"Messi" redirects here. For the biopic, see Messi (film).
Lionel Messi
2015 UEFA Super Cup 64 crop.jpg
Messi with Barcelona during the UEFA Super Cup in August 2015
Personal information
Full name Lionel Andrés Messi[note 1]
Date of birth 24 June 1987 (age 28)
Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
Barcelona
Number 10
Youth career
1994–2000 Newell's Old Boys
2001–2004 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2003–2004 Barcelona C 10 (5)
2004–2005 Barcelona B 22 (6)
2004– Barcelona 321 (289)
National team‡
2004–2005 Argentina U20 18 (14)
2008 Argentina U23 5 (2)
2005– Argentina 105 (49)
Honours[show]
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 September 2015.
† Appearances (goals)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 September 2015
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ( listen); born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and rated by many in the sport as the greatest of all time, Messi is the only football player in history to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or four times, all of which he won consecutively, and the first player to win three European Golden Shoes. With Barcelona he has won seven La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles, as well as three Copa del Rey titles. A prolific goalscorer, Messi holds the Guinness World Records titles for most goals scored in La Liga (289), a La Liga season (50), a calendar year (91), a Champions League match (five), and most Champions League seasons (five).

Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child. At age 13, he