Lionel Messi Facts – #100 Facts about Messi

Lionel Messi: Early Years

1) Date Of Birth of Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, often considered the greatest footballer of all times, was born in 1987.

He opened his eyes for the first time in the warm month of June.

The date of his birth is the twenty-fourth.

He is a very popular sportsman and is known all over the world for his great football game.

2) Place Of Birth of Lionel Messi

The birthplace of footballer Lionel Messi is the largest city in Santa Fe, a province in central Argentina.

Rosario, his birth city, is situated 300 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires, and is on the western shore of the Parana River.

The city is ranked third in terms of population in the country and is known all over the world for its neoclassical architecture.

3) Lionel Messi Parents

Messi belongs to a middle-class family who were not that rich at the time of his birth.

It was a dual income household where both his parents worked to support the family.

His father, Jorge Messi, used to work in a steel factory and his mother, Celia María (Cuccittini), was a part-time cleaner.

4) Parental Background

If you look at Lionel Messi’s family tree, you will discover that his family has their roots in Italy.

Originally, his family came from Ancona, which is an Italian city and harbor.

One of his ancestors, Angelo Messi, migrated to Argentina in 1883.

Since then the family has settled in the new place.

When Messi was born in 1987, his family was residing in Rosario.

5) Siblings

Lionel Messi has a big family.

They are four siblings altogether and they are closely connected.

He has two older brothers, Rodrigo Messi and Matías Messi.

The three brothers have one sister whom they adore.

Her name is María Sol Messi.

6) Full Name of Lionel Messi

Everyone is aware of who Lionel Messi is but very few people know his full name.

The famous Messi has a middle name too which is Andrés.

Thus, his full name is Lionel Andrés Messi.

To most of his fans he is Leo Messi.

Leo is short for Lionel.

Also, his name has Spanish pronunciation.

Lionel Messi: Wonder Years

7) Playing Since The Age Of Five

Lionel Messi started running after the football when he was a kid.

At the age of 5 he joined a local football club which was called Grandoli.

The young athlete learned his game under supervision of his father Jorge, who used to coach that team.

8) Newell’s Old Boys

After playing with Grandoli, Messi joined Newell’s Old Boys in 1995, which was based in his birth town Rosario.

It is a famous sports club known for its football expertise and named after Isaac Newell, who introduced this sport in this region.

9) The Machine Of 87

Soon he joined the local youth powerhouse, referred to as the Machine of 87, as it was the year of their birth.

The team was very energetic and determined and it was almost impossible to beat them.

In the four-year time span Messi spent with the team, he only lost one match.

10) Medical Condition

Lionel Messi’s career was at stake when at the age of 11 he was diagnosed with an unusual medical condition.

He suffered from a growth hormone deficiency, which results from malfunctioning of the pituitary gland.

This special organ is responsible for producing the growth hormone in an individual and if it does not produce the required amounts of the hormone, it leads to slow growth and slow cell reproduction.

11) Barcelona Comes To The Rescue

Even though the local powerhouse River Plate, a professional Argentine sports club based in Belgrano, liked Messi and his performance, they were not very keen on getting him cured.

As a result, Messi’s bright future did not seem so promising.

His treatment required $900 monthly which was a huge amount for his parents.

It was not till Carles Rexach, a Spanish Catalan footballer and the sporting director of FC Barcelona, came to the rescue that Messi’s career was secured.

The man was aware of the young boy’s talents and offered help.

12) Conditions Set By Rexach

Rexach was so impressed by the young Messi’s game that he offered him a contract on a paper napkin.

Under the terms of this contract, Barcelona would pay for the medical expenses which were required to cure Messi’s hormonal growth condition.

In return, Messi was to move to Spain and get registered in the club’s youth academy.

Thus, he moved to Barcelona with his father.

Lionel Messi: Beginning Of His Career

13) Early Years of Lionel Messi

In the early years of his career, which are from the year 2000 to the year 2003, Lionel Messi played in Barcelona’s Infantil B as well as Cadete B and A teams.

He played 30 matches with Cadete A team and was able to score 37 goals in these matches.

14) Season 2003-04

The young Messi was the star of season 2003-04 as he played with five different teams during that period.

His first match was from Juvenil B.

He scored one goal in that match and was subsequently promoted to Juvenil A.

With Juvenil A, he played 14 matches and was able to score 21 goals.

He also debuted for the FC Barcelona C team (2003) and the FC Barcelona B team (2004) during his first season.

15) Friendly Match

In November 2003, Lionel Messi was honored by making his first official debut against Porto, a Portuguese sports club. Messi was only 16 years old at the time of that match.

It was a friendly match between the two teams, which means that the participating teams were not competing against each other for a winning prize.

It was just an exhibition match to build friendly relationships.

16) First League Debut

After he proved himself as a talented footballer, he received an offer from Frank Rijkaard, a Dutch football manager and former player, to play his first debut league against RCD Espanyol.

It is a famous sports club in Barcelona known for its football.

Messi was only 17 years old when he got his first start and he owes it to Rijkaard.

17) Breaking Record

The 17-year-old Lionel Messi was the third youngest football player who played for Barcelona.

He was also the youngest club player to have played in La Liga when he recorded his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié, a sports club based in Albacete.

He enjoyed this spot for years until Bojan Krkić broke his record in 2007.

18) Respect For Rijkaard

Lionel Messi regards Frank Rijkaard very highly and respects him a lot.

According to Messi, if it were not for his ex-coach, he would not be such a big name in football today.

He is very grateful to Rijkaard for having faith in him and his abilities.

He has been reported to have said, “I’ll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only 16 or 17.”

19) Barcelona B And C

During the 2003-04 season, Lionel Messi played for Barcelona from two divisions.

He was in the Segunda Division B team and the Tercera Division team, also referred to as Barcelona B and Barcelona C respectively.

He played 17 matches from Segunda Division and scored six goals and he played 10 matches from the other division and was able to score five goals.

20) Argentine Or Spanish Player?

In 2004, Lionel Messi was offered a chance to play for the Spanish national U-20 team but he turned it down.

He did it because he felt loyalty to his own country and wanted to play for Argentina’s national U-20 team.

His first match with his national team was against Paraguay and was a friendly match.

Rise to Fame

21) Winning International Championships

Messi’s Argentine team secured the third position in the 2005 South American Youth Championship that took place in Colombia.

He was also able to win the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with his national team.

This tournament took place in the Netherlands.

He also received the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe at the end of the tournament.

22) First International Debut of Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi was only 18 years old when he made his first international debut in 2005 against Hungary.

He was called in the match at the sixty-third minute as a substitute but was sent back only after two minutes.

It was because the referee accused him of elbowing the opposing defender.

The young teenager was so frustrated at his embarrassment that he cried later in the locker room.

23) Re-debut

On September 2005, Messi played for Argentina in the 1-0 World Cup qualifier against Paraguay.

The teen was able to earn a very difficult and important penalty for his team.

Messi proved his talent through this achievement.

He also called this World Cup his “re-debut.”

24) Contract Upgrade

Barcelona was so satisfied with Messi’s good performance that in September 2005, they decided to upgrade his contract.

Under the updated contract, Messi was allowed to play as a first team member and received improved pay.

Also, the duration of the contract was increased and extended till June 2014.

25) Spanish Citizenship

Lionel Messi became a Spanish citizen in 2005.

Under the new contract conditions, Messi was able to receive Spanish citizenship in September of that year.

As a result he was able to play his debut with the Spanish First Division in the 2005-06 season.

26) Champions League

Lionel Messi participated in the Champions League in the 2005-06 season.

It was a European football tournament.

He played against Udinese, which is an Italian sports club based in Udine.

It was his first home outing.

The moment was made even more precious to him when he received a standing ovation from his audience at Camp Nou, a football stadium in Barcelona, for his teamwork with Ronaldinho (another famous footballer) which resulted in dividends to Barcelona.

27) Goals In 2005-06 Season

The famous footballer undoubtedly is one of the best players in the world.

During the 2005-06 season Messi made 17 league appearances and was able to score six goals in those matches.

He played six Champions League matches and was able to score one goal in them.

Lionel Messi: Setbacks

28) Premature End

Lionel Messi’s fans received a minor heart attack during March 2006, when Messi had to resign early  from the 2005-06 season.

He had an accident while playing the second round of the Champions League, which was against Chelsea.

He pulled a muscle in his right leg and was unable to play.

As a result, his season came to a premature end.

However, Barcelona was able to secure the winner’s title.

29) Regular First Team Player

The 2006-07 season turned out to be very fortunate for Lionel Messi.

He was able to ensure his position as a regular first team player through his outstanding performance.

He played 26 matches and made a score of 14 goals.

30) Another Injury

The famous footballer was injured once again in November 2006 in a match against Real Zaragoza, a Spanish football team based in Zaragoza.

Lionel Messi broke his metatarsal bones (a group of five bones in the feet) and had to stay off the football field for three months in order to be cured.

31) World Cup 2006

Messi played on Argentina’s team for the tournament.

He became the youngest footballer to play for Argentina.

He assisted his teammate Hernán Crespo against Serbia and Montenegro to score a goal and scored the ultimate goal of the game, becoming the youngest player to have scored in that tournament.

32) Quarterfinals Of World Cup

Messi was not allowed by his coach José Pekerman to play in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

He had to observe the match sitting on the bench.

Maybe it was because of this that the team had to face a defeat from Germany.

The final score was 4 to 2 as the Argentine team lost by two goals.

33) El Clasico

Lionel Messi performed really well during El Clasico, a special football match in 2007 between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid.

He scored a hat trick (three goals in one single game) thus ending the game in a draw.

His equalizer goal enabled Barcelona not to face defeat.

34) Breaking Hat-Trick Record

Lionel Messi’s hat trick in El Clasico enabled him to set a record.

He broke the record of Ivan Zamorano (a Chilean football striker) who played for Real Madrid in the 1994-95 season.

Messi was also the youngest football player to have gained such a big achievement in such a match.

It was a big milestone in his career.

35) Getting Better Towards The End Of Season

Lionel Messi’s performance was remarkably improved towards the end of the 2006-07 football season.

He started to score more goals as the season progressed.

An interesting fact is that out of 14 goals he scored in the season, eleven were scored in the last 13 games he played in the 2006-07 season.

Back in Form

36) New Maradona Tag

Lionel Messi received immense appreciation from his fans when in the 2006-07 football season, he almost replicated Diego Maradona’s famous goals.

He received the tag “new Maradona” and his goals were openly compared with Maradona’s goals.

It was another big achievement for Messi.

37) Messidona

It was in the annual Spanish football tournament Copa del Rey that Messi proved he was just as good as Maradona.

During the semifinal match against Getafe CF, a Spanish La Liga club based in Getafe, he scored two goals.

One of these goals was like Maradona’s famous Goal of the Century that he scored in the 1986 World Cup, which was held between England and Argentina in Mexico.

Everything about that goal was similar to the goal Maradona had made 21 years earlier.

The famous Messi got a new title:  Messidona, a combination of the names.

38) Lionel Messi: Hand Of God

Lionel Messi was able to replicate another Maradona goal against England in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, which is known as the Hand of God in his match against RCD Espanyol in the 2006-07 season.

He dodged the goalkeeper, Carlos Kamen, and made a remarkable goal.

Even though the opposing team protested that it was a handball, the goal was allowed.

39) Shifting Towards The Right Wing

Frank Rijkaard, Messi’s ex-coach, moved him from the left flank onto the right wing after reviewing his remarkable performance.

As a result, he was able to cut into the center of the football pitch and shoot or cross with his left foot.

Initially Messi was not happy with this decision.

40) Copa America

Lionel Messi played many matches in the 2007 Copa America tournament with his Argentine team.

His team was able to defeat the United States by a score of 4 to 1 and they had a tie with Colombia with a score of one all.

They won matches against Paraguay and Mexico but lost the final match that was against Brazil.

41) 100th Match

Lionel Messi’s hundredth official match was against Valencia CF.

It is one of the biggest Spanish and European football clubs and is based in Valencia.

Lionel played the hundredth match of his career in February of the 2007-08 season.

42) Views Of Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer, a German football coach, manager and former player, along with columnists of many renowned Barcelona newspapers including El Mundo Deportive and Sport, expressed their views that Messi should receive the Ballon d’Or.

It is the annual football association award also known as the European Footballer of the Year Award.

43) Scored Goals in 2007-08

Lionel Messi had to stop playing once again for six weeks in the 2007-08 season because of another injury.

During the Champions League match against Celtic FC, a Scottish football club based in Glasgow, he suffered another injury, a muscle tear in his left thigh.

It was his fourth injury in three seasons.

In spite of this unfortunate accident, Messi was able to score 16 goals and 13 assists in that season.

44) Summer Olympics

Initially Lionel Messi was barred by Barcelona from playing for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics.

However the team allowed Messi to play after Messi convinced his new coach Pep Guardiola.

They won matches against Ivory Coast, Netherlands and Brazil, which allowed them to advance into the finals.

They even won the final match against Nigeria.

45) No. 10 Jersey

In the 2008-09 season, Lionel Messi’s teammate Ronaldinho departed from the team.

Ronaldinho’s No. 10 jersey was then passed on to Lionel.

That is how Lionel Messi received his most prized possession, the No. 10 jersey.

46) Games In 2008-09

In a Copa del Rey match against Atlético Madrid (2009), Lionel Messi scored his first hat trick of 2009.

Barcelona won the match with a score of 3 to 1.

With his help, Barcelona was also able to defeat Racing Santander.

Messi scored twice in that match which enabled Barcelona to win.

Another very interesting thing about his second goal of that football match is that it was Barcelona’s five-thousandth league goal.

47) Playing In Santiago Bernabeu

The football match Lionel Messi played in Santiago Bernabeu, a football stadium in Spain, is popular for two reasons.

The first reason is that during that match Messi made two goals that were his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions.

The other reason is that Barcelona gave the opponent team, Real Madrid, a huge defeat by winning with a lead of four goals.

48) Winning Copa Del Rey

With a score of 4 to 1, Messi’s team was able to win their first Copa del Rey on May 13, 2009, against Athletic Bilbao, which is a professional football club in Bilbao.

He scored one goal in that match and helped in two other goals by assisting his teammates who scored them.

49) Winning Champions League

In May 2009, Barcelona won the Champions League.

Without a doubt, Lionel Messi’s performance was remarkable in the tournament.

On May 27, he scored a goal in the 70th minute of the game, which gave his team a lead of two goals.

It enabled him to earn the title of the youngest footballer to have scored nine goals in the history of the tournament.

50) End Of 2008-09 Season

The 2008-09 season was very lucky for Barcelona and for Lionel Messi.

His team had won three trophies in one year.

It was the first time that any Spanish club had ever accomplished a treble.

Messi received the UEFA Club Forward of the Year title as well as the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year title.

Overall, it was a spectacular season with Messi scoring 38 goals and assisting 18 goals.

51) Views Of Pep Guardiola

The Spanish football player and manager of Barcelona, who will become the German football manager in the 2013-14 season, Pep Guardiola, was very pleased with Messi’s performance.

After Messi’s football team won the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, he declared that Lionel Messi was perhaps the best football player he has ever seen.

52) False-9

His football manager, Pep Guardiola, decided to change Messi’s position from the right wing to the center of the front line because of his great performance and massive achievements for the team in the 2009-10 season.

This position was also known as the iconic false-9.

53) Another Update In The Contract

In the 2009-10 season, Messi was offered a new contract with his current Barcelona club which he accepted.

Under the updated contract, Messi’s tenure with the club was extended to the year 2016 and consisted of a buyout clause worth €250 million.

It made Messi one of the highest paid footballers in the team earning around €9.5 million annually.

Lionel Messi Success

54) Achievements 0f 2009-10

In 2009, Lionel Messi again secured the second position of IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker Award.

His teammate Xavi Hernandez received the first position.

Messi was able to win the trophy of the 2009 Club World Cup for his team in Abu Dhabi against Estudiantes.

It was the sixth championship that the club won in that year.

Messi also won the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2009, becoming the first Argentine to receive this trophy.

55) Back-To-Back Hat Tricks

Starting from January 2010, Lionel Messi scored many hat tricks in his matches against different teams and won all these matches.

He was the first player of the Barcelona club who had earned such an achievement.

Messi scored hat tricks against Valencia and Real Zaragoza, becoming the first Barcelona player to score back-to-back hat tricks in La Liga.

He scored his 100th goal for the club during the season of 2009-10 and participated in the 200th official football match for his club against CA Osasuna in 2010.

56) World Cup Qualification

During the World Cup Qualification tournament that took place in March 2009, Messi was seen wearing his precious No. 10 jersey while representing Argentina for the first time.

The match was against Venezuela and Argentina won with a score of 4 to 0.

Messi made the first goal of the match.

He played 18 matches during the tournament and scored four goals in total.

57) World Cup 2010

Messi got the honor to play for the Argentine national team in the World Cup 2010.

He played many matches and performed really well in all of them.

The team won the opening match against Nigeria.

They defeated Korea Republic and Greece.

Messi was also given the title of Man of the Match against Greece.

The team also defeated Mexico.

The sportsman was nominated for Golden Ball at the end of the World Cup.

58) Playing Position In The World Cup

Lionel Messi was observed performing the role of an attacking midfielder and playmaker during the World Cup.

Even though he usually plays as a forward, he was seen performing these two roles with extreme delicacy and talent.

59) Injury In 2010-11

The 2010-2011 season was again filled with numerous matches and many trophies for Messi and his team.

However, one little tragedy that occurred was an injury to Messi’s ankle while playing against Atlético Madrid at Vicente Calderón stadium.

60) 100th La Liga Goal

In the season of 2010-11, Messi played against UD Almeria, a Spanish football club based in Almeria, defeating them with the highest possible margin.

The Barcelona club won with a score of 8 to 0.

Out of the eight goals made by the Barcelona team, three were scored by Messi himself.

It was his second hat trick of the season.

The second goal scored by Messi in this match was also his 100th La Liga goal.

61) Achieving 16Successive Victories For His Team

February 2011 was very fortunate for Messi’s team, the Barcelona club.

It was a huge honor for the team that they had won 16 successive league games, breaking the record set by Alfredo Di Stefano (a former Argentine footballer and coach).

They broke his record after defeating Atlético Madrid with a score of 3 to 1 at the famous football stadium Camp Nou.

Messi’s hat trick in that match enabled his team to win.

62) Losing The 2011 Copa Del Rey

Barcelona lost the 2011 Copa del Rey Final against Real Madrid.

Even though Messi scored a goal during the match, it was not allowed.

The only goal made other than Messi’s goal was by Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored it in extra time.

Even though his team lost, Messi still was able set some records.

He was one of the highest scorers of the competition with his seven goals.

However, he had to share his glory with Ronaldo.

63) Champions League Lionel Messi

Barcelona won the Champions League for the third time in 2011.

Both in the semifinals and finals, Messi performed really well.

The two goals scored in the semifinals against Real Madrid were made by Messi.

One of the two goals was declared to be the best goal ever scored in the tournament.

The final of the league against Wembley was won by Barcelona because of another wonderful goal by Messi.

This goal was his twelfth goal of the competition in that season.

As a result he was able to tie Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s record of scoring 12 goals in one European Cup season.

64) Performance In 2010-11

At the end of the 2010 to 2011 season, Messi had scored more than 50 goals.

It made him one of the highest scorers of that season.

He also assisted his teammates in scoring 24 goals in the 2010-11 season.

This is his combined score of all the tournaments he played with Barcelona club in that season.

65) Scoring Against Brazil

In a friendly match, Messi was able to score for the first time against Brazil in a senior level match on November 2010.

The match was held in Doha.

The end score of the game was 1 to 0 and the Argentine team was able to win the match because of Messi’s last-minute goal.

66) A Good Start To 2011-12 Season

The 2011-12 season started with a ceremony in which Messi lifted the Spanish Super Cup with his team.

He also scored three goals and assisted his fellow footballers in two goals against their rival team Real Madrid.

Barcelona was able to defeat them with a score of 5 to 4 goals.

67) UEFA Super Cup

Messi enabled his team to win the UEFA Super Cup against Porto.

Messi scored a very difficult goal, which ensured the team’s victory.

The end score of the match was 2 to 0, Barcelona with two goals and Porto with none.

68) Celebration For Soufian

The considerate Messi performed a tribute for a young boy named Soufian, who suffered from Laurin-Sandrow syndrome, in a match against CA Osasuna in the football season of 2011-12.

Messi scored a hat trick in that match. Messi is known for pointing towards the sky after his every goal.

However, in this match when Messi scored his first goal, he slapped his thighs paying a tribute to the 10-year-old Moroccan boy.

69) Achievements In 2011-12

Messi was able to achieve the title of second highest goal scorer in August of the 2011-2012 season, beating Laszlo Kubala’s record of 194 goals.

After the two goals he scored against BATE Borisov in the Champions League, he earned the prestigious title of Barcelona’s second highest goal scorer in history.

Messi’s two-hundredth Barcelona goal was scored during the Champions League against Viktoria Plzen.

70) Club World Cup Final

Messi won the Man of the Match award in the tournament against Santos FC.

It was once again a very honored moment of his life to achieve such a respected title.

He was also given the Golden Ball for his outstanding performance throughout the Club World Cup.

71) Five Goals In A Match

In March of the 2011-12 season, Messi performed really well in a match against Valencia CF.

Barcelona defeated the opposing team with a score of 5 to 1.

One of the most astonishing facts about this match was that Messi scored the five goals all by himself.

Hence, he became the first player to have scored five goals in a UEFA Champions League match.

72) Leading Goal Scorer

During a match against Granada in March of the 2011-12 season, Messi made a hat trick which enabled him to earn the title of FC Barcelona’s leading goal scorer in official competitions.

He was able to beat the record of César Rodríguez who had this title before Messi with 232 goals.

73) Copa America 2011

The Argentine national team was not able to go into the finals of Copa America 2011.

The team was knocked out during the quarterfinals against Uruguay.

Messi’s performance was not that good either.

He could not score a single goal during the tournament but assisted on three goals.

However, he was given the title of Man of the Match in the games against Bolivia and Costa Rica during the competition.

74) Becoming Captain Of His National Team

Sergio Batista, the coach of Argentine team, was replaced with Alejandro Sabella in 2011.

This decision was made because of the poor performance of the team in the Copa America 2011 tournament.

The new coach decided to make Messi the captain of the Argentine national team in August of the same year.

75) Fourth Highest Scorer For Argentine National Team

Messi was able to score hat tricks during friendly matches against Brazil and Switzerland in 2012.

His amazing performance during year enabled him to earn the title of fourth highest scorer in Argentine national team history and gave him the opportunity him to break many records.

Accolades: Lionel Messi

76) Achievements In 2007-08

Lionel Messi received many acknowledgements in the 2007-08 season.

He was nominated as the best forward player for the FIFPro World XI Player Award and he was chosen the best football player in the world by 77 percent of the votes in an online poll taken in the Spanish newspaper Marca.

77) Other Awards

Many important football legends including the Italian footballer and the captain of Serie A club Roma, Francesco Totti, were of the view that Lionel Messi is one of the best football players in the world.

He received many awards in the 2007-08 season.

He came in third in the 2007 Ballon d’Or and IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker Award and second in the 2007 FIFA World Cup Player of the Year.

78) Awards Of 2008-09 Season

Lionel Messi earned 678 points and secured the second position in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year.

In the IFFHS World’s Best Playmaker Award, Messi achieved the third position for the second successive year.

79) Record In Champions League

Lionel Messi scored two goals against Bayern Munich, a German sports club based in Munich, in the Champions League in April 2009.

It was a moment to cherish for Messi as after these two goals he was able to set a personal record of having scored eight goals in the famous European football tournament.

80) 2009 Ballon d’Or

In December 2009, Lionel Messi finally achieved the famous European Footballer of the Year Award also referred to as 2009 Ballon d’Or.

There was a tough competition between two most excellent football players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi was able to beat Ronaldo who became the runner-up of the award by a margin of 473 to 233.

81) La Liga Player Of The Year

In a home win against Arsenal, an English premier league football club based in London, Messi scored four goals.

It was for the first time in his career that he scored four goals in a single match.

He was also named the La Liga Player of the Year for the second consecutive year in 2010 because of his great performance in the Champions League.

82) 2010 FIFA Ballon d’Or

In 2010, Lionel Messi was once again nominated for the Ballon d’Or award.

It was his fourth consecutive nomination.

The famous sportsman was able to earn this award.

It was a tough competition and his own teammates Xavi and Iniesta were also nominated.

However, Messi was able to defeat them and win this title.

83) Awards 2011-12

Once again, the 2011-12 season brought a lot of awards and titles for the famous footballer.

Messi received the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2011 as well as the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or.

He was able to beat his team members who were also nominated for the same awards.

Messi now became the fourth footballer to have achieved the Ballon d’Or award for the third time.

He also achieved the IFFHS World’s Top Goal Scorer Award in this season.

Lionel Messi Personality

84) Wealth Lionel Messi

France Football, a French weekly magazine which publishes news about football, estimated Messi’s income to be £29.6 million in 2010.

His net wealth was estimated to be around $110 million.

He had the first position in the list of world’s richest footballers.

David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo were ranked below him in terms of wealth.

85) Salary Lionel Messi

Messi’s base salary under his new contract that he signed in 2012 is €16 million ($21.2 million).

It means that Lionel Messi is the highest paid football player who has played on the pitch.

Barcelona has also made an agreement to pay Messi’s income tax that is $26.5 million.

86) Height

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi is not very tall – only five feet and seven inches tall (1.69 m).

Even though he is not that tall, he has the perfect body structure of an athlete and is known all over the world for his game.

87) Strong Ties With His Hometown

Even though it has been many years since Messi moved out of Rosario, he still likes to keep strong ties with his birth city as he feels connected to it.

He is still in touch with his fellow team members from the Machine of 87 through mails and text messages.

And he likes to visit his family whenever it is possible.

Even though he has lived in Spain for years now, he speaks Spanish in his native accent.

He also has kept the ownership of his old house in Rosario even though no one lives there now.

Messi does not want to let go of his childhood memories.

88) Left-Footed Player

Lionel Messi’s style of play has been compared with Maradona on numerous occasions.

His style is so similar to Maradona and he is even left-footed like the former player.

He usually starts with a dribbling run with the help of the outside of his foot and uses the inside of his foot to score and assist his teammates.

89) Fan Of Aimar

The famous footballer Lionel Messi is a huge fan of Pablo Aimar.

Aimar was a former Argentine footballer who used to play as a playmaker.

He used to play for Benfica and like Messi also holds a Spanish passport.

Messi says that he has inspired him.

Family Life of Lionel Messi

90) The Loves Of Messi’s Life

In 2006 Messi was reported to have been involved with Macarena Lemos, a woman from his hometown, Rosario.

He has also been romantically linked with Argentine model Luciana Salazar.

In 2009, Messi declared openly that he was seeing Antonelle Roccuzzo of Rosario.

Roccuzzo is also the mother of his child.

91) Leo Messi Is A Father

Messi became a dad in November 2012.

He named his son Thiago.

It was such a big moment of his life and the great footballer was overjoyed at his son’s birth.

He wrote on his Facebook page, “Today, I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift!” Messi got his son’s name and palm prints imprinted on his left calf in 2013.

92) Messi’s Cousins

Lionel Messi is not the only family member who has a knack for football.

He has two cousins as well who are active football players.

One of them is Maxi Biancucchi who plays as a forward for Vitoria of Brazil and the other is Emanuel Biancucchi who is an Argentine midfielder playing for Independence F.B.C.

Endorsements

93) Pro Evolution Soccer

The famous soccer video game “Pro Evolution Soccer“ used Lionel Messi to promote itself.

Messi’s picture was used on the game’s cover photo and he participated in the game’s promotional activities in three consecutive years (2009-2011).

94) Adidas and Herbalife

Messi is the brand ambassador for Adidas, a German sportswear company.

The company also sponsored Lionel Messi.

The famous footballer has also acted in the company’s television advertisements.

Messi also has a contract with Herbalife.

95) Most Influential

Messi was named among the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.

His name appeared in the magazine’s yearly list of influential personalities in the year 2011, as well as in the year 2012.

Messi is honored all over the world for his football skills and is appreciated for his talent.

More Lionel Messi Facts

96) Contract 2012

Messi got an opportunity to upgrade his contract once again in 2012.

The time of his service to the Barcelona club was increased till 2018 under the new contract conditions.

His base salary was increased to make him one of the highest paid footballers of all times.

No changes were made to the buyout clause.

97) 2014 World Cup Qualifying Matches

Messi’s performance allowed Argentina’s national team to secure the top position among the teams which were qualified for the World Cup.

In a match against Paraguay, he scored his 28th goal for his country’s team.

By the end of the year 2012, Messi had played nine games for Argentina and scored 12 goals.

98) First International Goal of 2013

During the World Cup qualifier tournament, Lionel Messi was able to score his first international goal of the year 2013.

It was scored in a game against Venezuela on March 22, 2013.

His team won the match with a score of 3 to 0.

He also assisted his teammate Gonzalo Higuain on two goals.

99) Achievements in 2012-13

Messi received the second position in the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.

He had to share his limelight with Ronaldo, who also earned the same position.

He broke Gerd Muller’s record of scoring 85 goals in one calendar year that lasted for 40 years.

He earned the title of Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scoring record in La Liga.

He also won the 2012 FIFA Ballon d’Or award.

He was also able to tie  Alfredo DI Stefano’s Clasico goal record of 18 goals.

And in 2013, he became the captain of his Barcelona team for the first time.

Altogether season 2012-13 was full of achievements for Lionel Messi.

100) Playing Position of Lionel Messi

The famous Argentine sportsman is a big football champion now.

He plays for two teams side by side.

He plays as a forward for the La Liga FC Barcelona club, which is one of the most respected football associations.

He also plays for his country’s national team, the Argentine national team.

He plays as a forward in the latter team also.