- Name: Lionel Messi
- Full Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
- Nick Name: Leo, La Pulga
- Nationality: Argentinian
- Date of Birth: 24/06/1987
- Place of Birth: Santa Fe, Argentina
- Height: 1.69 m
- Weight: 67 kg
- Position: Forward
- Club: FC Barcelona (Spain)
Lionel Messi is often referred to in the media as "the new Diego Maradona". Born in Rosario in Argentina, Mesi’s family moved to Barcelona in Spain under strange circumstances. Messi started playing football at a very early age for his hometown club, Newell's Old Boys. From the age of 11, he suffered from a hormone deficiency and as his parents were unable to pay for treatment in Argentina. Carles Rexach the sporting director of Barcelona had been made aware of his talent and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial. Barcelona signed him after watching him play, offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain His family moved to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams.
Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke the La Liga record for the youngest footballer to play a league game, and also the youngest to score a league goal. In 2005-06 he netted six goals in 17 appearances and scored one Champions League goal. Next year Messi established himself as a regular first time player scoring 14 goals in 26 matches. After an injury which sidelined him for three months, Messi roared back into the thick of things scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barclona a 3-3 draw, the last equalizer coming in injury time.
In the 2007-08 season Messi scored 5 goals in a week taking Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. In the next season, Messi was rewarded with the number 10 jersey, following the departure of Ronaldinho from Barca. On 1 October, in a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes, after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn the score from 1–0 to a 1–2 victory for Barcelona. He came second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year.
2009 was a fantastic year for Messi starting with a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid. He scored profusely to take his team to the top honours in Copa Del Rey. This was followed by winning La Liga and the icing in the cake was the Champions League victory scoring a goal in the final. He also became the top scorer in the tournament with nine goals. It was the first time a Spanish club won all these three trophies. Messi rounded off the year winning 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year.
Messi has commenced 2010 too with a bang, netting a hattrick against CD Tenerife. On 17th January, Messi scored his 100th goal for Barcelona in the 4-0 victory over Seville.
He first played for Argentina in 2004 in an under-20 against Paraguay. He was a member of the team that won the 2005 World Youth Championship. Messi won there, both the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe.
The 2006 World cup was not the best for Messi from the standards he had set for himself. Plagued by injury, he could score only one goal as he either remained on the bench or came in as late substitute.
However Messi was in sparkling form in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, helping Argentina win the gold. He scored two goals and assisted in three more at crucial junctures.
“Messi I think is like me, he is the best in the world along with Ronaldinho”, said Maradona, couple of years ago. |
