Messi biography

                                  MESSI BIOGRAPHY

Introduction

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC 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 five FIFA Ballons d'Or, four of which he won consecutively, and the first player to win three European Golden Shoes. With Barcelona he has won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles, as well as four Copas del Rey. Both a prolific goalscorer and a creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals scored in La Liga, a La Liga season, a football season, and a calendar year, as well as those for most assists made in La Liga and the Copa América. He has scored over 500 senior career goals for club and country.

Early life

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of the modern generation. He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has won FIFA world player of the year four times (a record already). He has often been described as Diego Maradona’s successor because of his prolific goal scoring record and ability to dribble past opponents.Argentina to a working-class family. His father was a factory steel worker, and his mother a cleaner.

He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone.

Local club, River Plate were interested in signing Messi but didn’t want to pay for his medical treatment. However, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and coach Carles Rexach was impressed – offering Messi a contract (written on a paper napkin!) which included paying for Messi’s treatment in Spain. Messi moved to Barcelona with his father and became part of the prestigious FC Barcelona youth academy.

International career

 lionel messi is an  association footballforward   in the Argentina national football team. Since debuting for Argentina in 2005, Messi has scored 61 goals in 123 international appearances,making him the country's all-time top scorer, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta's  record, with a free kicks against united states  in the semi-final of Copa America Centenario on 21 June 2016. He made his debut for Argentina in a 2–1 away win over Hungary  on 17 August 2005. He scored his first international goal a year later in his fifth appearance for his country against Croatia .

Messi's goal against Serbia and Monatenegro , on 16 June 2006, made him the youngest-ever scorer for Argentina at a FIFA World cup  when he was 18 years and 357 days old. He has scored five international hat-tricks , and has netted twice in a match (also known as a brace) on eleven occasions. Messi has scored more times against bBrazil, Paraguay,Venezuela,uruguay and Ecuador than any other team, with four goals against each one of them.

Messi has scored 21 goals in FIFA World cup qualifiers  , making him the all-time top scorer of the qualification in  CONMEBOL , along with his  Barcelonateammate Luis Suarez . He has scored eight goals in Cope America, leading his team to the final of the tournament in 2007,2015 ,2016 each time finishing as a runner-up. At the 2015 tournament, he allegedly rejected the Best Player award and the trophy was omitted from the ceremony. He has scored five times in the FIFA World Cup tournaments, once in 2006 and four times in 2014, when he guided his team to  The final and was awarded the Golden Ball . The remainder of Messi's goals, 27, have come in friendlies .

Achievement

Here are his major achievements:

1. In his 10 years(and counting) for Barcelona, Messi has amassed six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.
2. He holds the Guinness World Records title for the most goals in a year: 91 goals in 2012
3. Most international goals in a year (club and national team): 25 goals
4. He holds the record for the most consecutive league matches scored in: 21 matches (33 goals)
5. Messi is the first footballer ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league
6. Messi is the first and only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns.
7. He also has the maximum number of hat tricks in the competition
8. In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match.
9. The Argentina international holds the record  for most la lign hate - tricks in hateseason with eight.
10. Messi holds with Batistuta the record for Most Goals Scored for Argentina in One Year – 12