Lionel Messi Net Worth – Bio, Career, Wife, Awards, Earnings

Lionel Messi: Lionel Andrés Messi is a professional football player who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and is the captain of the Argentina National Team. Lionel is considered one of the best footballers of all time. Till 2021, the footballer has played for Barcelona in his entire professional career. The player was born on 24th June 1987.

The footballer holds the record of doing most international goals by a South American. The player was born and brought up in Central Argentina. Messi has won a huge number of awards throughout his career. The player is happily married to Roccuzzo and has three sons. If you want to know more about one of the best footballers in the world named Lionel Messi, then do read the following article till the end.

Lionel Messi Bio

Lionel Messi is a left-foot player. Despite not being physically imposing, Messi has terrific upper body strength. The player is known for his quick reactions in the game, finishing, positioning in the field and able to make rounds to beat the defensive team. He was often called a magician when he created opportunities where it doesn’t exist.

Lionel Messi has been ranked 9th for scoring goals from direct free kicks. The player has been endorsing the sportswear brand name Adidas since 2006. Between 2009 to 2014, France Football stated that he was the highest-paid football player in the world for five years. In the following article, readers will come across the details like Lionel Messi’s Net Worth, Bio, Career, Wife, Awards, Earnings, etc.

Lionel Messi Biography: An Overview

Lionel Messi Net Worth

According to Forbes, Lionel Messi is the highest-paid athlete in the world. LeBron James and Christiano Ronaldo are followed by the player. According to the data collected by Forbes, Lionel Messi’s Net Worth is $ 130 Million as on 18th May 2022. Leo signed an endorsement deal with Socios that is paying him $ 20 Million per year. The player also launched his own clothing line named the Messi Store in 2019. Leo also has a lifelong deal with the company named Adidas. Lionel was also placed in 5th position in Celebrity 100 by Forbes. The player’s salary is 75 Million.

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Lionel Messi Early Life

Lionel Messi is the third child of Celia Cuccitini and Jorge Messi. Her father was a steel factory manager and her mother worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. Leo developed his interest in football at an early age. He used to play with his older brothers and cousins who are professional footballers. He joined the first club name Grandoli when he was 4 years old. In the club, he was coached by his father.

When the player was 6 years old, he joined the Rosario club. He played for 6 years for Newell’s Old Boys where he scored around 500 goals. At the age of 10, he got diagnosed with a deficiency in hormone growth. His father was able to pay for the treatment for only two years. All their friends did not support them but they finally got support for the treatment. While growing up, Messi’s idol was Christiano Ronaldo. He called him the best forward he has ever seen.

In September 2022, the player’s family arranged a trial with Barcelona. The director wanted to sign him but the board of directors was unsure. However, they eventually agreed. The family finally relocated to Barcelona in February 2001. Messi rarely got the chance to play as he was a foreigner in the first year. He was so quiet that his teammates believed that the player was mute. Leo also suffered from homesickness as he stayed in Barcelona with his father only.

After a year, he finally got enrolled in RFEF i.e., Royal Spanish Football Federation. When he completed his growth hormone treatment he became an integral part of the “Baby Dream Team”. He scored 36 goals and became the top scorer in the first season. Messi also received an offer to join Arsenal at the end of the season but he decided to remain in Barcelona.

Lionel Messi International Career

Between 2004-2005: As you know, Messi is an Argentina-Spanish national which makes him eligible to play for both countries. Messi declines the offer from Spain as he aspired to represent La Albinceleste since he was a child. In 2004, his status was finalised as a player of Argentina in FIFA. He made his debut on 29th June 2004 where he scored once and won the match. His teams secured third place in FIFA World Youth Championship. Messi also got a personal trainer to increase his muscle mass. His performance in the championship led him to compare with Diego Maradona.

Senior as well as World Cup Debuts (2006-2006): After his performance in Under-20, he got a call for a friendly match against Hungary. At the age of 18, Messi finally made his senior debut for Argentia. In his debut game, he was sent off for 2 minutes for a foul. The player returned to his team in World Cup Qualifier where they defeated Paraguay. Messi scored his first goal in FIFA World Cup against Croatia on 1st March 2006. Messi become the youngest player to represent the Argentina Teams when came to play as a substitute.

2007 Copa América final and Olympics: Messi became one the best football player in the world as he secured a place in Alfi Basile’s line-up. The player scored the second goal and lead the team to the semi-finals. But the team lost the semi-final which gained a lot of criticism. Messi was exempted due to his age. Barcelona prohibits Messi from representing Argentina in the 2008 Summer Olympics as it coincided with the Champions League match. Later on, he got permission to join Sergio Batists’ under-23. The team won the semi-final against Brazil. In the final, Messi assisted only one goal and defeated Nigeria and claimed Olympics Gold Medals.

The collective decline between 2008 to 2011: From 2008, the team experienced very poor performance. The team also struggled to qualify 2019 Worl Cup. The team’s manager was criticised for his strategies. Messi wore Argentina’s shit of Number 10 for the first time on 28th March 2009. Argentina was eliminated in the quarter-finals. It was the worst margin of World Cup defeat since 1974. However, he did receive individual awards for his performance. Messi received backlashes in the homeland. People accused the player that he cared less about his country than the club. Argentina was eliminated in the penalty shootout by the champions.

Captaincy (2011- 2013): After the poor performance in the Copa América, Alejandro Sabella replaced Batista. The decision made Messi the captain of the team. Sabella removed several players and brought the players with Lionel has won the Olympics and Worl Youth Championship. Under Sabella’s directions, Messi’s goal core increases drastically. He made the first international hat trick against Switzerland in February 2012. With his performance, Messi began favourably perceived in Argentina.

Retirement and Return: The player’s place was put in jeopardy due to his back injury. He was declared fit for the nation’s second group match but Martino left him on the bench. The player replaced Augusto and scored a hat trick in 19 minutes. However, Argentine lost to Chile which result in three defeats in a row for Messi. After that match, Messi announced his retirement from international football. After his retirement announcement, a campaign began for Messi to change his mind. Messi confirmed his reversed decision on 12th August and got included in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers team.

Suspension and Superclásico Success: Messi was included on 21 May for the 2019 Copa América. Messi comes under criticism for his performance on 19 June. Messi commented that his performance was not good and also criticize the quality of the pitches. In the Semi-Finals, people alleged that the competition was a “setup” for victory of Brazil. On 6 July, the player was sent off in 37 minutes of the play. The player refused to take the medal and commented something about the referee’s decision. This led the players to a $ 1,500 fine and a one-game suspension. Messi also got banned for 3 months from international football on 2nd August and was fined $ 50,000. Finally, Messi scored a penalty and gave Argentina a winning start to the 2022 World Cup Qualifying Campaign.

Copa América Success and appearance records: On 21st June, Messi played his 147th match and equalled the record of Javier for appearing in most matches for Argentina. The player made his 150th appearance and won to progress to the fifth international finals. The player got the player of the tournament award with Neymar

Finalissima Victory and 2022 FIFA World Cup: On 2nd June 2022, Messi played CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions and won the game. He was also named player of the match. FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has started and Messi is all set to lead the team to victory. You will be seeing Messi playing for Argentina.

Leo Messi International Career Table

Lionel Messi Awards List

Lionel Messi’s account is filled with various awards. Here we are mentioning the list of some Awards of Lionel Messi:

• UEFA Best Player in Europe Award
• 2016 Best FIFA Men’s Player Award
• European Golden Boot Award
• Golden Shoe Award
• 2019 FIFA Puskás Award
• 6 Ballon d’Or Awards
• Golden Ball
• Most Valuable Player Award
• Golden Boot Award
• 6 FIFA World Best Player Awards

Frequently Asked Questions on Leo Messi