyff himself was “ very glad ” with the play, insisting “ it was legal and entertain ”. [ 199 ] [ 200 ] On 17 February, Messi reached his three-hundredth league goal in a 1–3 aside win against Sporting de Gijón. [ 201 ] A few days late, he scored both goals in Barcelona ‘s 0–2 winnings against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, in the first branch of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League round of 16, with the second finish being Barcelona ‘s 10,000th in official competitions. [ 202 ] On 17 April, Messi ended a five-match seduce drought with his 500th aged career goal for club and country in Barcelona ‘s 2–1 home loss to Valencia. [ 203 ] Messi finished the 2015–16 season by setting up both goals in Barcelona ‘s 2–0 excess prison term succeed over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey Final, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, on 22 May 2016, as the club celebrated winning the domestic double for the second back-to-back season. [ 204 ] In total, Messi scored 41 goals and provided 23 assists, as Barcelona ‘s attacking trio managed a spanish record of 131 goals throughout the season, breaking the record they had set the previous season. [ 205 ]

2016–17 : Fourth Golden Boot

“ [ Messi ] is indispensable, but the rest of us are dispensable. – No, the baseball club is bigger than any director, than any player … except Leo. That ‘s the reality, and you have to accept it. ”

– In an interview with Barcelona ‘s official magazine, Javier Mascherano outlines Messi ‘s importance to the team. [ 206 ]
Messi opened the 2016–17 season by lifting the 2016 Supercopa de España as Barcelona ‘s captain in the absence of the hurt Andrés Iniesta ; [ 207 ] he set-up Munir ‘s goal in a 2–0 away win over Sevilla in the foremost leg on 14 August, [ 208 ] and subsequently scored in a 3–0 acquire in the come back stage on 17 August. [ 209 ] Three days former, he scored two goals as Barcelona won 6–2 against real Betis in the open crippled of the 2016–17 La Liga season. [ 210 ] On 13 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the open game of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League political campaign against Celtic in a 7–0 victory ; this was besides Messi ‘s sixth hat-trick in the Champions League, the most by any actor. A week late, Messi sustained a groin injury in a 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid and was ruled out with injury for three weeks. [ 211 ] He marked his render with a goal, scoring three minutes after coming off the judiciary in a 4–0 home plate win over Deportivo de La Coruña, on 16 October. [ 212 ] Three days after this, he netted his thirty-seventh baseball club hat-trick as Barcelona defeated Manchester City 4–0. [ 213 ] On 1 November, Messi scored his 54th Champions League group stage goal in Barcelona ‘s 3–1 away loss to Manchester City, surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by Raúl. [ 214 ]
Messi finished the year with 51 goals, making him Europe ‘s top scorer, one ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimović. [ 215 ] After placing second in the 2016 Ballon d’Or, on 9 January 2017 Messi besides finished in moment place – behind Cristiano Ronaldo once again – in the 2016 Best FIFA Men ‘s Player Award. [ 216 ] On 11 January, Messi scored from a free-kick in Barcelona ‘s 3–1 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of the attack of 16 of the Copa del Rey, which enabled Barcelona to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition ; with his 26th goal from a free-kick for Barcelona in all competitions, he equalled the club ‘s all-time record, which had previously been set by Ronald Koeman. [ 217 ] In his next league match, on 14 January, Messi scored in a 5–0 win against Las Palmas ; with this finish, he equalled Raúl ‘s record for the most teams scored against in La Liga ( 35 ). [ 218 ] On 4 February 2017, Messi scored his twenty-seventh free-kick for Barcelona in a 3–0 dwelling acquire over Athletic Bilbao in the league, overtaking Koeman as the baseball club ‘s all-time top-scorer from free-kicks. [ 219 ] On 23 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–2 away win over real Madrid. His game-winning finish in blockage meter was his five-hundredth for Barcelona. [ 220 ] His memorable celebration saw him taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to infuriate Real Madrid fans – with his list and number facing the crowd. [ 221 ] On 27 May, Messi scored a finish and set up another for Paco Alcácer in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final, helping Barcelona to a 3–1 victory over Alavés, and was named Man of the Match. [ 222 ] In total, Messi finished the 2016–17 season with 54 goals and 16 assists, while his 37 goals in La Liga saw him claim both the Pichichi and European Golden Boot Awards for the fourthly meter in his career. [ 223 ]

2017–18 : domestic doubly and a record fifth Golden Boot

Messi opened the 2017–18 season by converting a penalty in Barcelona ‘s 1–3 first leg home kill to Real Madrid in Supercopa de España. [ 224 ] Thereby, Messi besides extended his El Clásico goalscoring record with the goal being his 24th official and 25th overall. [ 225 ] On 9 September, Messi scored his first base hat-trick of the 2017–18 league crusade, against Espanyol in Derbi barceloní, thus helping to secure a 5–0 family victory for Blaugrana over local rivals. [ 226 ] Messi netted twice against Gianluigi Buffon, on 12 September, as Barça defeated the last temper ‘s italian champions Juventus 3–0 at home in the UEFA Champions League. [ 227 ] On 19 September, Messi found the net four times in a 6–1 pan of Eibar at the Camp Nou in La Liga. [ 228 ] Three weeks subsequently, on 1 October, Messi surpassed his former teammate Carles Puyol to become the third base highest appearance maker in the golf club ‘s history, as he helped Barça defeat Las Palmas 3–0 by assisting Sergio Busquets ‘ undoer and former adding two himself in his 594th official game for the club ; the league game was played behind close up doors at the Camp Nou due to violence in Catalonia relating to an ongoing independence referendum. [ 229 ] On 18 October, in his 122nd european baseball club appearance, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and his 100th in all UEFA clubhouse competitions, in a 3–1 home victory over Olympiacos. [ 230 ] Messi became merely the second musician after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this hundred milestone, but accomplished it in 21 fewer appearances than the portuguese counterpart. [ 231 ] On 4 November, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2–1 family winnings over Sevilla in La Liga. [ 232 ] Following the reception of his fourthly Golden Boot, Messi signed a modern conduct with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him with the club through the 2020–21 season. His buyout article was set at €700 million. [ 233 ] On 7 January 2018, Messi made his four-hundredth La Liga appearance with Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Levante, marking the occasion with his 144th league assist and 365th league goal for the baseball club, the latter of which saw him equal Gerd Müller ‘s commemorate for the most league goals scored for the same cabaret in one of Europe ‘s exceed five divisions. [ 234 ] A week former, he broke the record, scoring his 366th La Liga goal from a unblock kick in a 4–2 away win against real Sociedad. [ 234 ] On 4 March, he scored his 600th elder career goal from a barren recoil in a 1–0 home acquire over Atlético Madrid, in La Liga. [ 235 ] On 14 March, Messi scored his 99th and 100th Champions League goals in a 3–0 home succeed over Chelsea, becoming only the second base player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this landmark, in fewer appearances, at a younger age and having taken fewer shots than his portuguese counterpart. [ 236 ] His opening goal, which came after only two minutes and eight seconds, was besides the fastest of his career, as Barcelona advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition for the eleventh straight season. [ 237 ] On 7 April, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Leganés including his sixth goal scored from a free-kick for the temper, matching the record set by former teammate Ronaldinho. [ 238 ] He once again finished the temper as the top scorekeeper in La Liga, with 34 goals, which besides saw him win his fifth Golden Shoe prize. [ 239 ] On 21 April, Messi scored Barcelona ‘s moment goal – his 40th of the season – in a 5–0 winnings over Sevilla in the 2018 Copa del Rey Final, late besides setting up Suárez ‘s second gear goal ; this was Barcelona ‘s fourth straight deed and their 30th overall. [ 240 ] On 29 April, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 away win over Deportivo de La Coruña, which saw Barcelona claim their 25th league title. [ 241 ] On 9 May, Messi scored as Barcelona defeated Villarreal 5–1 to set the longest unbeaten streak ( 43 games ) in La Liga history. [ 242 ]

2018–19 : captain, 10th La Liga title, and a record sixth Golden Boot

With the deviation of erstwhile captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team ‘s new captain for the keep up season. [ 243 ] On 12 August, he lifted his first title as Barcelona ‘s captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. On 19 August, Messi scored twice in helping Barcelona kill Alavés 3–0 in their first La Liga match of the season, with his inaugural goal, a detached kick that he rolled under the jump Alavés wall, making history in being Barcelona ‘s 6000th goal in La Liga. [ 244 ] On 18 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 base gain over PSV Eindhoven in Barcelona ‘s opening Champions League group stage couple of the temper, setting a new commemorate for most hat-tricks in the rival, with eight. [ 245 ] On 20 October, Messi scored in a 4–2 home acquire over Sevilla, but was later forced off in the 26th moment after falling awkwardly and injuring his correct weapon ; tests later confirmed that he had fractured his radial bone, ruling him out for approximately three weeks. [ 246 ] On 8 December, Messi scored two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals from set pieces during the calendar class – in a 4–0 aside win over Derbi barceloní rivals Espanyol in La Liga ; this was the first time ever that he had managed such a feat in the league. His first finish was besides his 10th league finish of the season, making him the first musician ever to reach duplicate figures in La Liga for 13 straight seasons. [ 247 ]
On 13 January 2019, Messi scored his four-hundredth La Liga goal in his 435th league appearance in a 3–0 home win over Eibar, becoming the beginning actor ever to manage this reckoning in just one of Europe ‘s top five leagues. [ 248 ] On 2 February, Messi scored doubly in a 2–2 drawing card against Valencia, with his beginning finish coming from the penalty topographic point, his fiftieth La Liga penalty goal ; as such, he became merely the third actor in La Liga history after Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Sánchez to score 50 penalties in the competition. [ 249 ] Later that month, the baseball club admitted they had begun preparations for Messi ‘s future retirement. [ 250 ] On 23 February, Messi scored the fiftieth hat-trick of his career and besides provided an serve for Suárez, as he helped Barcelona come from behind to achieve a 4–2 away victory over Sevilla in La Liga ; the goal was besides his 650th career goal for cabaret and country at senior level. [ 251 ] On 16 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 dwelling victory over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to give Barcelona a 4–0 aggregate win, which saw Barcelona advancement to the semi-finals of the rival for the inaugural time since 2015 ; these were besides his first base goals in the Champions League quarter-finals since 2013. [ 252 ] [ 253 ] On 27 April, Messi came off the judiciary and scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Levante, which allowed Barcelona to clinch the league claim ; [ 254 ] this was his 450th La Liga appearance, and his first league title as Barcelona ‘s captain. [ 255 ] [ 256 ] On 1 May, Messi scored doubly in a 3–0 home gain over Liverpool in the inaugural leg of the Champions League semi-finals ; his second gear goal of the match, a 35-yard release kick, was the 600th senior club goal of his career, all of which had been scored with Barcelona. [ 257 ] In the refund leg six days by and by at Anfield, Barcelona suffered a 4–0 away get the better of, which saw Liverpool improvement to the concluding 4–3 on aggregate. [ 258 ] On 19 May, in Barcelona ‘s final La Liga equal of the season, Messi scored doubly in a 2–2 away pull back against Eibar ( his 49th and fiftieth goals of the season in all competitions ), which saw him capture his sixth Pichichi Trophy as the league ‘s clear scorekeeper, with 36 goals in 34 appearances ; with six titles, he equalled Zarra as the player with the most top-scorer awards in La Liga. [ 259 ] He besides captured his sixth Golden Shoe award, and a record third straight award since the 2016–17 season. [ 260 ] On 25 May, Messi scored his final examination goal of the season in a 2–1 get the better of to Valencia in the 2019 Copa del Rey Final. [ 261 ]

2019–20 : A record sixth Ballon d’Or

On 5 August 2019, it was announced that Messi would miss Barcelona ‘s US go after sustaining a right calf injury. [ 262 ] On 19 August, Messi ‘s chip goal from the border of the box against Real Betis was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award. [ 263 ] Later that month, he suffered another reverse following the render of his calf injury, which ruled him out of the open game of the season ; [ 264 ] as a consequence, he was sidelined indefinitely, and was merely expected to return to action with Barcelona after the September external break. [ 265 ] On 2 September, Messi was shortlisted as one of the three finalists for both the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award and the 2019 Best FIFA Men ‘s Player Award, with Messi winning the latter on 23 September. [ 266 ] [ 267 ]
Messi made his first appearance of the season on 17 September, and on 6 October he scored his first finish of the season with a loose kick in a 4–0 home acquire over Sevilla ; this was his 420th goal in La Liga, which saw him break Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s phonograph record of 419 goals scored in Europe ‘s circus tent five leagues. [ 268 ] On 23 October, Messi scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–1 away win over Slavia Prague, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons ( excluding qualifying rounds ). [ 269 ] He besides equalled Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s shared record of the most sides scored against in the competition ( 33 ). [ 270 ] On 29 October, Messi scored in a 5–1 home win over Real Valladolid in La Liga ; his first finish – a stage set piece from 35 yards – was the fiftieth free-kick of his career. [ 271 ] His goals ( 608 ) besides saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s senior goal match ( 606 ) at cabaret level. [ 272 ] On 9 November, Messi scored three goals ( including two free kicks ) in a 4–1 family succeed against Celta Vigo. This was his thirty-fourth hat-trick in La Liga, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo ‘s spanish top-flight record. [ 273 ] On 27 November, in what was his 700th appearance for Barcelona, Messi scored one goal and assisted two more in a 3–1 home winnings over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. Dortmund were the 34th team he had scored against in the competition, breaking the previous record of 33 held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl. [ 274 ] On 2 December, Messi was awarded a record-breaking one-sixth Ballon d’Or. [ 275 ] On 8 December, Messi scored his record-breaking thirty-fifth hat-trick in La Liga with three goals in Barcelona ‘s 5–2 family win over Mallorca. [ 276 ] On 22 February 2020, Messi scored four goals in a 5–0 family gain over Eibar in La Liga. [ 277 ] On 14 June, he scored in a 4–0 away win against Mallorca, becoming the first player ever in La Liga to score 20 goals or more in 12 consecutive seasons. [ 278 ] On 30 June, he scored a panenka in a 2–2 home draw against Atlético Madrid in La Liga, to reach his 700th goal in his elder career for Barcelona and Argentina. [ 279 ] On 11 July, Messi provided his twentieth help of the league season for Arturo Vidal in a 1–0 away win over Real Valladolid, equalling Xavi ‘s record of 20 assists in a single La Liga season from 2008 to 2009 ; [ 280 ] [ 281 ] with 22 goals, he besides became only the second player ever, after Thierry Henry in the 2002–03 FA Premier League season with Arsenal ( 24 goals and 20 assists ), to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a one league season in one of Europe ‘s top–five leagues. [ 281 ] [ 282 ] Following his brace in a 5–0 away win against Alavés in the concluding match of the season on 20 May, Messi finished the season as both the top–scorer and top aid provider in La Liga, with 25 goals and 21 assists respectively, which saw him win his record seventh Pichichi trophy, overtaking Zarra ; however, Barcelona missed out on the league style to Real Madrid. [ 283 ] On 9 August, in the Champions League round of 16 second branch versus Napoli at the Camp Nou, Messi scored the second goal and earned a penalty which led to a one-third goal and led his slope to a 3–1 home victory and qualified 4–2 on aggregate for the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich. [ 284 ] On 15 August, Messi suffered his worst kill as a player as Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8–2 in a one-off marry in Lisbon, leading to another disappointing exit from the Champions League. [ 285 ]

August 2020 : desire to leave Barcelona

“ I was n’t glad and I wanted to leave. I have not been allowed this in any way and I will stay at the club so as not to get into a legal quarrel. The management of the club led by Bartomeu is a disaster. My love for Barca will never change. ”

– Messi on reversing his decision to leave Barcelona in an interview with Goal on 4 September 2020. [ 286 ]
Following growing dissatisfaction with the management of Barcelona on and off the field, [ 287 ] Barcelona announced that Messi sent the clubhouse “ a document expressing his desire to leave ” on 25 August 2020. [ 288 ] The announcement garnered a significant media answer, including from stream and early teammates ( who supported Messi ‘s instruction ) and Catalan president Quim Torra. [ 289 ] On 26 August, Barcelona ‘s sporting film director Ramon Planes iterated the club ‘s hope to “ build a team around the most important actor in the global ” [ 290 ] and affirmed Messi will lone be able to leave should a buyer pay his €700 million buyout clause ; a reported early termination choice available in Messi ‘s compress ( which would have allowed him to leave the club for detached ) could lone be exercised if he had communicated his decisiveness to Barcelona by 31 May 2020, although the player ‘s representatives argued the deadline should be set to 31 August, due to the adjourned 2019–20 season. [ 291 ] On 30 August, La Liga issued a statement stating Messi ‘s contract and buyout clause are still active. [ 292 ] On 4 September, Jorge Messi, Lionel ‘s father and agentive role, released a statement in reception to La Liga claiming the unblock article “ is not valid when the termination of the narrow is by the player ‘s unilateral decision from the conclusion of the 2019–20 temper ”, as stated in Messi ‘s contract with Barcelona ; [ 293 ] moments former, La Liga issued a answer reiterating their statement published on 30 August. [ 294 ] Later that evening, Messi announced in an interview with Goal that he would continue at Barcelona for the final examination year of his abridge. In the consultation, Messi claimed to have informed Barcelona of his hope to leave multiple times, and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said Messi could decide at the end of every season if he wanted to stay or leave, only for Bartomeu to refer to the unblock article. [ 295 ] This left Messi with two options : to stay or go to motor hotel against the club, with the actor saying “ I would never go to woo against the clubhouse of my life ”. [ 296 ]

2020–21 : final examination temper at Barcelona

On 27 September, Messi began the 2020–21 temper by scoring a penalty in a 4–0 home gain against Villarreal in La Liga. [ 297 ] Two days prior to the hatchway game, he again criticised the club, this clock time for the manner of Luis Suárez ‘s departure, express, “ at this stage nothing surprises me any more ”. [ 298 ] On 20 October, Messi scored a penalty in a 5–1 home victory against Ferencváros in the Champions League, becoming the first player in history to score in sixteen straight Champions League seasons. [ 299 ] On 25 November, Messi was nominated for the 2020 Best FIFA Men ‘s Player award, and was later shortlisted as one of the final three candidates. [ 300 ] [ 301 ] On 29 November, Messi scored his side ‘s fourthly goal in their 4–0 victory over Osasuna. After scoring, he unveiled a shirt of his former side Newell ‘s Old Boys, in protection to Argentine compatriot Diego Maradona, who had died four days earlier, and raised both hands to the riddle showing Maradona ‘s face in the stadium. The shirt was a count 10 replica of the same one Maradona had worn during his stretch with the club in 1993. [ 302 ] On 17 December, Messi finished third in The Best FIFA Men ‘s Player award behind Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo, and was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the fourteenth consecutive year. [ 303 ]

On 23 December, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona against Real Valladolid in La Liga, surpassing Pelé with Santos as the musician with the most goals scored for a individual club. [ 304 ] [ 305 ] In order to celebrate his accomplishment, Budweiser sent individualized bottles of beer to every goalkeeper whom Messi has scored against. [ 306 ] On 17 January 2021, Messi was sent off for the beginning time in his club career for violent conduct ( swinging an branch at the head of Asier Villalibre, missed initially by the referee but reviewed via VAR ) in the final minutes of Barcelona ‘s 2–3 supernumerary time defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España Final. [ 307 ] On 10 March, Messi scored from 35 yards out and late had a penalty saved in a 1–1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the second branch of the Champions League round of 16 as Barcelona were eliminated at this phase for the inaugural time in 14 years by an sum score of 2–5 after having lost 1–4 at home plate on 16 February, with Messi scoring Barcelona ‘s merely goal in that crippled. [ 308 ] On 15 March, Messi scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Huesca. With the first goal, he became the first player in football history to score at least 20 goals in 13 consecutive seasons in the crown 5 european leagues. [ 309 ] On 21 March, he surpassed Xavi ‘s commemorate to reach a clubhouse commemorate of 768 appearances, in which he besides scored a pair in a 6–1 away win against real Sociedad. [ 310 ] On 17 April, Messi scored doubly as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–0 in the 2021 Copa del Rey Final. With his second finish, he broke Gerd Müller ‘s commemorate of 30 summation goals in 12 consecutive clubhouse seasons, setting a new record of 13. With his 35th trophy with Barcelona, Messi besides overtook erstwhile Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs as the most decorate football player for a individual club. [ 311 ] [ 312 ] On 16 May, Messi scored his thirtieth league goal of the campaign in a 1–2 home frustration against Celta Vigo, which late turned out to be his concluding goal and equal in a Barcelona shirt. [ 313 ] The lead goalscorer in La Liga, Messi was announced as the winner of the Pichichi trophy for a record one-eighth time in his career. [ 314 ] It was besides his record fifth consecutive win in La Liga, surpassing Alfredo Di Stéfano and Hugo Sánchez who both had four for Real Madrid, [ 314 ] and equalled former Marseille striker Jean-Pierre Papin ‘s record of five back-to-back league top scorer awards in the peak five leagues of Europe .

“ leo wanted to stay and the Club wanted him to stay but with the La Liga rules it has not been potential. To comply with the league ‘s carnival play regulations we had to accept an agreement that mortgaged the Club ‘s television receiver mighty for half a hundred and FC Barcelona is above everything else. ”

– Barcelona president Joan Laporta explains the reason behind Messi ‘s deviation. [ 315 ]
On 1 July, Messi became a loose agent after his contract expired, [ 316 ] with negotiations on a newfangled deal complicated ascribable to fiscal issues at Barcelona. [ 317 ] On 5 August, Barcelona announced that Messi would not be staying at the baseball club, even though both parties reached an agreement and were due to sign a contract that day. The club cited fiscal and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations as a reason for Messi ‘s departure. [ 318 ] Club president Joan Laporta besides blamed the previous board for Messi ‘s die by saying “ the footing of everything is the black and black site left by the former board ”, he added by saying “ the expect debt is a lot higher and we had some sports contracts in identify that entail we had no allowance on wage ”. [ 319 ] Three days belated, in a dolorous imperativeness league held at the Camp Nou, Messi confirmed that he would be leaving Barcelona. [ 320 ]

Paris Saint-Germain

2021–22 : seventh Ballon d’Or

On 10 August, Messi joined french club Paris Saint-Germain. [ 321 ] He signed a biennial manage until June 2023 with an choice for an extra year. [ 322 ] Messi chose 30 as his team phone number, the lapp he wore as a adolescent when he made his senior debut for Barcelona. [ 323 ] Messi made his debut for the club on 29 August, coming on as a stand-in in the second half of a 2–0 away win over Reims in Ligue 1. [ 324 ] He made his beginning start and UEFA Champions League debut for the baseball club in a 1–1 away puff against Club Brugge on 15 September. [ 325 ] Four days later, Messi made his dwelling debut for PSG in a 2–1 gain over Lyon. [ 326 ] On 28 September, Messi scored his first goal for the club, a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box after playing a one-two with Kylian Mbappé, in a 2–0 Champions League group stage win over Pep Guardiola ‘s Manchester City. [ 327 ] On 21 November, Messi scored his inaugural Ligue 1 finish in a 3–1 home victory over Nantes. [ 328 ] On 28 November, Messi provided a hat-trick of assists for the fifth fourth dimension in his career as PSG beat Saint-Étienne 3–1 away from home. [ 329 ] Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar class and helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, on 29 November Messi received a record seventh Ballon d’Or. [ 330 ]

International career

2004–05 : success at youth tied

As a double Argentine-Spanish national, Messi was eligible to play for the national team of both countries. [ 331 ] Selectors for Spain ‘s Under-17 team began pursuing him in 2003 after Barcelona ‘s director of football, Carles Rexach, alerted the Royal Spanish Football Federation to their young player. Messi declined the offer, having aspired to represent La Albiceleste since childhood. To far prevent Spain from taking him, the Argentine Football Association organised two under-20 friendlies in June 2004, against Paraguay and Uruguay, with the aim of finalising his condition as an Argentina player in FIFA. Five days after his seventeenth birthday, on 29 June, he made his debut for his area against Paraguay, scoring once and providing two assists in their 8–0 victory. He was subsequently included in the police squad for the confederacy american english Youth Championship, held in Colombia in February 2005. As he lacked the stamen of his teammates, the result of his early growth hormone insufficiency, he was used as a substitute in six of the nine games. After being named man of the equal against Venezuela, he scored the winning 2–1 goal in the crucial stopping point match against Brazil, thereby securing their third-place qualification for the FIFA World Youth Championship. Aware of his physical limitations, Messi employed a personal flight simulator to increase his muscle batch, returning to the police squad in an better condition in time for the World Youth Championship, hosted by the Netherlands in June. After he was left out of the starting line-up in their beginning couple against the United States, a 1–0 defeat, the police squad ‘s senior players asked director Francisco Ferraro to let Messi start, as they considered him their best player. After helping the team frustration Egypt and Germany to progress past the group stage, Messi proved decisive in the knockout phase as he scored their counterweight against Colombia, provided a goal and an serve against title favourites Spain, and scored their first step goal against reigning champions Brazil. Ahead of the final, he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He scored two penalties in their 2–1 victory over Nigeria, clinching Argentina ‘s fifth championship and finishing the tournament as lead scorer with 6 goals. [ 334 ] His performances drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who had led Argentina to the title in 1979. [ 334 ]

2005–06 : aged and World Cup debuts

In recognition of his achievements with the under-20 side, elder coach José Pékerman gave Messi his first call-up for a friendly against Hungary on 17 August. Aged 18, Messi made his senior debut for Argentina in the Ferenc Puskás Stadium when he came on in the 63rd minute, merely to be sent off after two minutes for a perceive foul against Vilmos Vanczák, who had grabbed his shirt ; Messi had struck the defender with his arm while trying to shake him off, which the referee interpreted as an intentional elbow, a contentious decision. [ 335 ] Messi was reportedly found dolorous in the dressing room after his sending-off. [ 336 ] He returned to the team on 3 September in their World Cup qualifier kill to Paraguay, which he had declared his “ re-debut ” ahead of the match. [ 337 ] Messi started his first game in the adjacent modify match against Peru, in which he was able to win a crucial penalty that secured their victory. After the match, Pékerman described him as “ a bejewel ”. [ 338 ] He subsequently made regular appearances for the team ahead of Argentina ‘s participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring his first finish in a friendly against Croatia on 1 March 2006. [ 339 ] A hamstring injury sustained a week late jeopardised his presence in the World Cup, but he was however selected for Pékerman ‘s team and regained fitness in fourth dimension for the begin of the tournament. [ 340 ] During the World Cup in Germany, Messi witnessed their afford match victory against the Ivory Coast from the substitutes ‘ terrace. In the next peer, against Serbia and Montenegro, he became the youngest musician to represent Argentina at a FIFA World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the 74th hour. He assisted their fourthly strike within minutes and scored the final finish in their 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth-youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup. [ 341 ] As their progress to the hard phase was secured, several starters were rested during the last group match. Messi consequently started the game against the Netherlands, a 0–0 withdraw, as they won their group on goal derived function. [ 342 ] In the round of 16 match against Mexico, played on his 19th birthday, Messi came on in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was contentiously ruled offside, with the team needing a late goal in extra fourth dimension to proceed. [ 344 ] He did not play in the quarter-final against Germany, during which Argentina were eliminated 4–2 in a punishment gunfight. Back home, Pékerman ‘s decisiveness to leave him on the judiciary against Germany led to far-flung criticism from those who believed Messi could have changed the consequence of the match in Argentina ‘s favor. [ 348 ]

2007–08 : Copa América final and Olympic gold

As Messi evolved into one of the best players in the world, he secured a place in Alfio Basile ‘s starting line-up, as part of a team considered favourites to win the 2007 Copa América, held in Venezuela. [ 61 ] He set up the game-winning finish of their 4–1 victory over the United States in the opening match, before winning a penalty that led to the game-tying beginning strike of their 4–2 acquire in the adjacent match against Colombia. [ 350 ] [ 351 ] At the quarter-final stage, where the group winners faced Peru, he scored the second finish of a 4–0 victory that saw them through to the semi-final, during which he chipped the testis over Mexico ‘s goalkeeper to ensure another 3–0 win. In a surprise get the better of, Argentina lost the final 3–0 to a Brazil team that lacked several of the nation ‘s best players. [ 352 ] Their unexpected passing was followed by much criticism in Argentina, though Messi was largely exempt due to his young long time and secondary status to star player Juan Román Riquelme. He was named the best young player of the tournament by CONMEBOL. ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Barcelona legally barred Messi from representing Argentina at the tournament as it coincided with their Champions League qualifying matches. [ 354 ] After noise from newly appointed Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, who had won the tournament in 1992, Messi was permitted to join Sergio Batista ‘s under-23 police squad in Beijing. During the beginning match, he scored the opening goal in their 2–1 victory over the Ivory Coast. Following a 1–0 winnings in the adjacent group catch against Australia, ensuring their quarter-final reservation, Messi was rested during the game against Serbia, while his side won the match to finish beginning in their group. Against the Netherlands, he again scored the first finish and assisted a second strike to help his team to a 2–1 gain in extra prison term. After a 3–0 semi-final victory over Brazil, Messi assisted the only goal in the final as Argentina defeated Nigeria to claim Olympic gold medals. Along with Riquelme, Messi was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out musician from the tournament ‘s best team. [ 357 ]

2008–2011 : collective decline

From late 2008, the national team experienced a three-year time period marked by inadequate performances. Under director Diego Maradona, who had led Argentina to World Cup victory as a actor, the team struggled to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, securing their place in the tournament alone after defeating Uruguay 1–0 in their last qualify match. Maradona was criticised for his strategic decisions, which included playing Messi out of his common position. In eight qualifying matches under Maradona ‘s stewardship, Messi scored only one finish, netting the orifice goal in the beginning such couple, a 4–0 victory over Venezuela. [ 339 ] During that game, played on 28 March 2009, he wore Argentina ‘s issue 10 shirt for the first clock, following the international retirement of Riquelme. [ 359 ] Overall, Messi scored four goals in 18 appearances during the qualifying process. [ 339 ] Ahead of the tournament, Maradona visited Messi in Barcelona to request his tactical input ; Messi then outlined a 4–3–1–2 formation with himself playing behind the two strikers, a playmaking position known as the enganche in Argentine football, which had been his prefer position since childhood .
Messi in carry through during the first step match against Bolivia at the 2011 Copa América Despite their poor qualify crusade, Argentina were considered title contenders at the World Cup in South Africa. At the start of the tournament, the newly formation proved effective ; Messi managed at least four attempts on goal during their opening match but was repeatedly denied by Nigeria ‘s goalkeeper, resulting in a 1–0 win. During the next couple, against South Korea, he excelled in his playmaking role, participating in all four goals of his side ‘s 4–1 victory. As their position in the hard phase was guaranteed, most of the starters were rested during the concluding group match, but Messi reportedly refused to be benched. He wore the captain ‘s armband for the first time in their 2–0 win against Greece ; as the focal point of their play, he helped create their second goal to see Argentina finish as group winners. [ 361 ] Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-final against Germany, at the lapp stage of the tournament and by the lapp opponent as four years earlier. Their 4–0 passing was their worst gross profit of get the better of at a World Cup since 1974. FIFA subsequently identified Messi as one of the tournament ‘s 10 best players, citing his “ outstanding ” footstep and creativity and “ spectacular and effective ” dribble, shooting and passing. [ 363 ] Back dwelling, however, Messi was the topic of harsh judgment. As the sensed best musician in the earth, he had been expected to lead an average team to the title, as Maradona arguably did in 1986, but he had failed to replicate his performances at Barcelona with the national team, leading to the accusation that he cared less about his country than his club. Maradona was replaced by Sergio Batista, who had orchestrated Argentina ‘s Olympic victory. Batista publicly stated that he intended to build the team around Messi, employing him as a false nine within a 4–3–3 system, as used to much achiever by Barcelona. [ 365 ] Although Messi scored a record 53 goals during the 2010–11 club temper, he had not scored for Argentina in an official match since March 2009. [ 113 ] [ 339 ] Despite the tactical change, his finish drought continued during the 2011 Copa América, hosted by Argentina. Their first two matches, against Bolivia and Colombia, ended in draw. Media and fans noted that he did not combine well with striker Carlos Tevez, who enjoyed greater popularity among the Argentine public ; Messi was consequently booed by his own team ‘s supporters for the first time in his career. During the crucial next match, with Tevez on the bench, he gave a well-received performance, assisting two goals in their 3–0 victory over Costa Rica. After the quarter-final against Uruguay ended in a 1–1 draw following extra fourth dimension, with Messi having assisted their counterweight, Argentina were eliminated 4–5 in the penalty gunfight by the eventual champions .

2011–2013 : Assuming the captainship

Messi scored his first external hat-trick against Switzerland in 2012 After Argentina ‘s abortive performance in the Copa América, Batista was replaced by Alejandro Sabella. Upon his date in August 2011, Sabella awarded the 24-year-old Messi the captainship of the team, in treaty with then-captain Javier Mascherano. Reserved by nature, Messi went on to lead his team by exercise as their best player, while Mascherano continued to fulfil the character of the team ‘s on-field leader and incentive. [ 367 ] In a far redesign of the team, Sabella dismissed Tevez and brought in players with whom Messi had won the World Youth Championship and Olympic Games. immediately playing in a free function in an better team, Messi ended his goal drought by scoring during their beginning World Cup qualifying equal against Chile on 7 October, his beginning official goal for Argentina in two-and-a-half years. [ 339 ] Under Sabella, Messi ‘s goalscoring rate drastically increased ; where he had scored only 17 goals in 61 matches under his previous managers, he scored 25 times in 32 appearances during the following three years. [ 339 ] He netted a entire of 12 goals in 9 games for Argentina in 2012, equalling the phonograph record held by Gabriel Batistuta for the most goals scored in a calendar year for their nation. [ 368 ] His first international hat-trick came in a friendly against Switzerland on 29 February 2012, followed by two more hat-tricks over the following year-and-a-half in friendlies against Brazil and Guatemala. Messi then helped the team secure their invest in the 2014 World Cup with a 5–2 victory over Paraguay on 10 September 2013 when he scored twice from punishment kicks, taking his international score to 37 goals to become Argentina ‘s second-highest goalscorer behind Batistuta. Overall, he had scored a entire of 10 goals in 14 matches during the qualifying campaign. [ 339 ] [ 369 ] Concurrently with his better performances, his kinship with his compatriots improved, as he gradually began to be perceived more favorably in Argentina .

2014–15 : World Cup and Copa América finals

Messi watches his 25-yard coil strike hit the net against Iran to win the crippled for Argentina in their second group game at the 2014 FIFA World Cup ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, doubts persisted over Messi ‘s form, as he finished an abortive and injury-plagued season with Barcelona. At the begin of the tournament, however, he gave potent performances, being elected valet of the pit in their first four matches. [ 370 ] In his first World Cup match as captain, he led them to a 2–1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina ; he helped create Sead Kolašinac ‘s own goal and scored their second hit after a dribble by three players, his first World Cup goal since his debut in the tournament eight years earlier. [ 371 ] During the second match against Iran, he scored an injury-time finish from 25 yards out to end the game in a 1–0 acquire, securing their qualification for the smasher phase. [ 372 ] He scored twice in the last group equal, a 3–2 victory over Nigeria, his second base goal coming from a free kick, as they finished foremost in their group. [ 373 ] Messi assisted a late goal in excess time to ensure a 1–0 win against Switzerland in the round of 16, and played in the 1–0 quarter-final winnings against Belgium as Argentina progressed to the semi-final of the World Cup for the beginning time since 1990. [ 374 ] [ 375 ] Following a 0–0 draw in excess clock time, they eliminated the Netherlands 4–2 in a punishment gunfight to reach the final, with Messi scoring his team ‘s first punishment. [ 376 ]
Billed as Messi versus Germany, the worldly concern ‘s best musician against the best team, the final examination was a repeat of the 1990 final examination featuring Diego Maradona. [ 377 ] Within the first half-hour, Messi had started the play that led to a goal, but it was ruled offside. He missed several opportunities to open the scoring throughout the meet, in detail at the start of the moment one-half when his breakaway campaign went across-the-board of the far mail. Substitute Mario Götze last scored in the 113th infinitesimal, followed in the last minute of extra time by a rid kick that Messi sent over the net, as Germany won the match 1–0 to claim the World Cup. [ 378 ] At the decision of the concluding, Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. In addition to being the joint third-highest goalscorer, with four goals and an assist, he created the most chances, completed the most dribble runs, made the most deliveries into the penalty area and produced the most throughballs in the competition. [ 370 ] [ 379 ] however, his survival drew criticism ascribable to his lack of goals in the smasher round ; FIFA President Sepp Blatter expressed his surprise, while Maradona suggested that Messi had undeservedly been chosen for marketing purposes. [ 380 ] Another final examination appearance, the one-third of Messi ‘s aged international career, followed in the 2015 Copa América, held in Chile. Under the stewardship of early Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino, Argentina entered the tournament as title contenders due to their second-place accomplishment at the World Cup. [ 381 ] [ 382 ] During the afford match against Paraguay, they were ahead two goals by half-time but lost their moderate to end the couple in a 2–2 absorb ; Messi had scored from a penalty kick, netting his alone goal in the tournament. [ 383 ] Following a 1–0 gain against defending champions Uruguay, Messi earned his hundredth detonator for his area in the final group match, a 1–0 win over Jamaica, becoming alone the fifth Argentine to achieve this milestone. [ 384 ] In his 100 appearances, he had scored a sum of 46 goals for Argentina, 22 of which came in official competitive matches. [ 339 ] [ 384 ] As Messi evolved from the team ‘s emblematic captain into a actual leader, he led Argentina to the smasher stage as group winners. [ 385 ] In the quarter-final, they created numerous chances, including a bounce header by Messi, but were repeatedly denied by Colombia ‘s goalkeeper, and ultimately ended the couple scoreless, leading to a 5–4 penalty gunfight in their favor, with Messi netting his team ‘s first descry recoil. [ 386 ] At the semi-final phase, Messi excelled as a playmaker as he provided three assists and helped create three more goals in his side ‘s 6–1 victory over Paraguay, receiving applause from the initially hostile crowd. [ 385 ] Argentina started the final as the odds-on claim favourites, but were defeated by Chile 4–1 in a punishment gunfight after an 0–0 extra-time draw. Faced with aggression from opposing players, including taking a boot to the diaphragm, Messi played below his standards, though he was the only Argentine to successfully convert his penalty. [ 387 ] At the close of the tournament, he was reportedly selected to receive the Most Valuable Player award but rejected the honor. [ 388 ] As Argentina continued a trophy drought that began in 1993, the World Cup and Copa América defeats again fetch intense criticism for Messi from Argentine media and fans. [ 389 ]

2016–17 : third Copa América final, retirement, and return

Messi ‘s station in Argentina ‘s Copa América Centenario squad was initially put in hazard when he sustained a back wound in a 1–0 friendly win over Honduras in a pre-Copa América warm-up equal on 27 May 2016. [ 390 ] It was former reported that he had suffered a deep bruise in his lumbar area. He was late left on the bench in Argentina ‘s 2–1 possibility gain over defending champions Chile on 6 June due to concerns regarding his fitness. [ 391 ] Although Messi was declared match-fit for his nation ‘s second group match against Panama on 10 June, Martino left him on the bench once again ; he replaced Augusto Fernández in the 61st minute and subsequently scored a hat-trick in 19 minutes, besides starting the play which led to Sergio Agüero ‘s goal, as the match ended in a 5–0 victory, sealing Argentina ‘s position in the quarter-finals of the competition ; [ 392 ] he was elected man of the match for his performance. [ 393 ]

“ Did it annoy me that Messi took the read ? A fiddling, yes. You go around the earth and people say, ‘he ‘s the top scorer for the Argentina national team. ‘ But the advantage I have is that I ‘m second to an extraterrestrial. ”

– Gabriel Batistuta on the consolation of Messi breaking his record. [ 394 ]
On 18 June, in the quarter-final of the Copa América against Venezuela, Messi produced another man of the equal performance, [ 395 ] assisting two goals and scoring another in a 4–1 victory, which enabled him to equal Gabriel Batistuta ‘s national record of 54 goals in official external matches. [ 396 ] This record was broken three days late when Messi scored a free kick in a 4–0 semi-final winnings against hosts the United States ; he besides assisted two goals during the match as Argentina sealed a space in the final of the contest for a second consecutive year, [ 397 ] and was named man of the match once again. [ 398 ] During a repeat of the previous year ‘s final examination on 26 June, Argentina once again lost to Chile on penalties after a 0–0 deadlock, resulting in Messi ‘s third back-to-back kill in a major tournament final examination with Argentina, and his fourth overall. After the match, Messi, who had missed his penalty in the gunfight, announced his retirement from external football. [ 399 ] He stated, “ I tried my difficult. The team has ended for me, a decision made. ” [ 400 ] Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said after the match, “ My generation ca n’t compare him to Maradona that ‘s for my generation, because of what Maradona did for Argentine football. But I think the best player always played today here in the United States. ” [ 401 ] Messi finished the tournament as the second base highest scorer, behind Eduardo Vargas, with five goals, and was the highest assist provider with four assists, besides winning more valet of the Match awards than any other player in the tournament ( 3 ) ; [ 402 ] he was named to the team of the tournament for his performances, but missed out on the Golden Ball Award for best player, which went to Alexis Sánchez. [ 403 ] Following his announcement, a campaign began in Argentina for Messi to change his heed about retiring. [ 404 ] He was greeted by fans with signs like “ Do n’t go, Leo ” when the team landed in Buenos Aires. President of Argentina Mauricio Macri urged Messi not to quit, stating, “ We are golden, it is one of life sentence ‘s pleasures, it is a endow from God to have the best actor in the world in a footballing area like ours … Lionel Messi is the greatest thing we have in Argentina and we must take care of him. ” [ 405 ] Mayor of Buenos Aires Horacio Rodríguez Larreta unveiled a statue of Messi in the capital to convince him to reconsider retirement. [ 406 ] The campaign besides continued in the streets and avenues of the Argentine capital, with about 50,000 supporters going to the Obelisco de Buenos Aires on 2 July, using the same motto. [ 407 ]

reelect

“ A lot of things went through my heed on the night of the concluding and I gave unplayful think to drop out, but my love for my state and this shirt is excessively great. ”

– Messi reversing his decision from retiring on 12 August 2016 [ 408 ]
barely a week after Messi announced his international retirement, Argentine newspaper La Nación reported that he was reconsidering playing for Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September. [ 409 ] On 12 August, it was confirmed that Messi had reversed his decisiveness to retire from international football, and he was included in the team for the national team ‘s approaching 2018 World Cup qualifiers. [ 410 ] On 1 September, in his first plot back, he scored in a 1–0 home winnings over Uruguay in a 2018 World Cup qualifier. [ 411 ]
Messi celebrates his hat-trick against Ecuador in 2017 which saw Argentina qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup On 28 March 2017, Messi was suspended for four international games for insulting an adjunct reviewer in a game against Chile on 23 March 2017. He was besides fined CHF 10,000. [ 412 ] [ 413 ] On 5 May, Messi ‘s four match ban angstrom well as his 10,000 CHF fine was lifted by FIFA after Argentina Football Association appealed against his suspension, which meant he could immediately play Argentina ‘s remaining World Cup Qualifiers. [ 414 ] Argentina ‘s place in the 2018 World Cup was in hazard going into their final qualify match as they were sixth in their group, outside the five potential CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying spots, meaning they risked failing to qualify for the World Cup for the beginning time since 1970. On 10 October, Messi led his area to World Cup qualification in scoring a hat-trick as Argentina came from behind to defeat Ecuador 3–1 away ; Argentina had not defeated Ecuador in Quito since 2001. [ 415 ] Messi ‘s three goals saw him become the joint all-time leading scorekeeper in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals, alongside Uruguay ‘s Luis Suárez, overtaking the previous record which was held by compatriot Hernán Crespo. [ 415 ]

2018 : World Cup

“ The team is the worst in their history. even having the best player in the populace was not adequate to of creating a competitive team. All the refuse of holocene times was hidden by this matchless flair [ Messi ] ”

– Former Argentine player Osvaldo Ardiles on the decline in choice of Argentina being masked by Messi. [ 416 ]
Following on from their poor qualification political campaign, expectations were not high going into the 2018 World Cup, with the team, without an injured Messi, losing 6–1 to Spain in March 2018. [ 417 ] [ 418 ] Prior to Argentina ‘s undoer, there was speculation in the media over whether this would be Messi ‘s final examination World Cup. [ 419 ] In the team ‘s opening group peer against Iceland on 16 June, Messi missed a potential match-winning penalty in an eventual 1–1 draw. [ 420 ] In Argentina ‘s second game on 21 June, the team lost 3–0 to Croatia. Post-match the Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli talk of the lack of choice in the team surrounding Messi, saying “ we quite simply could n’t pass to him to help him generate the situations he is used to. We worked to give him the ball but the opposition besides worked hard to prevent him from getting the ball. We lost that conflict ”. [ 421 ] Croatia captain and midfielder Luka Modrić besides stated stake equal, “ Messi is an incredible musician but he ca n’t do everything alone. ” [ 422 ]
Messi celebrates his finish against Nigeria at the 2018 FIFA World Cup In Argentina ‘s final examination group match against Nigeria at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg on 26 June, Messi scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–1 victory, becoming the third Argentine after Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta to score in three different World Cups ; he besides became the first player to score in the World Cup in his teens, twenties, and his thirties. [ 423 ] A finish of the tournament rival, Messi received a long communicate from midfield and controlled the ball on the function with two touches before striking it across finish into the net with his faint mighty foot. [ 424 ] [ 425 ] He was late awarded man of the Match. [ 426 ] Argentina progressed to the second gear attack as group runner-up behind Croatia. [ 427 ] In the orotund of 16 match against eventual champions France on 30 June, Messi set up Gabriel Mercado ‘s and Sergio Agüero ‘s goals in a 3–4 defeat, which saw Argentina eliminated from the World Cup. [ 428 ] With his two assists in his team ‘s second orotund fastness, Messi became the inaugural musician to provide an serve in the last four World Cups, and besides became the first player to provide two assists in a match for Argentina since Maradona had managed the lapp feat against South Korea in 1986. [ 429 ] [ 430 ] Following the tournament, Messi stated that he would not participate in Argentina ‘s friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia in September, and commented that it would be improbable that he would represent his nation for the remainder of the calendar class. Messi ‘s absence from the national team and his continue bankruptcy to win a entitle with Argentina prompted meditation in the media that Messi might retire from external football once again. [ 431 ] In March 2019, however, he was called up to the Argentina squad once again for the team ‘s friendlies against Venezuela and Morocco late that calendar month. [ 432 ] He made his external recurrence on 22 March, in a 3–1 friendly frustration to Venezuela, in Madrid. [ 433 ]

2019–20 : Copa América third-place, suspension and Superclásico victory

On 21 May, Messi was included in Lionel Scaloni ‘s final examination 23-man Argentina team for the 2019 Copa América. [ 434 ] In Argentina ‘s second group match of the tournament on 19 June, Messi scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot in a 1–1 draw against Paraguay. [ 435 ] After coming under criticism in the media over his performance following Argentina ‘s 2–0 victory over Venezuela in the quarter-finals at the Maracanã Stadium on 28 June, Messi commented that it had not been his best Copa América, while besides criticising the hapless quality of the pitches. [ 436 ] Following Argentina ‘s 2–0 defeat to hosts Brazil in the semi-finals on 2 July, Messi was critical of the referee during the match, [ 437 ] [ 438 ] and alleged the contest was “ frame-up ” for Brazil to win. [ 439 ] In the third-place pit against Chile on 6 July, Messi set-up Agüero ‘s opening finish from a complimentary kick in an eventual 2–1 gain, to help Argentina capture the bronze decoration ; however, he was sent off along with Gary Medel in the 37th moment of play, after being involved in an affray with the Chilean defender. [ 440 ] Following the match, Messi refused to collect his decoration, and implied in a post-match interview that his comments following the semi-final led to his sending off. [ 441 ] Messi late issued an apology for his comments, but was fined $ 1,500 and was handed a one-match prohibition by CONMEBOL, which ruled him out of Argentina ‘s next World Cup modifier. [ 442 ] On 2 August, Messi was banned for three months from external football and was fined $ 50,000 by CONMEBOL for his comments against the referee ‘s decisions ; this ban intend he would miss Argentina ‘s friendly matches against Chile, Mexico and Germany in September and October. [ 443 ] On 15 November, Messi played in the 2019 Superclásico de las Américas versus Brazil, scoring the winning goal by a bounce of his save penalty. [ 444 ] On 8 October 2020, Messi scored a penalty in a 1–0 victory against Ecuador, giving Argentina a winning start to their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. [ 445 ]

2021 : appearance commemorate, Copa América victory and south american top goalscorer

“ It was clear to me that I had to try until the last tournament and that I could n’t withdraw from the national team without winning something. ”

– Messi on winning the 2021 Copa América in an interview with Diario SPORT. [ 446 ]
On 14 June 2021, Messi scored from a detached kick in a 1–1 draw against Chile in Argentina ‘s opening group couple of the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. [ 447 ] On 21 June, Messi played in his 147th match as he equalled Javier Mascherano ‘s record for most appearances for Argentina in a 1–0 win over Paraguay in their third gear game of the tournament. [ 448 ] A workweek subsequently, he broke the record for most appearances in an Argentina shirt when he featured in a 4–1 acquire against Bolivia in his team ‘s final examination group match, assisting Papu Gómez ‘s hatchway goal and later scoring two. [ 449 ] On 3 July, Messi assisted twice and scored from a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Ecuador in the quarter-finals of the competition. [ 450 ] On 6 July, in a 1–1 draw in the semi-finals against Colombia, Messi made his hundred-and-fiftieth appearance for his state and registered his fifth serve of the tournament, a cut-back for Lautaro Martínez, matching his phonograph record of nine finish contributions in a single tournament from five years sooner ; he late netted his spot bang in Argentina ‘s eventual 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory to progress to his fifth international final. [ 451 ] [ 452 ] On 10 July, Argentina defeated hosts Brazil 1–0 in the concluding, giving Messi his first major international deed and Argentina ‘s beginning since 1993, vitamin a well as his nation ‘s joint read 15th Copa América overall. [ 453 ] Messi was directly involved in 9 out of the 12 goals scored by Argentina, scoring four and assisting five ; he was named the player of the tournament for his performances, an award he shared with Neymar. He besides finished as the tournament ‘s top scorekeeper with four goals tied with Colombia ‘s Luis Díaz, although the Golden Boot was awarded to Messi as he had more assists. [ 454 ] [ 455 ] On 9 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 home succeed over Bolivia in a 2022 World Cup modifier which besides moved him above Pelé as South America ‘s clear male international scorer with 79 goals. [ 456 ]

Player profile

style of play

A versatile forward, Messi much plays as a classical number 10 due to his shortstop stature, Messi has a lower center of gravity than tall players, which gives him greater agility, allowing him to change guidance more quickly and evade opposing tackles ; [ 457 ] [ 458 ] this has led the spanish media to dub him La Pulga Atómica ( “ The Atomic Flea ” ). [ 459 ] [ 460 ] [ 461 ] Despite being physically unimposing, he possesses significant upper-body strength, which, combined with his abject center of gravity and resulting poise, aids him in withstanding physical challenges from opponents ; he has consequently been noted for his miss of diving in a frolic prevailing with act. [ 17 ] [ 458 ] [ 462 ] His short, strong legs allow him to excel in short bursts of acceleration while his quick feet enable him to retain control of the ball when dribbling at speed. [ 463 ] His erstwhile Barcelona director Pep Guardiola once stated, “ Messi is the only musician that runs faster with the ball than he does without it. ” [ 46 ] Although he has improved his ability with his weak animal foot since his mid-20s, Messi is predominantly a left-footed player ; with the outside of his left foundation, he normally begins dribbling runs, while he uses the at heart of his foot to finish and provide passes and assists. [ 465 ] A fecund goalscorer, Messi is known for his finish, position, quick reactions, and ability to make attacking runs to beat the defensive line. He besides functions in a playmaking function, courtesy of his vision and image of passing. [ 466 ] He has much been described as a sorcerer ; a magician, creating goals and opportunities where apparently none exist. [ 467 ] [ 468 ] [ 469 ] furthermore, he is an accurate free recoil and punishment kick taker. [ 458 ] [ 470 ] As of August 2021, Messi ranks 11th all clock time in goals scored from directly free kicks with 58, [ 471 ] the most among active agent players. [ 472 ] He besides has a preference for scoring from chips. [ 473 ]
Messi is known to drop trench, link-up with midfielders, orchestrate attacking plays, and create goal-scoring opportunities. Messi ‘s pace and technical ability enable him to undertake person drivel runs towards goal, in particular during counterattacks, normally starting from the halfway tune or the right side of the pitch. [ 462 ] [ 470 ] [ 474 ] widely considered to be the best dribbler in the world, [ 475 ] and one of the greatest dribblers of all time, [ 476 ] with regard to this ability, his erstwhile Argentina coach Diego Maradona has said of him, “ The ball stays glued to his foot ; I ‘ve seen big players in my career, but I ‘ve never seen anyone with Messi ‘s ball master. ” [ 465 ] Beyond his individual qualities, he is besides a all-around, hard-working team player, known for his creative combinations, in particular with former Barcelona midfielders Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. [ 457 ] [ 458 ] tactically, Messi plays in a free attack function ; a versatile player, he is capable of attacking on either wing or through the center of the flip. His favor stead in childhood was the playmaker behind two strikers, known as the enganche in Argentine football, but he began his career in Spain as a collectivist or left-sided advancing. Upon his first-team debut, he was moved onto the veracious fender by coach Frank Rijkaard ; from this situation, he could more easily cut through the defensive structure into the center of the sales talk and coil shots on finish with his impart foot, rather than predominantly cross balls for teammates. [ 46 ] Under Guardiola and subsequent managers, he most frequently played in a fake nine character ; positioned as a centre-forward or alone striker, he would roam the center, often moving deep into midfield and drawing defenders with him, in order to create and exploit spaces for passes, early teammates ‘ attacking runs off the ball, Messi ‘s own drivel runs, or combinations with Xavi and Iniesta. [ 24 ] 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 director ‘s 4–3–3 geological formation, [ 174 ] [ 477 ] while he was increasingly deployed in a deep, detached playmaking function in late seasons. [ 478 ] [ 479 ] Under director Ernesto Valverde, Messi played in a variety show of roles. While he occasionally continued to be deployed in a deep role, from which he could make runs from behind into the box, [ 480 ] or tied on the right annex [ 481 ] or as a false nine, [ 482 ] [ 483 ] he was besides used in a more unsavory, central character in a 4–2–3–1, [ 479 ] or as a moment striker in a 4–4–2 constitution, where he was once again given the license to drop deeply, link-up with midfielders, orchestrate his teams attacking plays, and create chances for his attack collaborator Suárez. [ 484 ] [ 485 ]
As his career advanced, and his tendency to dribble diminished slightly with age, Messi began to dictate play in deeper areas of the flip and developed into one of the best passers and playmakers in football history. [ 486 ] [ 487 ] [ 488 ] His work-rate off the ball and defensive responsibilities besides decreased as his career progressed ; by covering less ground on the pitch, and rather conserving his energy for short bursts of rush, he was able to improve his efficiency, movement, and positional fun, and was besides able to avoid brawny injuries, despite much playing a large numeral of matches throughout a particular season on a coherent basis. indeed, while he was injury-prone in his early career, he was later able to improve his injury record by running less off the ball, and by adopting a rigid diet, prepare regimen, and rest schedule. [ 489 ] With the Argentina national team, Messi has similarly played anywhere along the frontline ; under assorted managers, he has been employed on the correct wing, as a false nine, as an absolute hitter, in a back function alongside another forward, or in a bass, spare creative role as a classic issue 10 playmaker or attacking midfielder behind the strikers. [ 365 ] [ 490 ]

reception

“ I have seen the player who will inherit my position in argentine football and his name is Messi. ”

– Diego Maradona hailing the 18-year-old Messi as his successor in February 2006 [ 68 ]
A colossal talent as a adolescent, Messi established himself among the worldly concern ‘s best players before senesce 20. [ 61 ] Diego Maradona considered the 18-year-old Messi the best player in the world aboard Ronaldinho, while the brazilian himself, concisely after winning the Ballon d’Or, commented, “ I ‘m not even the best at Barça ”, in address to his protégé. [ 491 ] [ 492 ] Four years late, after Messi had won his foremost Ballon d’Or by a record allowance, the public debate regarding his qualities as a musician moved beyond his condition in contemporary football to the possibility that he was one of the greatest players in history. [ 13 ] [ 462 ] [ 493 ] An early advocate was his then-manager Pep Guardiola, who, ampere early as August 2009, declared Messi to be the best player he had always seen. [ 494 ] In the surveil years, this opinion gained greater acceptance among pundits, managers, erstwhile and current players, [ 115 ] [ 495 ] and by the end of Barça ‘s irregular treble-winning season, Messi ‘s transcendence, ahead of Maradona and Pelé, had become the apparent view among many fans and pundits in continental Europe. [ 496 ] [ 497 ] He initially received respective dismissals by critics, based on the fact that he had not won an international trophy at senior level with Argentina, [ 498 ] until he won his first international trophy at the 2021 Copa América. [ 499 ] Argentina fans with Messi and Maradona banners at the 2018 World Cup in RussiaThe Sistine Chapel of Football painting (Messi to the left, Maradona to the right), on the ceiling of a sports club, Sportivo Pereyra, in painting ( Messi to the leave, Maradona to the proper ), on the ceiling of a sports club, Sportivo Pereyra, in Barracas, Buenos Aires Throughout his career, Messi has been compared with his deep compatriot Diego Maradona, due to their similar act styles as diminutive, left-footed dribblers. initially, he was merely one of many young Argentine players, including his boyhood idol Pablo Aimar, to receive the “ New Maradona “ nickname, but as his career progressed, Messi proved his similarity beyond all former contenders, establishing himself as the greatest player Argentina had produced since Maradona. [ 21 ] Jorge Valdano, who won the 1986 World Cup alongside Maradona, said in October 2013, “ Messi is Maradona every day. For the last five years, Messi has been the Maradona of the World Cup in Mexico. ” [ 500 ] César Menotti, who as director orchestrated their 1978 World Cup victory, echoed this sentiment when he opined that Messi plays “ at the level of the best Maradona ”. [ 501 ] early luminary Argentines in the sport, such as Osvaldo Ardiles, Javier Zanetti, and Diego Simeone, have expressed their belief that Messi has overtaken Maradona as the best player in history. [ 503 ] [ 504 ] In Argentine club, Messi is by and large held in lesser admiration than Maradona, a consequence of not only his perceived uneven performances with the national team, but besides of differences in class, personality, and background. Messi is in some ways the antithesis of his predecessor : where Maradona was an extrospective, controversial fictional character who rose to greatness from the slums, Messi is reserved and retiring, an everyday man outside of football. [ 331 ] [ 505 ] [ 506 ] An enduring scar against him is the fact that, through no fault of his own, he never proved himself in the Argentine Primera División as an approaching player, achieving stardom oversea from a young age, [ 17 ] [ 331 ] while his miss of outward passion for the Albiceleste shirt ( he does not sing the home anthem and is disinclined to emotional displays ) have in the past led to the false sensing that he felt Catalan quite than truly Argentine. Despite having lived in Spain since historic period 13, Messi rejected the option of representing Spain internationally. He has said : “ Argentina is my area, my kin, my way of expressing myself. I would change all my records to make the people in my area felicitous. ” [ 507 ] furthermore, several pundits and footballing figures, including Maradona, have besides questioned Messi ‘s leadership with Argentina at times, despite his play ability. [ 508 ] [ 509 ] [ 510 ]

Comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo ( left ) throughout a lot of their careers. Among his contemporary peers, Messi is most much compared and contrasted with Portuguese forth Cristiano Ronaldo, as character of an ongoing competition that has been compared to past sports rivalries like the Muhammad Ali – Joe Frazier competition in box, the Roger Federer – Rafael Nadal competition in tennis, and the Senna–Prost competition from Formula One centrifugal race. [ 511 ] [ 512 ] Although Messi has at times denied any competition, [ 513 ] [ 514 ] they are wide believed to push one another in their target to be the best player in the universe : [ 160 ] since 2008, Messi has won seven Ballons d’Or to Ronaldo ‘s five, [ 515 ] six FIFA World ‘s Best Player awards to Ronaldo ‘s five, and six european Golden Shoes to Ronaldo ‘s four. [ 516 ] Pundits and fans regularly argue the individual merits of both players ; [ 160 ] [ 517 ] beyond their play styles, the debate besides revolves around their differ physiques – Ronaldo is 1.87 m ( 6 foot 1+1⁄2 in ) with a muscular physique – and contrasting public personalities, with Ronaldo ‘s assurance and theatrics a foil to Messi ‘s humility. [ 518 ] [ 519 ] [ 520 ] From 2009–10 to 2017–18, Messi faced Ronaldo at least twice every season in El Clásico, which ranks among the earth ‘s most see annual sports events. [ 521 ] Off the lurch, Ronaldo is his direct rival in terms of wage, sponsorships, and social media fanbase. [ 521 ]

In popular culture

According to France Football, Messi was the global ‘s highest-paid football player for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014 ; he was the first musician to exceed the €40 million benchmark, with earnings of €41 million in 2013, and the €50–€60 million points, with income of €65 million in 2014. [ 165 ] [ 522 ] Messi was moment on Forbes number of the world ‘s highest-paid athletes ( after Cristiano Ronaldo ) with income of $ 81.4 million from his wage and endorsements in 2015–16. [ 523 ] In 2018 he was the first base musician to exceed the €100m benchmark for a calendar year, with earnings of €126m ( $ 154m ) in aggregate income from salaries, bonuses and endorsements. [ 524 ] Forbes ranked him the global ‘s highest-paid athlete in 2019. [ 525 ] From 2008, he was Barcelona ‘s highest-paid player, receiving a wage that increased incrementally from €7.8 million to €13 million over the following five years. [ 82 ] Signing a new Barcelona contract in 2017, he earned $ 667,000 per week in wages, and Barcelona besides paid him $ 59.6 million as a sign on bonus. [ 526 ] His buyout clause was set at $ 835 million ( €700 million ). [ 526 ] In 2020, Messi became the second football player ( and second gear athlete in a team sport ), after Cristiano Ronaldo, to surpass $ 1 billion in earnings during their careers. [ 527 ]
Billboard of Messi in Taipei, Taiwan In accession to his wage and bonuses, much of his income derives from endorsements ; SportsPro has consequently cited him as one of the global ‘s most marketable athletes every year since their research began in 2010. [ 528 ] His main patron since 2006 is the sportswear company Adidas. As Barcelona ‘s leading youth expectation, he had been signed with Nike since age 14, but transferred to Adidas after they successfully challenged their rival ‘s claim to his persona rights in court. Over fourth dimension, Messi established himself as their lead post endorser ; [ 521 ] from 2008, he had a long-running key signature collection of Adidas F50 boots, and in 2015, he became the first football player to receive his own sub-brand of Adidas boots, the Adidas Messi. [ 530 ] [ 531 ] Since 2017, he has worn the latest version of the Adidas Nemeziz. [ 532 ] In 2015, a Barcelona new jersey with Messi ‘s name and number was the best-selling replica jersey global. [ 533 ]
As a commercial entity, Messi ‘s commercialize brand has been based entirely on his talents and achievements as a musician, in contrast to arguably more glamorous players like Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham. At the begin of his career, he therefore chiefly held sponsorship contracts with companies that employ sports-oriented selling, such as Adidas, Pepsi, and Konami. [ 535 ] [ 536 ] From 2010 onwards, concurrently with his increase achievements as a player, his market entreaty widened, leading to long-run endorsement deals with luxury brands Dolce & Gabbana and Audemars Piguet. [ 535 ] [ 537 ] Messi is besides a ball-shaped mark ambassador for Gillette, Turkish Airlines, Ooredoo, and Tata Motors, among other companies. [ 538 ] [ 539 ] [ 540 ] [ 541 ] Additionally, Messi was the face of Konami ‘s video game series Pro Evolution Soccer, appearing on the covers of PES 2009, PES 2010, PES 2011 and PES 2020. He subsequently signed with equal company EA Sports to become the face of their series FIFA and has since appeared on four consecutive covers from FIFA 13 to FIFA 16. [ 543 ] Messi ‘s ball-shaped popularity and determine are well documented. He was among the Time 100, an annual list of the world ‘s most influential people as published by Time, in 2011 and 2012. [ 544 ] [ 545 ] His fanbase on the sociable media web site Facebook is among the largest of all populace figures : within seven hours of its launch in April 2011, Messi ‘s Facebook page had closely seven million followers, and by August 2021 he had over 103 million followers, the second highest for a sportsperson after Cristiano Ronaldo. [ 546 ] [ 547 ] He besides has over 280 million Instagram followers, the second highest for an person and sportsperson after Cristiano Ronaldo. [ 548 ] According to a 2014 survey by sports research firm Repucom in 15 international markets, Messi was companion to 87 % of respondents around the global, of whom 78 % perceived him favorably, making him the second-most recognised musician globally, behind Ronaldo, and the most sympathetic of all contemporaneous players. [ 549 ] [ 550 ] On Messi ‘s economic shock on the city in which he plays, Terry Gibson called him a “ tourist attraction ”. [ 551 ]
other events have illustrated Messi ‘s presence in democratic culture. A solid gold replica of his left foot, weighing 25 kilogram ( 55 pound ) and valued at $ 5.25 million, went on sale in Japan in March 2013 to raise funds for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. [ 552 ] A 2013 Turkish Airlines ad starring Messi, in which he engages in a selfie competition with then- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, was the most-watched ad on YouTube in the year of its publish, receiving 137 million views, and was subsequently voted the best ad of the 2005–15 decade to commemorate YouTube ‘s establish. [ 553 ] [ 554 ] World Press Photo selected “ The Final Game ”, a photograph of Messi facing the World Cup trophy after Argentina ‘s final examination defeat to Germany, as the best sports trope of 2014. [ 555 ] Messi, a documentary about his life sentence by film maker Álex de la Iglesia, premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August 2014. [ 556 ] In June 2021, Messi signed a five-year deal to become an ambassador for the Hard Rock Cafe brand. He stated, “ sports and music are an built-in part of my life. It is an honor to be the first athlete to partner with a mark who has a history of teaming with music legends. ” [ 557 ]

personal life

family and relationships

Since 2008, Messi has been in a relationship with Antonela Roccuzzo, a boyfriend native of Rosario. [ 558 ] He has known Roccuzzo since he was five years erstwhile, as she is the cousin of his childhood best friend, Lucas Scaglia, who is besides a football player. [ 559 ] After keeping their relationship private for a year, Messi first confirmed their romance in an interview in January 2009, before going public a month late during a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona–Espanyol bowler hat .

“ Leo is not shy. He ‘s introspective. He ‘s reserved. ”

— Endocrinologist Diego Schwarzstein, [ note 4 ] who addressed Messi ‘s growth hormone lack from 1997 to 2001 .
Messi and Roccuzzo have three sons : Thiago ( hold 2012 ), Mateo ( bear 2015 ) and Ciro ( behave 2018 ). To celebrate his partner ‘s first pregnancy, Messi placed the ball under his shirt after scoring in Argentina ‘s 4–0 winnings against Ecuador on 2 June 2012, before confirming the pregnancy in an interview two weeks late. [ 561 ] Thiago was born in Barcelona on 2 November 2012, with Messi attending the parentage after being given permission by Barcelona to miss prepare. [ 562 ] Thiago ‘s name and handprints are tattooed on his left field calf. In April 2015, Messi confirmed that they were expecting another child. [ 563 ] He missed training ahead of a match against Atlético Madrid to attend the birth of his second gear son, Mateo, on 11 September 2015 in Barcelona. [ 564 ] On 30 June 2017, he married Roccuzzo at a luxury hotel named Hotel City Center in Rosario with about 260 guests attending his marry. [ 565 ] On 15 October 2017, his wife announced they were expecting their third child. [ 566 ] On 10 March 2018, Messi skipped the match against Málaga after Ciro was born. [ 567 ] Messi enjoys a close relationship with his immediate family members, particularly his mother, Celia, whose face he has tattooed on his left shoulder. His professional affairs are largely run as a family commercial enterprise : his beget, Jorge, has been his agent since he was 14, and his oldest brother, Rodrigo, handles his day by day schedule and publicity. His mother and other buddy, Matías, manage his charitable organization, the Leo Messi Foundation, and take care of personal and professional matters in Rosario. Since leaving for Spain at old age 13, Messi has maintained close ties to his hometown of Rosario, even preserving his distinct Rosarino emphasis. He has kept possession of his family ‘s old house, although it has long resist empty ; he maintains a penthouse apartment in an exclusive residential building for his mother, equally well as a family compound just outside the city. once when he was in coach with the national team in Buenos Aires, he made a three-hour trip by car to Rosario immediately after commit to have dinner with his class, spent the night with them, and returned to Buenos Aires the adjacent day in time for rehearse. Messi keeps in day by day contact via call and text with a humble group of confidants in Rosario, most of whom were boyfriend members of “ The Machine of ’87 ” at Newell ‘s Old Boys. He presently lives in Castelldefels, a greenwich village near Barcelona. Although considered a one-club man, he has long planned to return to Rosario to end his playing career at Newell ‘s. He was on bad terms with the clubhouse after his transplant to Barcelona, but by 2012 their public feud had ended, with Newell ‘s embracing their ties with Messi, evening issuing a golf club membership batting order to his newborn son. [ 17 ] [ 570 ]

philanthropy

Throughout his career, Messi has been involved in charitable efforts aimed at vulnerable children, a commitment that stems in part from the checkup difficulties he faced in his own childhood. Since 2004, he has contributed his clock and finances to the United Nations Children ‘s Fund ( UNICEF ), an organization with which Barcelona besides have a strong association. [ 571 ] [ 572 ] Messi has served as a UNICEF good will ambassador since his appointee in March 2010, completing his first field mission for the organization four months late as he travelled to Haiti to bring public awareness to the predicament of the area ‘s children in the wake island of the recent earthquake. He has since participated in UNICEF campaigns targeting HIV prevention, education, and the social inclusion of disable children. [ 573 ] To celebrate his son ‘s first birthday, in November 2013, Messi and Thiago were part of a publicity campaign to raise awareness of mortality rates among disadvantage children. [ 574 ]
Messi ( pictured in 2007 ) has worked with UNICEF since 2004 and has served as a UNICEF good will ambassador since 2010. In summation to his work with UNICEF, Messi founded his own charitable organization, the Leo Messi Foundation, which supports access to health care, education, and mutant for children. [ 575 ] 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. Through his initiation, Messi has awarded research grants, financed checkup train, and invested in the exploitation of medical centres and projects in Argentina, Spain, and elsewhere in the world. [ 576 ] In addition to his own fund-raise activities, such as his ball-shaped “ Messi and Friends ” football matches, his foundation receives fiscal support from assorted companies to which he has assigned his name in endorsement agreements, with Adidas as their main patronize. [ 577 ] [ 578 ] Messi has besides invested in youth football in Argentina : he financially supports Sarmiento, a football club based in the Rosario vicinity where he was born, committing in 2013 to the renovation of their facilities and the facility of all-weather pitches, and funds the management of respective youth players at Newell ‘s Old Boys and equal clubhouse Rosario Central, equally well as at River Plate and Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires. At Newell ‘s Old Boys, his boyhood club, he funded the 2012 construction of a new gymnasium and a dormitory inside the golf club ‘s stadium for their young person academy. His erstwhile young coach at Newell ‘s, Ernesto Vecchio, is employed by the Leo Messi Foundation as a talent scout for young players. [ 17 ] On 7 June 2016, Messi won a libel case against La Razón newspaper and was awarded €65,000 in damages, which he donated to the charity Médecins Sans Frontières. [ 579 ] Messi made a contribution worth €1 million ( $ 1.1 million ) to fight the gap of coronavirus. [ 580 ] This was rent between Clinic Barcelona hospital in Barcelona, Spain and his native Argentina. [ 581 ] In addition to this, Messi along with his mate FC Barcelona teammates announced he will be taking a 70 % cut in salaries during the 2020 coronavirus emergency, and contribute further to the club to provide in full to salaries of all the clubs employees. [ 582 ] 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. He stepped in and paid the salaries of the three members. [ 583 ] [ 584 ] In February 2021, Messi donated his Adidas shoes to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya which he wore when he scored his 644th goal for Barcelona and broke Pelé ‘s commemorate for most goals scored for a single club, the shoes were belated auctioned off in April by the museum for jacob’s ladder to help children with cancer and were sold for £125,000. [ 585 ] In progress of the 2021 Copa América in Uruguay, Messi donated three signed shirts to the chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech —whose directors spoke of their admiration for Messi—in ordering to secure 50,000 doses of Sinovac ‘s COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, in the hope of vaccinating all of South America ‘s football players. [ 586 ] A bargain brokered by Uruguay ‘s president Luis Lacalle Pou, the plan to prioritise football players caused some controversy given far-flung vaccine scarcity in the region, with the Mayor of Canelones in Uruguay note that “ just as the president manifested cooperation with CONMEBOL to vaccinate for the Copa América, he could equitable american samoa well have the same consideration for Canelones ”. [ 586 ]

tax fraud

Messi ‘s fiscal affairs came under probe in 2013 for suspected tax evasion. Offshore companies in tax havens Uruguay and Belize were used to evade €4.1 million in taxes related to sponsorship earnings between 2007 and 2009. An unrelated shell company in Panama set up in 2012 was subsequently identified as belong to to the Messis in the Panama Papers data leak. Messi, who pleaded ignorance of the allege outline, voluntarily paid arrears of €5.1 million in August 2013. On 6 July 2016, Messi and his beget were both found guilty of tax fraud and were handed suspended 21-month prison sentences and respectively ordered to pay €1.7 million and €1.4 million in fines. [ 587 ] Facing the judge, he said, “ I just played football. I signed the contracts because I trusted my dad and the lawyers and we had decided that they would take charge of those things. ” [ 588 ]

career statistics

cabaret

As of match played 23 December 2021

International

As of match played 16 November 2021

Appearances and goals by national team, year and competition

Team	Year	Competitive		Friendly		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Argentina U20	2004	—		2	3	2	3
	2005	16[a]	11	—		16	11
	Total	16	11	2	3	18	14
Argentina U23	2008	5[b]	2	—		5	2
	Total	5	2	0	0	5	2
Argentina[339][598]	2005	3[c]	0	2	0	5	0
	2006	3[d]	1	4	1	7	2
	2007	10[e]	4	4	2	14	6
	2008	6[c]	1	2	1	8	2
	2009	8[c]	1	2	2	10	3
	2010	5[d]	0	5	2	10	2
	2011	8[f]	2	5	2	13	4
	2012	5[c]	5	4	7	9	12
	2013	5[c]	3	2	3	7	6
	2014	7[d]	4	7	4	14	8
	2015	6[g]	1	2	3	8	4
	2016	10[h]	8	1	0	11	8
	2017	5[c]	4	2	0	7	4
	2018	4[d]	1	1	3	5	4
	2019	6[g]	1	4	4	10	5
	2020	4[c]	1	0	0	4	1
	2021	16[i]	9	0	0	16	9
	Total	111	46	47	34	158	80
Career total		132	59	49	37	181	96

Honours

Barcelona [ 599 ]
Argentina U20
Argentina U23
Argentina
Individual

See besides

Notes

References

Bibliography

reservoir : https://www.jorihulkkonen.com
Category : ฟุตบอล