Lionel Andrés “Leo” Messi, also known as Lionel Messi, is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Spanish club FC Barcelona. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, and also as the natural successor to his fellow countryman Diego Maradona. Lionel Messi’s appearance will certainly lay a number of doubts regarding his profession, but Messi has managed to succeed in a sport that demands physicality. Part of it is down to his incredible skill and pace, which has seen him weave confusion amongst many a defender.
Messi started his football career at a very early age, but it was only after recognition from Barcelona that his career entered into a dramatic phase. Barcelona agreed to cure his medical condition if Messi were to sign for them. Upon this condition, Messi moved to Barcelona at a very early age in his career. After representing the various youth teams of Barcelona, Messi made his first-team debut for the club aged just 17 years old. He also scored his first league goal a few matches later. Messi predominantly plays on the right wing, but can also play striker or just behind the striker.
The 2005-2006 season was a transitional period for the Argentine, but he soon established himself as a first team regular the following season. He made 36 appearances that season and scored 17 goals in the process. It confirmed the birth of a new superstar in the world football. However, it was not until the departure of Ronaldinho that he got the full attention that his skills deserved. The arrival of Pep Guardiola also played a major role towards his development as a real player capable of destroying defences. In the 2008-2009 season, Lionel Messi made an incredible 51 appearances for the first-team and scored 38 goals in them. This excludes the 18 assists that he also made during the same period.
His incredible performances helped Barcelona reclaim the La Liga title from Real Madrid and also win the Champions League in 2008. His remarkable performances continue to help Barcelona to new dimensions in terms of trophies won. In 2008, Barcelona won every single trophy that there was to contest, which was six in total, in that season alone. It is a feat that has never been achieved before and Lionel Messi played a major role in Barcelona achieving it.
However, individually, his best ever season came in the 2010-2011 season when he scored an astonishing 53 goals from 51 appearances. Again, Lionel Messi helped Barcelona to win their second Champions League title in three years. So far, the young Argentine has won five La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey title, three UEFA Champions League titles, one UEFA Super Cup, and one FIFA Club World Cup. Internationally, Lionel Messi has won the FIFA U-20 World Cup and the Olympic Gold Medal.
However, his personal achievements far outweigh the number of team trophies. They include the FIFA Ballon d’Or, Ballon d’Or, FIFA World Player of the Year, and the European Golden Shoe.