Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional football player. His rose to prominence as he scored a hat trick against Real Madrid in the 2006/2007 season.

He is widely considered as amongst the greatest football players in history, having scored more than 1,000 goals throughout his career.

Career

Lionel Messi has developed a passion for playing football from an early age. His grandmother sees the potential in him, she then takes him to his first football training session at Grandoli’s local football club.

With the persuasion of his grandmother, his parents bought him his first pair of football boots and she is the one who asked his first coach, Salvador Aparicio to include him in the match squad.

In his first ever match, he helped the team to win the club’s first ever trophy. He was four when he held his first trophy.

Seeing the potential in him, the coach, Salvador Aparicio vowed to take him to a bigger academy.

He was six years old when he joined the Newell’s Old Boys, a club in Rosario and spent six years there before signing with FC Barcelona and enrolled at the Barcelona’s youth academy.

His first year at Barcelona academy was full of struggle, because of transfer conflicts between Newell’s and Barcelona, he was only permitted to play in friendlies league.

It’s not until a year later in February 2002 he could enroll in the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

Since then, he played constantly until making his professional senior debut when he was 17 during friendly matches against José Mourinho’s Porto.

After years of spending time with Barcelona, in 2021 he transferred to Paris Saint Germain.

His notable football career also recognized among national team. He played for Argentina in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and scored six goals in the game.

He makes his debut for Argentina’s senior team in 2006 and became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup.

Profile

Real Name: Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
Stage Name: Lionel Messi
Also Known As: –
Nickname: Leo, Messidona
Birthday: June 24, 1987
Birthplace: Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Nationality: Argentine
Religion: Roman Catholic
Profession: Professional Football Player
Education: –
Hobbies: Listening to Music, Playing Video Games
Position: Forward
Club:
Inter Miami (2023–)
Paris Saint Germain (2021–2023)
Barcelona (2004–2021)
Barcelona B (2004–2005)
Barcelona C (2003–2004)
Facebook: @leomessi
Twitter: –
Instagram: @leomessi
TikTok: @leomessi40118508
YouTube: –

Height, Weight, Physical Appearance

Height: 170 cm (5’7”)
Weight: 67 kg (148 lbs)
Blood Type: –
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Body Measurements: 40-30-12 (Bust -40, Waist -30, and Arms -14 in inches)
Shoe Size: 8.5 (US)

Family

Father: Jorge Horácio Messi
Mother: Celia Maria Cuccittini
Brother: Rodrigo Messi, Matías Messi
Sister: Maria Sol Messi
Children:Thiago Messi Roccuzzo, Mateo Messi Roccuzzo, and Ciro Messi Roccuzzo

Wife & Dating History

Macarena Lemos

In 2006, there’s a rumor of Argentine model Macarena Lemos and Lionel Messi were on a date. They were spotted several times having times together.

They go out for a few years before Messi makes a move to his old sweetheart, Antonella Rocuzzo.

Antonella Roccuzzo

Lionel Messi and Antonella Rocuzzo are childhood sweethearts who support each other through thick and thin.

They first met through Rocuzzo’s cousin in 1996. Though Messi had a crush on Rocuzzo since a kid, it’s not until 2007 that he braved himself to be Rocuzzo’s man.

The relationship was going strong ever since until they tied the knot on June 30, 2017. The wedding was held in a casino in their hometown, Rosario with around 260 guests.

The couple were blessed with three children, named Thiago Messi Roccuzzo, Mateo Messi Roccuzzo, and Ciro Messi Roccuzzo.

Net Worth

Lionel Messi’s net worth is around $600 million to $620 million and it makes him the wealthiest football player in the world. His incomes came from his salary and brands endorsements.

Football Player

Barcelona

Messi spent almost a decade with Barcelona. His breakthrough career was when he was at Barcelona.

From his last contract at Barcelona in the 2020/21 season, he got paid around $2.4 million per week and earned $126 million yearly.

Paris Saint Germain

Lionel Messi is listed as the highest paid athlete. His contract at Paris Saint Germain could get him to earn $738,000 per week and his annual salary was around $35 million.

He also got a joining fee of $25 million when he was joining Paris Saint Germain.

Inter Miami

He signed a contract with Inter Miami for two-and-a-half years under an agreement that’s worth up to $150 million.

He reportedly going to earn $54 million of annual salary, which is far above Josef Martinez, the current top-earner at the club who received a $4 million of annual base salary.

Brands Endorsements

His income is not limited to his salary. He also earns some money from partnerships and endorsements.

His off field earning was around $55 million. He did a $20 million partnership with fan token, a cryptocurrency platform Socios. He also does brands deals with Adidas, PepsiCo, and Budweiser.

Controversies

Committing Tax Fraud

Lionel Messi’s financial activities was investigated in 2013 due to suspicion of tax evasion.

Between 2007 and 2009, Uruguay- and Belize-based offshore companies were found to evade €4.1 million in taxes associated to his earnings from sponsorship.

Another fake shell company established in Panama found in 2012 was also found to belong to him and was named in the data leak of Panama Papers.

He pleaded ignorance over the matters and paid €5.1 million of owed money in 2013.

In 2016, he and his father were charged of tax fraud, which obligated them to pay a total of €3.1 million in fines and given suspended 21-month prison sentences.

According to his statement, he “signed the contracts” as he “trusted” his father and lawyers, as well as agreed to take charge of the matters.

Facts

His father was a steelworker and also a coach for a local youth football team.
Lionel Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency when he was eleven and his parents could not afford the treatment, which cost them $1,000 a month.
At first, Newell’s promise to help with the treatment, but then they broke the promise. His grandparents then sought help from Barcelona FC to help him with the hormone treatment and sign with him.
At that time, it was unusual for European clubs to sign foreign players at a young age, so Charly Rexach, whose team director at Barcelona couldn’t immediately sign him.
Later, he signs his detailed first contract with Barcelona in a paper napkin because Rexach doesn’t have paper with him and rushes to sign with Messi.
From his marriage to Antonella Roccuzzo, they have three kids Ciro Messi Roccuzzo, Mateo Messi, and Thiago Messi.
He received a red card 47 seconds after making his international debut in 2005 against Hungary.
He won FIFA World Player of the Year when he was 22 and kept the award by winning the same category for the next three years.
He has his own documentary about his life made by filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia, which premiered in August 2014 at Venice Film Festival.
Forbes magazine ranked him as the world’s second highest paid athlete in 2015.
He runs faster with a ball than without it. Making him the only player to do so.
He founded a charitable organization “Leo Messi Foundation” which supports education, health, and sport for children.
He was named Best Player of the Year for the seven times and awarded the “Ballon d’Or Award” makes him the player with the most number of Ballon d’Or Awards.
In the 2016 Copa America, when he missed a penalty in the final, he announced his retirement from international football. But the decision was reversed when he led Argentina to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
His transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain was due to the club’s financial status and debt following years of overspending so they couldn’t afford to give him a new contract.
His way of scoring goals is similar to Diego Maradona’s, which led him to get the nickname Messidona.
He loves food and his favorite dish is escalope Milanese.
He was investigated for being suspected of tax evasion in 2013.
His name appears in the 2016 Panama Papers Data Leak in 2016, which he suspected acquire a new company in Panama a day after the Spanish authorities unwrapped his tax offenses.
He is the second person to reach 400 million followers on Instagram.
His picture while holding 2023 World Cup trophy became the most liked picture in Instagram with more than 70 million likes.
He’s been in a long term relationship with Antonella Roccuzzo and they married in 2017. Seems like Antonella Roccuzzo, who shares the same hometown with him is his ideal type.

Quotes

“It’s scoring goals that’s great, whether against Brazil or anybody else.”

“Sometimes you have to accept you can’t win all the time.”

“There are more important things in life than winning or losing a game.”

“I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes when I’m not enjoying it, I will leave football.”

“For my part, I try to do my bit to make people’s lives more bearable, in particular children across the globe who are having problems.”

“Every year I try to grow as a player and not get stuck in a rut. I try to improve my game in every way possible. But that trait is not something I’ve worked on, it’s part of me.”

“You cannot allow your desire to be a winner to be diminished by achieving success before and I believe there is room for improvement in every sportsman.”

“I have many years to get better and better, and that has to be my ambition. The day you think there is no improvements to be made is a sad one for any player.”

“Money is not a motivating factor. Money doesn’t thrill me or make me play better because there are benefits to being wealthy. I’m just happy with a ball at my feet. My motivation comes from playing the game I love. If I wasn’t paid to be a professional footballer I would willingly play for nothing.”

“I always thought I wanted to play professionally, and I always knew that to do that I’d have to make a lot of sacrifices. I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream.”

“I’ve always really just liked football, and I’ve always devoted a lot of time to it. When I was a kid, my friends would call me to go out with them, but I would stay home because I had practice the next day. I like going out, but you have to know when you can and when you can’t.”

“It seems like people want to blame me for everything. Whenever any issue arises, I’m said to have been involved even if I’ve had nothing to do with it. That’s why I always focus on what I know, which is playing football, and try to be very careful with what I say because people always try and twist things.”

FAQs

Who is Lionel Messi?

He is an Argentine professional football player.

Who is Lionel Messi’s real name?

His real name is Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini.

What makes Lionel Messi famous?

He’s famous after scored a hat trick against Real Madrid in the 2006/2007 season and is widely considered as amongst the greatest football players in history for his successful career.

Where is Lionel Messi from?

He was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.

How old is Lionel Messi?

He was born in 1987, and he is 36 years old as of 2023.

When Lionel Messi celebrates his birthday?

He celebrates on the 24th of every June.

How tall is Lionel Messi?

His height is 5’7″ or 170 cm.

Who are Lionel Messi’s parents?

His father’s name is Jorge Horácio Messi and his mother’s name is Celia Maria Cuccittini.

Is Lionel Messi married?

Yes, he is married to Antonella Rocuzzo. They tied the knot in 2017.

Who is Lionel Messi’s ex-girlfriend?

None of his ex-girlfriend is known to the public, but he used to be rumored to date Macarena Lemos.

How rich is Lionel Messi?

His net worth is around $600 million to $620 million.

What is Lionel Messi nationality?

His nationality is Argentinian.

On his way to becoming the great footballer he is, Lionel Messi should face many hardships, even a disease that almost put his football career at risk.

But with his and his family’s determination, he could pass those hardships.