Lionel Messi biography: the Rosario-born forward's early life, Barcelona years, eight Ballon d'Or awards, 2022 World Cup win, family and Inter Miami career.
Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer and one of the most decorated players the sport has ever produced. Celebrated for his dribbling, vision and goalscoring, he spent nearly two decades at FC Barcelona before playing for Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, and he captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This Lionel Messi biography covers his childhood in Rosario, his record eight Ballon d’Or wins, his international career and his life away from the field.
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, in Argentina’s Santa Fe Province. His father, Jorge Messi, worked as a manager at a steel plant, and his mother, Celia Cuccittini, worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and a younger sister, María Sol. The family has Italian and Spanish ancestry.
Messi began playing football as a small child and joined the youth system of Rosario club Newell’s Old Boys at age six. He played for the club for six years and scored a remarkable number of goals for its youth teams, many of them in the celebrated group of youngsters nicknamed “The Machine of ‘87.”
At age 10, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. The treatment was expensive, and the family looked for a club that could help support his development. After a trial with FC Barcelona in September 2000, the club offered him a place, and the family moved to Spain in early 2001.
Jorge Messi served as his son’s agent and business manager for most of his career. He died in Rosario in August 2026, at age 68, after a long illness.
Messi joined Barcelona’s famous academy, La Masia, and progressed through its youth teams alongside future stars such as Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué. He made his first-team debut in a friendly against Porto in November 2003, at age 16, and his official La Liga debut against Espanyol on October 16, 2004. He scored his first league goal for the club in May 2005, becoming at the time Barcelona’s youngest scorer in La Liga.
| Club | Years | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 2004–2021 | 10 La Liga titles, 4 Champions League titles, club’s all-time top scorer |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2021–2023 | 2 Ligue 1 titles |
| Inter Miami | 2023–present | 2023 Leagues Cup, 2024 Supporters’ Shield, 2025 MLS Cup |
Messi became the centerpiece of one of the greatest club sides in football history. Under coach Pep Guardiola, Barcelona won the treble in 2009, and Messi went on to win 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League titles with the club. In 2012 he scored 91 goals for club and country, a record for a calendar year. In 2021 he broke Pelé’s record for the most goals scored for a single club, and he left Barcelona as its all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in all competitions. His 474 league goals also made him the highest scorer in La Liga history.
In August 2021, financial and league spending constraints prevented Barcelona from renewing his contract, and he departed after 17 seasons in the first team.
Messi signed with Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and won two Ligue 1 titles during his two seasons in France.
In July 2023, Messi joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. He led the team to the 2023 Leagues Cup in his first weeks, and Inter Miami won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield. He was named MLS Most Valuable Player in both 2024 and 2025, and he won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot. On December 6, 2025, Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 to win its first MLS Cup, with Messi named the final’s MVP. In October 2025 he signed a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season.
Messi won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup with Argentina and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. For years, however, a senior title eluded him, including painful defeats in the 2014 World Cup final and several Copa América finals.
That changed at the 2021 Copa América, when Argentina beat Brazil in the final. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi captained Argentina to the title, scoring twice in the final against France before Argentina won on penalties. He was awarded the Golden Ball, becoming the first player to win it twice. Argentina won the Copa América again in 2024.
At the 2026 World Cup, Messi led Argentina to a second consecutive final, which Spain won 1–0 after extra time on July 19, 2026. He announced his international retirement in August 2026 and returned for a farewell friendly against Benin at Buenos Aires’ Estadio Monumental on October 6, 2026. Argentina won 3–0, and Messi scored a penalty and set up two goals. He finished his international career as Argentina’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player.
Messi married Antonela Roccuzzo, whom he has known since childhood in Rosario, on June 30, 2017, in their hometown. The couple have three sons: Thiago, born in 2012; Mateo, born in 2015; and Ciro, born in 2018. Messi is known for keeping a relatively low public profile and for his close ties to his family and to Rosario.
In 2016, a Spanish court found Messi and his father guilty of tax fraud related to his image rights. Each received a suspended prison sentence along with fines, and Messi did not serve time in prison.
Messi founded the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007 to support children’s health and education, and he has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2010. He has long-running endorsement partnerships with major sportswear and consumer brands and has frequently appeared among the world’s highest-paid athletes.
Messi is often cited, alongside Pelé, Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo, in debates over the greatest footballer of all time. His combination of close control, playmaking and finishing redefined what a forward could do, and his World Cup triumph in 2022 completed one of the most complete résumés in sports. His arrival in the United States also gave Major League Soccer an unprecedented global profile.
Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina.
His full name is Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini. He is commonly known as Leo Messi.
Messi has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times, most recently in 2023.
Yes. Messi captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and was named the tournament’s best player.
As of October 2026, Messi plays for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, under a contract that runs through 2028. He previously played for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi is married to Antonela Roccuzzo, a childhood friend from Rosario. They wed in 2017 and have three sons.
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