The reign of Messi’s dynasty may end soon, but the contribution he has been giving for almost two decades to world football is never going to be forgotten by people. His unbelievable records, scoring goals, achieving seven Ballon d’Or, two-time World Cup Golden Ball, and most importantly, his contribution to the Argentina national squad in the World Cup 2022 victory are not possible for a normal human person. Here is Lionel Messi and his journey to be at the top.
Lionel Messi Basic Information
Before going on the lifelong journey of Lionel Messi, here is his basic information.
| Full Name | Lionel Andres Messi |
| Nationality | Argentina |
| Place of Birth | Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina |
| Date of Birth | 24 June 1987 |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 meters) |
| Current Team | Paris Saint-Germain |
| Position | Right Wing |
| Number | 30 |
Lionel Messi Professional Information
Before joining Barcelona, Messi used to play for Newell’s Old Boys, where Barcelona’s officials went to and say this brilliant boy playing football and single-handedly destroying 11 men. This is how Messi’s career went all these years.
| Team | Starting Year | Left | Appearances | Goals |
| Grandoli | 1992 | 1995 | – | – |
| Newell’s Old Boys | 1995 | 2000 | – | – |
| Barcelona Youth Team | 2000 | 2003 | – | – |
| Barcelona C | 2003 | 2004 | 10 | 5 |
| Barcelona B | 2004 | 2005 | 22 | 6 |
| Barcelona | 2004 | 2021 | 520 | 474 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2021 | – | 46 | 18 |
This is how his international career went all over the years.
| Division | Years Active | Appearances | Goals |
| Argentina U20 | 2004- 2005 | 18 | 14 |
| Argentina U23 | 2008 | 5 | 2 |
| Argentia | 2005- | 172 | 98 |
Lionel Messi: Becomes The Best, Lifelong Journey
Lionel Messi was born in 1987 in a lower-middle-class family where his father used to work in a steel factory manager. From his childhood, he started to show his skills on the pitch. There were people who used to say that this boy would go one of the best players. He started his career at an early age, and within a quick time, he was noticed by the Barcelona officials.
Barcelona (2003- 2005)
During the 2003-04 season, Messi made his debut in the senior team, where he couldn’t show his talents. Though that was early in his career, and he was also sixteen years old. But in the season at the youth level, he was able to score 18 goals in 11 matches.
Starting Eleven (2005- 2008)
Within only two years, Messi was able to be in the starting eleven, where he was furious. At that time, his market value increased to €150 million. This 19-year-old boy was able to compete with the players who already showed their greatness. This was the year when Messi scored a solo goal against Getafe, and it was compared with Maradona’s esque run.
First Treble (2008- 2009)
In the 2008-09 season, Messi signed a huge contract that was worth around €7.8 million. And at that time, he was the highest-paid player in Barcelona. During that year, both Inter Milan and Manchester were the favorites to win the Champions League. But it was Messi who contributed so much to the team that Barcelona successfully won the treble.
He was in the second position of winning the Ballon d’Or. He was also behind Cristinalo Ronaldo in winning the FIFA World Player of the Year. In both cases, Ronaldo won. He contributed 38 goals in 51 matches. Messi, Thierry Henry, and Eto’o scored 100 goals together that season.
First Ballon d’Or (2009- 2010)
It was the second half of 2009, and Barcelona became the first club in the history of football to win the sextuple. They already won the treble, and after that, they won UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa de Espana. Later that year, Barcelona won the FIFA Club World Cup, and Messi scored two goals. This was the year when Messi’s performance made him take the first Ballon d’Or.
Third Champions League And Fifth La Liga (2010- 2011)
In the second leg against Sevilla, Messi scored a hattrick, and the score was 4-0. Messi also contributed to his team in their 16 consecutive league victories. He received the Ballon d’Or also. Barcelona also won the Copa del Rey final. Messi scored against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. And Barcelona won it for the third time.
Break All Records (2012)
2012 was the season when Messi was someone out of this world. He scored five goals in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen. Before Messi, the top goal scorer for Barcelona in a calendar year was Cesar Rodrigues, with 56 goals. And Messi broke that. Messi took his name in the Guinness World Records by scoring 91 goals in all competitions and discord 85 goals in a calendar year.
Second Treble (2014- 2015)
After Luis Enrique came to Barcelona, the first two things that he did were to bring Luis Suraze and Neymar into the attack. And with this power in Barcelona’s arsenal, Barcelona was able to win the treble for the second time. But Messi didn’t achieve Ballon d’Or and was in second place.
Barcelona Leave And Won Copa America (2020- 2021)
Due to interest issues and there was a financial crisis as well, Messi made the decision to leave Barcelona. And this was a hard broken decision for him as well to the fans. The paperwork went nicely, but 2021 was the year when Argentina was finally able to win Copa America, and this was the first time Messi won an international trophy.
Messi Paris Saint-Germain (2021-2022)
It was the first time in almost 18 years that Messi was not playing for Barcelona anymore. In the first season, Messi was unable to show his brilliance on the pitch due to adjustments. But he was able to show his form in the second season. And now, it’s on him whether he can win the Champions League for PSG or not.
Becoming The Champions (2022)
The year was 2014 when Messi had to say goodbye to the World Cup because of the wall that Germany created. But not this time. Argentina started their journey with a loss, but it was just their first match. And Argentina was able to be victorious in the FIFA World Cup, where he won the Golden Ball for the second time.
Final Words
Maybe, there will be two or three seasons where we can see Messi playing. And then? Nobody knows how to hear the news when Messi will take retirement from professional football.
Hope, till then, he can keep his form well and give his fans the same entertainment that he has been giving for the last twenty years.
Thank You.
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