Argentine footballer Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi - born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for La Liga team Barcelona and the Argentine national team. Messi is considered to be one of the best football players of his generation, having received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and winning both by the age of 22, and also frequently as the world's best contemporary player. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to football legend Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".
Early life-Lionel Messi
Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi (b. 1958), a factory worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner. His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona where his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883. He has two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matías as well as a sister named Maria Sol.
Lionel Messi
Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006 he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi