Lionel Messi is a soccer player. People call him Leo. He was born in Argentina. He was born on June 24, 1987. As of November 2026, Leo is 39 years old. He is famous for scoring lots of goals. As of November 2026, he plays for a team called Inter Miami CF. Let us look at how his story went. Let us find out more.
As a boy, Leo joined the youth teams of a club in his home city of Rosario. The club was Newell's Old Boys. At age 13, he joined FC Barcelona. As a teen, he moved from Argentina to Spain. He moved quickly up through the youth teams. He first played for the first team in a friendly match with Porto. He was 16. He played 778 matches for Barcelona.
Let us look at his record. As of November 2026, Leo is Barcelona's record goalscorer. He has 672 goals. He won 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona. He won the Champions League four times with Barcelona. Leo left Barcelona in the summer of 2021. He has won the Ballon d'Or eight times. No other player has won more. This is true as of November 2026.
Now look at Leo and the team of Argentina. Let us see what they won. Leo won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2008. He has played for Argentina's national soccer team. Argentina won the Copa America in 2021. Leo was on the team. Argentina won it again in 2024. So Leo has two Copa America titles.
Now look at the World Cup. Let us see how it ended. In 2022, Leo and Argentina won the World Cup. It was his first World Cup title. It was Argentina's third World Cup win. Leo scored two goals in the final. Argentina beat France in the final on penalty kicks.
Words to know
- goalscorer: goal getter
- matches: games
- record: most ever
- Champions: the winners
The short version
Lionel Messi is a soccer player from Rosario, Argentina, who joined FC Barcelona at age 13. He won 10 La Liga titles and the Champions League four times with Barcelona. In 2022, he and Argentina won the World Cup, and he scored two goals in the final.
Quick facts
- Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina, on June 24, 1987.
- Messi joined FC Barcelona at age 13.
- Messi played 778 matches for Barcelona.
- Messi won the Champions League four times with Barcelona.
- Messi and Argentina won the World Cup in 2022.
Who is Lionel Messi?
Lionel Messi is a soccer player. He was born in Rosario, Argentina, and people call him Leo. He has won the Ballon d'Or eight times, more than any other player, as of November 2026.
What has Messi won with Argentina?
Messi won an Olympic gold medal with Argentina in 2008. Argentina won the Copa America in 2021 and 2024 with him on the team. In 2022, Messi and Argentina won the World Cup, which was Messi's first World Cup title.
