Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, born on 24 June 1987, is an Argentine forward. As of October 2026 he plays for and captains Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. He played for Argentina for 21 years before retiring from international football on 6 October 2026.

France Football and L'Équipe include him among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, a trophy he has already won eight times. FIFA has named him the world's best player eight times, and in 2025 the IFFHS named him its All Time Men's World Best Player.

Messi made his competitive debut for Barcelona at 17 in 2004 and won a club-record 34 trophies there, including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. He also set records for the most goals for a single club (672) and the most goals in La Liga (474). With 47 team trophies he is the most decorated player in professional football, and he has scored more than 930 senior goals.

After two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain, he joined Inter Miami in 2023, leading the club to its first MLS Cup in 2025 and winning the league's MVP award in 2024 and 2025. He is Argentina's record scorer with 126 goals and most-capped player with 208 appearances. He won the 2021 and 2024 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup, and at the 2026 World Cup he led Argentina to the final and won the Silver Ball.

Sources of this text: Wikipedia · France Football / L'Équipe