LionelAndrés"Leo"MessiCuccittini(born24June1987)isanArgentineprofessionalfootballerwhoplaysasaforwardforSpanishclubFCBarcelonaandisthecaptainfortheArgentinanationalteam.
Bytheageof21,MessihadreceivedBallond’OrandFIFAWorldPlayeroftheYearnominations.Thefollowingyear,in2009,hewonhisfirstBallond’OrandFIFAWorldPlayeroftheYearawards.HefollowedthisupbywinningtheinauguralFIFABallond’Orin2010,andthenagainin2011and2012.Healsowonthe2010–11UEFABestPlayerinEuropeAward.Attheageof24,MessibecameBarcelona’sall-timetopscorerinallofficialclubcompetitions.InSeptember2014hescoredhis400thseniorcareergoalforclubandcountryagedjust27.InNovember2014,Messibecametheall-timetopscorerinLaLiga,andtheall-timeleadinggoalscorerintheUEFAChampionsLeague.
Oftenrankedasthebestplayerintheworldandratedbysomeinthesportasthegreatestofalltime,MessiisthefirstfootballplayerinhistorytowinfourFIFA/Ballonsd’Or,allofwhichhewonconsecutively,andthefirsttowinthreeEuropeanGoldenShoeawards.WithBarcelona,MessihaswonsixLaLigas,twoCopasdelRey,sixSupercopasdeEspa?a,threeUEFAChampionsLeagues,twoUEFASuperCupsandtwoFIFAClubWorldCups.
Messiistheonlyplayertotop-scoreinfourconsecutiveChampionsLeagueseasons,andalsoholdstherecordforthemosthat-tricksscoredinthecompetitionwithfive.InMarch2012hemadeChampionsLeaguehistorybybecomingthefirstplayertoscorefivegoalsinonematch.HealsomatchedJoséAltafini’srecordof14goalsinasingleChampionsLeagueseason.Inthe2011–12season,MessisettheEuropeanrecordformostgoalsscoredinaseasonwith73goals,setthegoalscoringrecordinasingleLaLigaseasonwith50goals,andbecamethefirstplayerevertoscoreandassistinsixdifferentofficialcompetitionsinoneseason.InFebruary2013hescoredhis300thBarcelonagoal.On30March2013,Messiscoredinhis19thconsecutiveLaLigagame,becomingthefirstfootballerinhistorytonetinconsecutivematchesagainsteveryteaminaprofessionalfootballleague.Heextendedhisrecordscoringstreakto21consecutiveleaguematches.InMarch2014,withahat-trickagainstRealMadrid,Messibecametheplayerwiththemostgoalsandmosthat-tricksinthehistoryofElClásico.InOctober2014,Messi,aged27,becametheyoungestplayertoscore250goalsinLaLiga.InNovember2014,Messiscoredahat-trickagainstSevillatoreach253LaLigagoals,becomingtheall-timetopscorerinLaLiga.Laterthatmonth,hescoredhis74thChampionsLeaguegoaltobecomeitsall-timeleadingscorer.
MessihelpedArgentinawinthe2005FIFAU-20WorldCup,finishingasboththebestplayerandthetopscorer(withsixgoals).In2006,hebecametheyoungestArgentinetoplayandscoreintheFIFAWorldCup,andwonarunners-upmedalattheCopaAméricain2007,inwhichhewasnamedyoungplayerofthetournament.In2008,hewonanOlympicGoldMedalwiththeArgentinaOlympicfootballteam.Atthe2014WorldCup,heledArgentinatothefinal,winningfourconsecutiveManoftheMatchawardsintheprocess,andreceivedtheGoldenBallawardasthebestplayerofthetournament.In2013,SportsProratedhimthesecond-mostmarketableathleteintheworld.HisplayingstyleandstaturehavedrawncomparisonstocompatriotDiegoMaradona,whohimselfdeclaredMessihis"successor".
