Lionel AndrÃÆ' © s Messi Cuccittini ( Spanish Pronunciation: Ã, [ljo'nel an'd? ez 'mesi] Ã, ( listen ) 1987) is a professional Argentine soccer player who plays as a forward player for Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentine national team. Often considered the best player in the world and considered by many to be the best of all time, Messi has a record of five Ballon d'Or awards, four of which he won in quick succession, and a record of five European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, ​​where he has won 32 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey. Both prolific goalscorers and creative playmakers, Messi holds the record for the official goals scored in La Liga (383), La Liga season (50), club soccer season in Europe (73), calendar year (91), El ClÃÆ'¡ sico (26), as well as the most helpful in La Liga (149) and Copa Amà © rica (11). He has scored more than 600 senior career goals for club and country.
Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child. At the age of 13, he moved to Spain to join Barcelona, ​​who agreed to pay for his medical care. After a swift development through Barcelona's youth academy, Messi made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. Despite his injury-prone early in his career, Messi established himself as an integral player for the club in the next three years, completing 2007 as a finalist for winner of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World of the Year, a feat he repeated the following year. His first uninterrupted campaign came in the 2008-09 season, where he helped Barcelona clinch the first treble in Spanish football. At the age of 22, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World of the Year award with a margin voice record.
Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning three FIFA Ballons d'Or in a row, including an unprecedented fourth. His best statistical campaign to date is the 2011-12 season, where he set the La Liga and European record to score the most goals in a single season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer in the official competition in March 2012. The After two seasons, Messi completed twice two seconds for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who is considered a rival of his career. Messi regained his best performance during the 2014-15 season, breaking all-time goalscoring records in La Liga and Champions League in November 2014, and bringing Barcelona to a second historic treble.
Argentina's international player, Messi is the all-time leading scorer in his country. At the youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA Youth World Championships, finishing the tournament with Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His game style as a small left winger made a comparison with compatriot Diego Maradona, as his successor. After making his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became Argentina's youngest player to play and score goals at the FIFA World Cup during the 2006 edition, and reached the final of the 2007 Copa Amà © rica, where he was named a youth player of the tournament. As captain of the team from August 2011, he leads Argentina to three finals in a row: the 2014 World Cup, where he won the Golden Ball and Copas Amà © à © rica 2015 and 2016. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and leading his country into qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Early life
Lionel AndrÃÆ'Â © s Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, the third child of four children from Jorge Messi, the manager of the steel plant, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked at the magnet-making workshop. On the side of his father, he is of Italian and Spanish descent, great-grandchild of immigrants from the northern region of Adriatic Marche in Italy and Catalonia, and on the side of his mother, he mainly has Italian ancestry. Growing up in a tight family and loving football, "Leo" developed a passion for sports from an early age, playing constantly with his brothers Rodrigo and MatÃÆ'as, and his cousin Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi both becoming professional players. At the age of four he joined local club Grandoli, where he was trained by his father, although the earliest influence as a player came from maternal grandmother Celia, who accompanied him to training and matches. He was deeply affected by his death, shortly before the eleventh birthday; since then, as a pious Catholic, he has celebrated his goal by looking up and pointing to the sky in honor of his grandmother.
As a lifelong supporter of Newell's Old Boys, Messi joined the Rosario club when he was six years old. For six years he played for Newell's, he scored nearly 500 goals as a member of "The Machine of '87", an almost invincible young team named for their year of birth, and regularly entertained the crowd by performing ball tricks for half-time from first team home game. However, his future as a professional player was threatened when, at the age of 10, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. Because his father's health insurance covered only two years of growth hormone treatment, which spent at least $ 1,000 per month, Newell's agreed to contribute, but later reneged on their promise. He was nurtured by the Buenos Aires River Plate club, whose playmaker, Pablo Aimar, he idolized, but they also could not pay for his treatment because of the country's economic collapse.
Since the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they attempted to organize 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 time it was very unusual for European clubs to sign a very young foreign player. On December 14th, an ultimatum was issued to Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, without any other paper in hand, offered a contract on a paper napkin. In February 2001, the family moved to Barcelona, ​​where they moved into an apartment near the club stadium, Camp Nou. During his first year in Spain, Messi rarely played with Infantiles due to transfer conflicts with Newell's; as a foreigner, he can only be relegated in a Catalan league friendly and league. Without football, he struggles to integrate into teams; already protected by nature, he is so calm that his teammates initially believe he is mute. At home, she suffered longs after her mother moved back to Rosario with her brothers and sister, MarÃÆ'a Sol, while she lives in Barcelona with her father.
After a year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, Messi finally registered at the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002. Now playing in all competitions, he befriended his teammates, among them Cesc FÃÆ' bregas and Gerard PiquÃÆ'Â ©. After completing his 14-year-old growth hormone treatment, Messi became an integral part of "Baby Dream Team", Barcelona's biggest young team ever. During his first full season (2002-03), he was the top scorer with 36 goals in 30 games for Cadetes A, which won an unprecedented league treble and both Spanish and Catalan cups. The Copa Catalunya final, a 4-1 win over Espanyol, is known in the club's knowledge as partido de la mÃÆ'¡scara, the final of the mask. A week after suffering a broken cheekbone during a league match, Messi was allowed to start the game on the condition that he was wearing a plastic protector; immediately blocked by the mask, he took it off and scored two goals in 10 minutes before his replacement. At the close of the season, he accepted an offer to join Arsenal, the first from a foreign club, but while FÃÆ' bregas and PiquÃÆ' Â © soon left for England, he chose to remain in Barcelona.
Video Lionel Messi
Club career
Barcelona
2003-05: Get up to first team
During the 2003-04 season, all four of them with Barcelona, ​​Messi rapidly expanded through the ranks of the club, debuting to record five teams in one campaign. Having been crowned as a tournament player in four international preseason competitions with Youth B, he played only one official game with the team before being promoted to Juveniles A, where he scored 18 goals in 11 league matches. Messi was then one of several young players called on to strengthen the first team that runs out during the international break. French winger Ludovic Giuly explained how a teenager Leo caught his eye in practice session with Frank Rijkaard's first team: "He ruined us all... They kicked him everywhere to avoid being laughed at by this kid, he just got up and kept playing. He will dribble past four players and score goals.Even the anxious center-back is nervous, he is an alien. "At the age of 16, four months and 23 days, he made his first team debut when he entered in the 75th minute during a friendly against Porto from Jose Mourinho on 16 November 2003. His performance, creating two chances and a shot on goal, impressed the technical staff, and he then started training daily with the club's reserve side, Barcelona B and weekly with the first team. After his first training session with the senior squad, BarÃÆ'§a's new star player Ronaldinho told his colleagues that he believes the 16-year-old will be a better player than himself. Ronaldinho soon befriends Messi, whom he calls "little sister", which greatly eases the transition into the first team.
To gain further match experience, Messi joined Barcelona C in addition to Juveniles A, playing his first game for the third team on 29 November. He helped save them from the relegation zone Tercera DivisiÃÆ'³n, scoring five goals in ten matches, including a hat-trick in eight minutes during the Copa del Rey match while man-marked by Sevilla's Sergio Ramos. His progress was reflected in his first professional contract, signed on February 4, 2004, which lasts until 2012 and contains an initial purchase clause of EUR30 million. A month later, on March 6, he made his debut for Barcelona B in Segunda DivisiÃÆ'³n B, and his purchase clause automatically increased to EUR80 million. He played five matches with team B that season but did not score. Physically he is weaker than his opponents, who are often much older and taller, and in training he works to increase his muscle mass and overall strength in order to get rid of defenders. Towards the end of the season, he returns to both teams, helping Juveniles win the league. He completed his campaign after scoring four of his five teams with a total of 36 goals in all official competitions.
During the 2004-05 season, Messi is a guaranteed starter for team B, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring on six occasions. Since his debut last November, he has not been called into the first team yet, but in October 2004, the senior players asked manager Frank Rijkaard to promote it. Because Ronaldinho had already played on the left flank, Rijkaard moved Messi from his usual position to the right wing (though initially against the wishes of the player), allowing him to cut into the middle of the field and shoot with his dominant left foot. Messi made his league debut during the next game on 16 October, against Espanyol, entering in the 82nd minute. At 17 years, three months, and 22 days, he was at that time the youngest player representing Barcelona in the official competition. As a substitute, he played just 77 minutes in nine games for the first team of the season, including his UEFA Champions League debut against Shakhtar Donetsk. He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, against Albacete, from assists by Ronaldinho, becoming - at the time - the youngest goalscorer for the club. Barcelona, ​​in their second season under Rijkaard, won the league for the first time in six years.
2005-08: Create a starting eleven
On June 24, 2005, his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player. That made him a Barcelona player until 2010, two years less than his previous contract, but his purchase clause increased to EUR150 million. The breakthrough came two months later, on 24 August, during the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona's pre-season competition. As a starter for the first time, he gave a well-received appearance against Fabio Capello at Juventus, receiving applause from Camp Nou. While Capello is requesting a loan to Messi, an offer to buy it comes from Inter Milan, who are willing to pay a EUR150 million purchase clause and double his salary. According to then president Joan Laporta, it was the only time the club faced the real risk of losing Messi, but eventually he decided to stay. On September 16, his contract was renewed for the second time in three months and extended to 2014.
Due to problems regarding his legal status in the Spanish Football Federation, Messi missed the start of La Liga, but on 26 September he earned Spanish citizenship and is eligible to play. Wearing the number 19 shirt, he gradually established himself as the first-choice right-winger, forming a trio of attackers with Ronaldinho and striker Samuel Eto'o. He is in the starting line-up in major matches such as the first Claudia against Real's rivals Real Madrid on 19 November, as well as Barcelona's away win over Chelsea in the Champions League last 16, where he plays his best match to that point. After he scored 8 goals in 25 games, including his first in the Champions League, the season ended prematurely during the second leg against Chelsea on 7 March 2006, when he suffered a hamstring injury. Messi worked to regain fitness in time for the Champions League final, but on May 17, the final day, he was eventually ruled out. He was very disappointed because he did not celebrate his side's win over Arsenal in Paris, something he later regretted.
While Barcelona began to decline gradually, the 19-year-old Messi proved himself to be one of the best players in the world during the 2006-07 campaign. Already an idol at culÃÆ' Â © s , a supporter of the club, he scored 17 goals in 36 matches in all competitions. However, he was constantly harassed by major injuries; a continuous metatarsal fracture on 12 November 2006 left him sidelined for three months. He recovered in time for the last 16 of the Champions League against Liverpool, but was effectively marked out of the game; Barcelona, ​​the defending champion, out of the competition. In the league, his goal contribution increased towards the end of the season; 11 of his 14 goals came from the last 13 games. On 10 March 2007, he scored his first hat-trick at Claudio, the first player to do it in 12 years, equalized after every goal by Real Madrid to end the match in 3-3 draws in time extra. His growing interest in the club was reflected in the new contract, signed that month, which greatly increased his salary.
Already often compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, Messi proved their similarity when he almost replicated two of Maradona's most famous goals in a span of three weeks. During the Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe on April 18, he scored a very similar goal to Maradona's goal in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, known as the Goal of the Century. Messi collected the ball on the right side near the halfway line, ran 60 yards (66 years), and defeated five defenders before scoring with a corner kick, as Maradona did. A league game against Espanyol on June 9 saw him scoring a goal by launching himself on the ball and guiding him past the goalkeeper with his hand in a manner similar to the Hand of God Maradona's goal in the same World Cup match. As Messi continues his resurrection, Barcelona falters; the team failed to reach the Copa del Rey final after Messi rested during the second leg against Getafe and lost the league to Real Madrid in a head-to-head result.
After Ronaldinho lost form, Messi became a new player BarÃÆ'§a aged 20 years, received the nickname "Messiah" from the Spanish media. His efforts in 2007 also earned him recognition of the award; reporters voted him third best player of the year for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, behind KakÃÆ'¡ and runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo, while the international manager and captain of the national team voted him second for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, again behind KakÃÆ'¡. Although he scored 16 goals during the 2007-08 campaign, his second half of the season was again damaged by injury after he suffered a hamstring injury on December 15th. He again scored two goals in their away win against Celtic in the last 16 of the Champions League, becoming the competition's leading scorer at the moment with six goals, but bounced back during the second leg on March 4, 2008. Rijkaard has received it despite warnings from medical staff , leading captain Carles Puyol criticized the Spanish media for pressuring Messi to play every game. Barcelona finished the season without a trophy, knocked out in the Champions League semifinals by eventual champions Manchester United, and finished third in the league.
After two unsuccessful seasons, Barcelona needed improvement, leading to the departure of Rijkaard and Ronaldinho. After his last departure, Messi was given the number 10 shirt. He signed a new contract in July 2008 with an annual salary of EUR7.8 million, becoming the highest paid player in the club. Ahead of the new season, the main concern remains a frequent muscle injury, which has put him at a total limit of eight months between 2006 and 2008. To address the problem, the club is implementing new training, nutrition, and lifestyle regimens, and assigns it a personal physiotherapist will travel with him during a call for the Argentina national team. As a result, Messi remains injury-free for the next four years, enabling him to reach his full potential. Despite his injury at the start of the year, his 2008 appearance saw him again as runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, twice behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
2009-11: Continuing success
In his first uninterrupted campaign, the 2008-09 season, he scored 38 goals in 51 games, contributed alongside Eto'o and winger Thierry Henry to a total of 100 goals in all competitions, a record at that time for the club.
During his first season under new manager Barcelona, ​​former captain Pep Guardiola, Messi played primarily on the right wing, as he had under Rijkaard, although this time as a fake winger with the freedom to cut and roam the center. During ClÃÆ'¡sico on May 2, 2009, however, he played for the first time as a fake nine, positioned as center-forward but falls deep into the midfield to connect with Xavi and AndrÃÆ' © s Iniesta. He assisted with his team's first goal chip and scored twice to end the match with a 6-2 victory, the team's greatest score ever at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabà © u. Returning to the wings, he played his first final since he entered the first team on 13 May, scored once and helped a second goal as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 to win the Copa del Rey. With 23 league goals from Messi that season, Barcelona became La Liga champions three days later and reached fifth multiples.
As the Champions League's top scorer of the season with nine goals, the youngest in tournament history, Messi scored twice and helped two more to seal a 4-0 quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich. He returned as a fake nine during the final on May 27 in Rome against Manchester United. Barcelona were crowned European champions by winning the match 2-0, the second goal coming from Messi's header over goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona reached its first treble in the history of Spanish football. The success is reflected in the new contract, signed on 18 September, which Messi committed to the club until 2016 with a new purchase clause of EUR250 million, while his salary increased to EUR12 million. His team's prosperity continued into the second half of 2009, when Barcelona became the first club to reach its peak, winning six top trophies in a year. After victory at the Supercopa de Espaà ± a and the UEFA Super Cup in August, Barcelona won the FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes de La Plata on December 19, with Messi scoring the 2-1 win away with his chest. At the age of 22, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year, twice with the biggest voting margin in every trophy history.
Unsatisfied with his position on the right wing, Messi returned to play as a fake nine in early 2010, starting with the last 16 of the Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart. After the first leg draw, Barcelona won the second leg 4-0 with two goals and one assist from Messi. At that point, he effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola's team, and his goal level improved. Messi scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions that season, matching the club's record of Ronaldo's 1996-97 campaign. He mainly scored all four of his side's goals in the Champions League quarter-final against Arsene Wenger Arsenal on April 6 as Barcelona's all-time top scorer in the competition. Although Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semifinals by eventual champions Inter, Messi ended the season as the top scorer (with 8 goals) for the second year in a row. As the league's top scorer with 34 goals (once again tying Ronaldo's record), he helped Barcelona win the second La Liga trophy in a row with just one defeat.
Messi secured Barcelona's first trophy from the 2010-11 campaign, Supercopa de Espaà ± a, by scoring a hat-trick in a 2-0 win over second-leg side Sevilla, after a first-leg defeat. Assuming the role of playmaking, he again played a part in the ClÃÆ'¡sico on November 29, 2010, the first with Josà ©  © Mourinho in charge of Real Madrid, as Barcelona beat their rivals 5-0. Messi helped the team achieve 16 consecutive league wins, a record in Spanish football, ending with another hat-trick against Atlà © tico Madrid on 5 February 2011. His club appearance in 2010 earned him the first FIFA Ballon d'Or, a merger of the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World of the Year players, although his victory was met with some criticism due to his lack of success with Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Under the old format of the award, he will be placed outside the top three, due to his victory over the votes of the coach and the international captain.
Toward the end of the season, Barcelona plays four ClÃÆ'¡sicos in the span of 18 days. The league match on April 16 ended in a draw after a penalty from Messi. After Barcelona lost the Copa del Rey final four days later, Messi scored twice in his side's 2-0 win in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in Madrid; the second - a slaloming dribblle past three Real players - is recognized as one of the best in competition. Although he did not score, he was again important in the second leg draw which sent Barcelona through to the Champions League final, where they faced Manchester United in a repeat of the final two years earlier. As the competition's top scorer for the third year in a row, with 12 goals, Messi gave a man-of-the-the-match appearance at Wembley on 28 May, scoring the winning goal of a 3-1 BarÃÆ'§a win. Barcelona won their third consecutive La Liga title. In addition to his 31 goals, Messi is also the top league aid provider with 18 players. He finished the season with 53 goals and 24 assists in all competitions, becoming Barcelona's first season scorer and the first player in Spanish football to reach the 50-goal yardstick.
As Messi evolved into a combination of number 8 (creator), 9 (scorer), and 10 (assistant), he scored an unprecedented 73 goals and provided 29 assists in all club competitions during the 2011-12 season, trick or more than 10 occasions. He started his campaign by helping Barcelona win the Spanish Super Cup and Europe; in the Supercopa de Espaà ± a, he scored three times to clinch a 5-4 aggregate win over Real Madrid, overtaking RaÃÆ'ºl as the all-time top scorer with eight goals. At the close of the year, on December 18, he scored twice in the FIFA Club World Cup final, a 4-0 victory over Santos, making the Golden Ball the best player of the tournament, as he had done two years earlier. For his efforts in 2011, he again received the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming the fourth player in history to win the Ballon d'Or three times, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. In addition, he won the UEFA Best Player premiere at the Europe Award, a revival of the old style Ballon d'Or. At that time, Messi has been regarded as one of the best players in history, along with players like Diego Maradona and PelÃÆ' ©.
2012: Year of record breaking
As Messi maintained his scoring form into the second half of the season, 2012 saw him breaking some old records. On 7 March, two weeks after scoring four goals in a league game against Valencia, he scored five goals in the Champions League's last 16 Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the competition. In addition to being a joint aid provider with five assists, this achievement earned him the top scorer with 14 goals, tying JosÃÆ'Â © Altafini's record of the 1962-63 season, and becoming the second player after Gerd MÃÆ'¼ller became the top scorer. in four campaigns. Two weeks later, on March 20, Messi became the top scorer in Barcelona's history at the age of 24, overtaking the 57-year-old record of 23 goals by Rodriguez Rodriguez with a hat-trick against Granada.
Despite Messi's individual form, Barcelona's four-year success cycle under Guardiola - one of the greatest eras in club history - is over. Although Barcelona won the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao on May 25, the 14th of that period, the team has lost the league to Real Madrid and were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by eventual champions Chelsea with Messi sending an important second-leg penalty against the crossbar. In BarÃÆ'§a's last home league match on 5 May, against Espanyol, Messi scored all four goals before approaching the bench to embrace Guardiola, who has announced his retirement as manager. He finished the season as the league's top scorer in Spain and Europe for the second time, with 50 goals, La Liga record all the time, while his 73th goal in all competitions surpassed 67 Gerd MÃÆ'¼ller goals in the 1972-73 Bundesliga season, making him the season's top scorer in the history of European club football.
Under manager Tito Vilanova, who first coached his 14-year-old at La Masia, Messi helped the club achieve its best start to the La Liga season during the second half of 2012, collecting 55 points by the midpoint of the competition, a record in football Spanish. A double goal on 9 December against Real Betis saw Messi break the two old records: he surpassed CÃÆ'Â Â © sar RodrÃÆ'guez's record of 190 league goals, became Barcelona's all-time leading scorer in La Liga, and Gerd MÃÆ'¼ller's record of most goals scored in a year calendar, surpassing the 85 goals he scored in 1972 for Bayern Munich and Germany. Messi sent MÃÆ'¼ller number 10 Barcelona shirt, signed "with respect and admiration", after breaking his 40-year record. At the end of the year, Messi has scored 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina. Although FIFA does not recognize the achievement, for reasons of verification, it received the Guinness World Records title for most goals scored in a calendar year. As a favorite opportunity, Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d'Or, being the only player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times.
2013-14: Messidependencia
Barcelona have almost secured their La Liga title in early 2013, eventually matching Real Madrid's 100-point record from the previous season. However, their performance deteriorated in the second half of the 2012-13 campaign, along with the absence of Vilanova due to poor health. After losing consecutive ClÃÆ'¡sicos , including the Copa del Rey semifinals, they were almost eliminated in the first Champions League knockout round by Milan, but the revival of form in the second leg led to a 4-0 comeback, with two goals and one assist from Messi. Now in his senior ninth season with Barcelona, ​​Messi signed a new contract on 7 February, tying himself to the club until 2018, while his fixed wage rose to EUR13 million. He wore a captain's armband for the first time a month later, on March 17, in a league game against Rayo Vallecano; at the time, he had become the tactical point of the team's tactics for a title that was arguably rivaled only by former Barcelona players Josep Samitier, LÃÆ'¡szlÃÆ'³ Kubala and Johan Cruyff. Ever since its evolution became a fake nine three years earlier, its input into team attack has increased exponentially; of 24% in their treble-winning campaign, his goal contribution increased to over 40% that season.
After four injury-free seasons, a muscle injury that previously attacked Messi back into place. After suffering a hamstring injury on April 2, during the first quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, his performance became sporadic. In the second leg against PSG, with Barcelona performing poorly under goal, Messi came off the bench in the second half and in nine minutes helped create their match-tying goal, allowing them to progress to the semi-finals. Still not fit, he proved ineffective during the first leg against Bayern Munich and could not play at all during the second, as Barcelona were beaten 7-0 in aggregate by the eventual champion. This match gives confidence to the idea of ​​ Messidependencia , the tactical and psychological dependence of Barcelona on their star players.
Messi continues to struggle with injuries throughout 2013, eventually parting ways with his old personal physiotherapist. Further damage to his hamstring on 12 May ended his record of 21 league games in a row, a world record; He has scored 33 goals during his game, including four against Osasuna, while being the first player to score consecutive goals against all 19 opposition teams in La Liga. With 60 goals in all competitions, including 46 goals in La Liga, he completed his campaign as league's top scorer in Spain and Europe for the second year in a row, becoming the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times. After an irregular start to the new season under manager Gerardo Martino, former childhood club Newell's Old Boys, Messi suffered his fifth injury in 2013 when he tore his hamstring on 10 November, leaving him out for two months. Despite his injury, he was voted runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, releasing the award after a four-year monopoly to Cristiano Ronaldo.
During the second half of the 2013-14 season, doubts persisted over the form of Messi, leading to a perception among the culà © s that he booked himself for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Statistically, the contribution of goals, shots, and the operand has dropped significantly compared to the previous season. He still managed to break two old records in a span of seven days: a hat-trick on March 16 against Osasuna saw him take over 369 goals made by Paulino AlcÃÆ'¡ntara to become Barcelona's top scorer in all competitions including a friendly, while another hat-trick against Real Madrid on 23 March made him the all-time top scorer at El ClÃÆ'¡sico, ahead of 18 goals scored by former Real Madrid player Alfredo Di StÃÆ' © fano. Messi completed his campaign with his worst result in five seasons, although he still scored 41 goals in all competitions. For the first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy; they were beaten in the Copa del Rey final by Real Madrid and lost in the league in the last game to Atlà © tico Madrid, causing Messi to be ridiculed by some of his fans at Camp Nou. After prolonged speculation over his future with the club, Messi signed a new contract on May 19, 2014, just a year after his last contract renewal; his salary increased to EUR20 million, or EUR36 million before tax, the highest wage ever in sports.
2014-15: Historic treble
Under new manager and former captain Luis Enrique, Messi suffered an injury-free start to the 2014-15 season, allowing him to break three more old records by the end of the year. Hat-trick scored against Sevilla on 22 November making him the all-time leading scorer in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year-old record of 251 league goals hosted by Telmo Zarra. Three days later, he scored another hat-trick against APOEL, beating 71 goals RaÃÆ'ºl to become top scorer in Champions League history. The third hattrick, scoring against city rivals Espanyol on 7 December, allowed him to surpass CÃÆ' Â © sar RodrÃÆ'guez as the all-time leading scorer at Derbi barcelonÃÆ' with 12 goals. Messi returned to second place in FIFA Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, largely due to second place achievement with Argentina at the World Cup.
In early 2015, Barcelona was considered towards another disappointing final this season, with new speculation in the media that Messi left the club. The turning point came on 11 January during a 3-1 win over Atlà © tico Madrid, the first time the BarÃÆ'§a attacked Messi's trident, Luis SuÃÆ'¡rez and Neymar, dubbed "MSN", each scored in the match, marking starting from a very successful run. After five years playing in the middle of the field, Messi has returned to his old position on the right wing at the end of the previous year, with his own advice according to SuÃÆ'¡rez, their striker. From there, he regained his best - arguably his best form, while SuÃÆ'¡rez and Neymar ended the team's attacking dependence on their star players. With 58 goals from Messi, the trio scored a total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in Spanish football.
Toward the end of the campaign, Messi scored in a 1-0 away win over Atlà © tico Madrid on 17 May, securing the La Liga title. Among his 43 league goals in the season was a hat-trick scored in 11 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on 8 March, the fastest in his senior career; it was his 32nd hat-trick overall for Barcelona, ​​allowing him to overtake Telmo Zarra as the player with the most hat-trick ever in Spanish football. In addition, as the season's top aid provider with 18 assists, he surpassed LuÃÆ's Figo as the player with the most assists in La Liga; He set a record of 106 assists in a game against Levante on February 15, where he also scored a hat-trick. Messi then scored twice as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in the Copa del Rey final on May 30, reaching the eighth 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 defeated four opponent players, before bluffing the goalkeeper to score in a narrow space near the post. His goal was later named as one of the final three nominations for the 2015 Fuso Puskás Award.
In the Champions League, Messi scored two goals and helped another in a 3-0 semi-final win over Bayern Munich, now under Guardiola's guidance. His second goal, which came just three minutes after his first goal, saw him feed the ball past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after his pass through JÃÆ'Ã… © rÃÆ'Â'me Boateng put the defender down to the ground; it became viral, becoming the most tweeted year of sporting moments, and was named the best goal of the season by UEFA. Despite losing a second leg, Barcelona advanced to the final on June 6 in Berlin, where they beat Juventus 3-1 to win their second treble, becoming the first team in history to do so. Although Messi did not score, he participated in every team goal, especially the second as he forced a partial save from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from where SuÃÆ'¡rez scored the winning goal on the rebound. In addition to being the top assists with six assists, Messi completed the competition as the top scorer along with ten goals, which earned him the difference as the first player to reach the top scoring points in five Champions League seasons. For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for the second time.
2015-16: Domestic success
Messi opened the 2015-16 season by scoring twice from a free kick in Barcelona's 5-4 (overtime) victory over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup. The next 5-1 aggregate defeat against Athletic Bilbao in Supercopa de Espaà ± a ends their expressed expectations of a second sextuple, with Messi scoring the only goal of his team. On September 16, he became the youngest player to make 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League in a 1-1 away win away to Roma. On 26 September, Messi suffered an injury in a Barcelona match against Las Palmas; the test later confirmed that he suffered a tear in the medial collateral ligament of his left knee, grasping it for six to eight weeks. He finally returned to the field on 21 November, making a substitute appearance in Barcelona's 4-0 away win over arch rivals Real Madrid at El ClÃÆ'¡sico. Messi closed the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup Final on December 20, collecting a fifth club trophy in 2015 as Barcelona went on to beat River Plate 3-0 in Yokohama. Messi also won the Silver Ball tournament, despite missing the semi-final. On December 30, Messi scored in his 500th appearance for Barcelona, ​​in a 4-0 home win over Real Betis.
On 6 January 2016, Barcelona's first goal recording in the new year, Messi scored twice and helped the other two in a 4-1 derby victory over Espanyol at Camp Nou, in the first leg of the 16th 16 2015-16 Copa del Rey. Five days later, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for his fifth career record. On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick as Barcelona won 7-0 against Valenciain the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at Camp Nou, also scored his 500th goal of his career, including youth competition. With teammate Luis SuÃÆ'¡rez scoring four other goals in the same game, this is the first time two players have scored at least three goals at Camp Nou, and for the first time since Luis SuÃÆ'¡rez Miramontes and Justo Tejada in 1956 Achievements have only three times before in the club's history, all at Camp de Les Corts. The next league game at Camp Nou, a 6-1 victory against Celta de Vigo, Messi helped SuÃÆ'¡rez from a penalty kick. Some people see it as "a touch of genius", while others criticize it as being rude to the opponent. The Celta players, however, never complained and their coach defended the penalty, stating, "Barca forward is very respectful." The penalty routine was compared to Johan Cruyff's 1989 Johan Cruyff Baron icon, battling lung cancer, causing many fans to show that the punishment was a tribute to him. Cruyff himself is "very happy" with the game, insisting "it's legal and entertaining".
On 17 February, Messi reached the 300th league goal in a 3-1 away win against Sporting de GijÃÆ'³n. A few days later, he scored twice in Barcelona's 0-2 victory against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, in the first leg of the 16th round of the UEFA Champions League 16, with the second goal being Barcelona's tenth in the official competition. On April 17th, Messi ended a five-game drought with his 500th senior career goal for club and country in Barcelona losing 2-1 at home to Valencia. Messi finished the 2015-16 season by scoring twice in Barcelona's 2-0 extra-time win over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey Final at the Vicente CalderÃÆ'³n Stadium on May 22, 2016, as the club celebrated a domestic double win for a second successive season. In total, Messi scored 41 goals and gave 23 assists, as the Barcelona striker trio managed to record 131 goals throughout the Spanish season, breaking the record they made the previous season.
2016-17: Fourth Golden Shoe
Messi opens the 2016-17 season by appointing Supercopa de EspaÃÆ'  ± a 2016 as Barcelona captain in the absence of injured Andesta Iniesta; he set Munir's goal in a 2-0 away win over Sevilla in the first leg on 14 August, and then scored and helped in a 3-0 victory in the second leg on 17 August. Three days later, he scored two goals and provided relief to bring Barcelona to a 6-2 victory against Real Betis in the La Liga season 2016-17. On 13 September 2016, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the opening match of UEFA Champions League 2016-17 against Celtic in a 7-0 victory; It is also the sixth hat-trick of Messi in the Champions League, at most by any player. A week later, Messi suffered a groin injury in a 1-1 draw against Atlà © tico Madrid and was sidelined with a three-week injury. He marked his return with a goal, scoring three minutes after coming off the bench in a 4-0 home win over Deportivo de La CoruÃÆ' ± a, on 16 October. Three days after this, he scored his seventh-seventh hat-trick as Barcelona defeated Manchester City 4-0. On November 1st, Messi scored his 54th goal of the Champions League group stage in Barcelona's 3-1 away game away to Manchester City, surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by RaÃÆ'ºl. On 12 November, Messi was second in the Ballon d'Or 2016 behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who claimed the award for the fourth time. He finished the year with 51 goals, making him the top scorer in Europe, one ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovi ?.
After finishing second in the Ballon d'Or 2016, on 9 January 2017 Messi also came second - behind Cristiano Ronaldo once again - in the 2016 FIFA Men's Player Award. On Jan 11, Messi scored from a free kick in a 3- 1 Barcelona against Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of the last 16 of the Copa del Rey, which allowed Barcelona to advance into the quarter-finals of the competition; with his 26th goal of a free kick for Barcelona in all competitions, he equaled the club's all-time record, previously set by Ronald Koeman. In the next league game, on 14 January, Messi scored in a 5-0 win against Las Palmas; with this goal, he equaled RaÃÆ'ºl's record for most of the team who scored against in La Liga (35). On 4 February, Messi scored his 27th free-kick for Barcelona in a 3-0 home win over Athletic Bilbao in the league, overtaking Koeman as the club's all-time top scorer from a free kick. On April 23, Messi scored twice in a 3-2 away win over Real Madrid. His winning goal at the end of the match was the 500th goal for Barcelona. On 27 May, Messi scored and set up another for Paco AlcÃ|t in the 2017 Copa del Rey Final, helping Barcelona to a 3-1 victory over AlavÃÆ'Â © s, and was selected as Man of the Match. In total, Messi finished the 2016-17 season with 54 goals and 16 assists, while his 37th goal in La Liga made him claim both Pichichi and the European Golden Boot Awards for the fourth time in his career.
2017-18: Domestic doubled and record fifth Golden Shoe
Messi opened the 2017-18 season by turning a penalty in 1-3 Barcelona's first home defeat to Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espaà ± a. Thus, Messi also extended the record scoring El Clásico with goals that became 24 official and 25 overall. On 27 August, Messi scored his first two goals in the 2017-18 La Liga season in a 2-0 away win over AlavÃÆ' © s. Messi's first goal marks 350 in the fixture, becoming the first player ever to reach this milestone. On 9 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick in a 2017-18 league campaign, against Espanyol in the barcelonà d derby, helping to secure a 5-0 home win over Blaugrana over local rivals. Messi netted twice against Gianluigi Buffon, on 12 September, when Barca beat champions Italy last season Juventus 3-0 at home in UEFA Champions League. On September 19, Messi scored four times in a 6-1 defeat over Eibar at Camp Nou in La Liga. Three weeks later, on October 1, Messi surpassed former teammate Carles Puyol to become the third highest-performing maker in club history, as he helped Barca beat Las Palmas 3-0 by helping Sergio Busquets' opener and then added two himself in the 594 official game for the club; league matches played behind closed doors at Camp Nou due to the violence in Catalonia relating to an ongoing independence referendum.
On October 18, in his appearance at the 122nd European club, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and the 100th in all UEFA club competitions, in a 3-1 home win over Olympiakos. Messi became the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo reached a milestone this century, but completed it in 21 fewer appearances than his Portuguese counterpart. On 23 October, Messi finished as runner-up behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2017 FIFA Men's Player of the Year award for the second year in a row. On November 4, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2-1 home win over Sevilla in La Liga. After the reception of his fourth Golden Shoe, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him with the club through the 2020-21 season. The purchase clause is set at EUR700 million. On 7 January 2018, Messi made a 400th La Liga appearance with Barcelona in a 3-0 home win over Levante, marking a chance with the help of the 144th league and 365th league goal for the club, the latter seeing him equal Gerd MÃÆ'¼ller's record for the most league goals scored for the same club in one of Europe's top five divisions. A week later, he broke the record, scoring 366 La Liga goals from a free kick in a 4-2 away win against Real Sociedad.
On March 4, he scored his 600th career goal from a free kick in a 1-0 home win over Atlà © tico Madrid, in La Liga. On March 14, Messi scored his 99th and 100th goal in the Champions League in a 3-0 home win over Chelsea, becoming only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo reached this landmark, and reaching it at a younger age, in fewer appearances , after playing fewer minutes, and taking fewer shots than his Portuguese counterpart; his opening goal, which came after just two minutes and eight seconds, was also the fastest of his career. During the same game, he also founded Ousmane Demba © for his first Barcelona goal; the results saw Barcelona progress into the quarter-finals of the competition for the eleventh consecutive season. On April 7, he scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over LeganÃÆ' ¢ s including his sixth goal scored from a free kick for the season, equaling a record set by former team-mate Ronaldinho. On May 9, Messi scored as Barcelona beat Villarreal 5-1 to set a longest unbeaten run (43 games) in La Liga history.
Maps Lionel Messi
International career
2004-05: Success at teen level
As a citizen of Argentina-Spanish double, Messi qualified to play for the national teams of both countries. The voters for the Spain U-17 squad began chasing him in 2003 after Barcelona's director of football, Carles Rexach, warned the Spanish Football Federation to their young players. Messi declined the offer, having aspired to represent La Albiceleste since childhood. To prevent Spain from taking it, the Argentine Football Association held two friendly matches under 20 in June 2004, against Paraguay and Uruguay, with the aim of completing his status as an Argentine player at FIFA. Five days after the 17th birthday, on 29 June, he made his country debut against Paraguay, scored one goal and gave two assists in their 8-0 win. He was then included in the squad for the South American Youth Championships, held in Colombia in February 2005. Because he lacked the stamina of his teammates, the result of the previous growth hormone deficiency, he used as a substitute in six of the nine games, proved to be more effective when entering at second round. Having been named as man of the game against Venezuela, he scored the 2-1 winning goal in the last important game against Brazil, thus securing their third place of qualification for the FIFA World Championship Championship.
Recognizing his physical limitations, Messi hired a personal trainer to increase his muscle mass, returning to the squad in an improved condition in time for the World Youth Championships, held by the Netherlands in June 2005. After he was left on the starting line In their first game against the United States, 1-0 defeat, the senior team players ask manager Francisco Ferraro to let Messi start, because they think of him as their best player. After helping the team beat Egypt and Germany to advance past the group stage, Messi proved decisive in the knockout phase as he scored their equalizing goals against Colombia, scored goals and help against favorites of the Spanish title, and scored their opener against defending champions Brazil. Toward the final, he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He scored two penalties in their 2-1 win over Nigeria, clinched Argentina's fifth title and finished the tournament as the top scorer with 6 goals. His performance made comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who led Argentina to a title in 1979.
2005-06: Senior Debut and World Cup
In recognition of his achievements with the U-20 team, senior manager Josà © à © PÃÆ' © Kerman gave Messi his first call for a friendly against Hungary on 17 August 2005. Aged 18, Messi made his senior debut for Argentina when he came in the 63rd , only to be sent after two minutes for a perceived offense against Vilmos Vanczák, who has grabbed his shirt; Messi had attacked the defender with his arm while trying to release him, which the referee interpreted as an accidental nudge, a controversial decision. Messi is reportedly found crying in the dressing room after he was sent. He returned to the team on September 3 in their World Cup qualifying defeat against Paraguay, which he declared a "return debut" ahead of the game. Messi started his first game in the next qualifying match against Peru, where he was able to win an important penalty that ensured their victory. After the game, PÃÆ'Ã… © kerman described it as a "gem". He then made regular appearances for the team ahead of Argentina's participation at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring his first goal in a friendly against Croatia on March 1, 2006. A hamstring injury suffered a week later jeopardized his presence at the World Cup but he was nevertheless selected for the PÃÆ' © kerman and get back on fitness in time to start the tournament.
During the World Cup in Germany, Messi witnessed the win of their opening game against Ivory Coast from the bench. In the next game, against Serbia and Montenegro, he became the youngest player to represent Argentina in the FIFA World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute. He helped their fourth strike in minutes and scored the last goal in their 6-0 win, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth youngest scorer in World Cup history. When their development into the knockout phase is guaranteed, some starters are rested during the last group match. Messi then started the game against the Netherlands, a 0-0 draw, as they won their group on goal difference. In the 16th round of the game against Mexico, played on his 19th birthday, Messi entered in the 84th minute, with the score tied 1-1. He appeared to score, but it was controversially ruled offside, with the team needing a goal late in extra time to continue. He did not play in the quarter-finals against Germany, where Argentina crashed out 4-2 on penalties. Back home, PÃÆ'Â © kerman's decision to leave him on the bench against Germany led to widespread criticism from those who believed Messi could change the outcome of the game in favor of Argentina.
2007-08: Copa Amà © à © rica final and Olympic gold
When Messi evolved into one of the best players in the world, he earned a place in the starting line-up Alfio Basile, as part of a team considered favorite to win the Copa Amà © rica 2007, held in Venezuela. He set up the winning goal of their 4-1 game against the United States in the opening match, before winning a penalty that led to the first strike of the match-tying their 4-2 win in the next game against Colombia. Because they had secured their place in the knockout phase, Messi started the next game on the bench, going into the last 25 minutes with a 0-0 score to help his team beat Paraguay by helping their only goal. At the quarter-finals stage, where group winners face Peru, he scores the second from a 4-0 victory that leads them through to the semi-finals, where he packs the ball past the Mexican keeper to secure another 3-0. win. In a shock defeat, Argentina lost 3-0 last with a Brazil squad that lacks some of the nation's best players. Their unexpected loss was followed by much criticism in Argentina, though Messi was mostly freed due to his young age and secondary status for star player Juan RomÃÆ'¡n Riquelme. He was named the best young player of the tournament by CONMEBOL.
Ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Barcelona officially banned Messi from representing Argentina in the tournament for coinciding with their Champions League qualifying match. After the disruption of newly appointed Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who had won the tournament in 1992, Messi was allowed to join the U-23 squad in Beijing. During the first game, he scored the opening goal and helped the others in their 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast. After a 1-0 win in the next group match against Australia, ensuring their quarter-final qualification, Messi rested during the game against Serbia, while his team won the game for the first finish in their group. Against Holland, he again scored the first goal and helped a second strike to help his side to a 2-1 victory over extra time. After a 3-0 win in the semi-final over Brazil, Messi helped the only goal in the final as Argentina beat Nigeria to claim an Olympic gold medal. Along with Riquelme, Messi was selected by FIFA as a prominent player of the tournament's best team.
2008-11: Collective reduction
From the end of 2008, the national team experienced a three-year period marked by a bad show. Under manager Diego Maradona, who has led Argentina to a World Cup victory as a player, the team struggled to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, securing their place in the tournament only after beating Uruguay 1-0 in their last qualifying match. Maradona was criticized for his strategic decision as he played Messi from a position, too deep a position for him to be able to contribute to the attack to his full ability. In eight qualifying games under Maradona's leadership, Messi scored just one goal, scoring the opening goal in the first game, a 4-0 victory over Venezuela. During the game, which was played on March 28, 2009, he wore the first 10 Argentine shirt for the first time, following Riquelme's international retirement. Overall, Messi scored four goals in 18 appearances during the qualifying process. Ahead of the tournament, Maradona visits Messi in Barcelona to ask for his tactical input; Messi then outlined a 4-3-1-2 formation with himself playing behind two strikers, a playmaking position known as enganche in Argentine football, which has been his favorite position since childhood.
Despite their poor qualifying campaign, Argentina are considered title contenders at the World Cup in South Africa. At the start of the tournament, the new formation proved to be effective; Messi managed at least four attempts on goal during their opening game but were repeatedly denied by the Nigerian goalkeeper, producing a 1-0 win. During the next match, against South Korea, he excelled in his playmaking role, participating in all four goals of his side's 4-1 win. Since their place in the knockout phase was guaranteed, most starters were rested during the last group game, but Messi reportedly refused to be lowered. He wore the captain's armband for the first time in their 2-0 win against Greece; as the focal point of their game, he helped create their second goal to see Argentina finish as group winners. In the last 16, they beat Mexico 3-1, with Messi helping their first goal, a controversial strike that stood despite offside.
The unstructured Argentine defense has proven to be a responsibility throughout the World Cup and ultimately leads to their elimination in the quarter-finals against Germany, at the same stage of the tournament and by the same opponents as four years before. Their 4-0 loss was their worst loss since 1974. FIFA then identified Messi as one of the top 10 players of the tournament, citing his "amazing" and "spectacular and efficient" speed and creativity of dribbling, shooting and passing. Back home, however, Messi is the subject of a much tougher assessment. As the best perceived player in the world, he is expected to lead an average team to a title, as Maradona practically did it in 1986, but he failed to replicate his performance in Barcelona with the national team, leading to allegations that he cares less about his country than his club.
Maradona was replaced by Sergio Batista, who has managed to win the Argentine Olympics. Batista publicly stated that he intended to build a team around Messi, hiring him as a fake nine in a 4-3-3 system, as used for much success by Barcelona. Although Messi scored 53 goals during the 2010-11 club season, he has not scored for Argentina in an official match since March 2009. Despite the tactical changes, the goal of the dry season continues throughout 2011 Copa Amà © à © rica, hosted by Argentina. Their first two games, against Bolivia and Colombia, ended in a draw, with Messi performing poorly by default. Media and fans noted that he did not join well with striker Carlos Tevez, who enjoyed a much greater popularity among the Argentine public; Messi is consequently booed by his own team supporters for p
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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