As a young boy, Lionel Messi tagged along when his two older brothers played soccer with their friends. At age 8, he was recruited to the youth system of Newell's Old Boys, a club based in Rosario. At age 13, he joined FC Barcelona, and his family moved across the Atlantic to make a new home in Spain. From a young age he stood out at Barcelona because of his vision and his goalscoring ability. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player to score a goal for Barcelona.

Messi spent the seasons from 2003 to 2021 at Barcelona. He played 778 matches for the club. As of November 2026, he is Barcelona's record goalscorer, with 672 goals. He passed Pele's record for goals at a single club, which stood at 643, as of November 2026. He is also the all-time top goalscorer in La Liga, with 474 goals in 520 matches, as of November 2026. He scored 91 goals in a single calendar year, as of November 2026. Messi and Barcelona won 35 trophies during his time at the club, as of November 2026. He won 10 La Liga titles and the Champions League four times.

Messi made his professional debut with Argentina in an August friendly match against Hungary. In 2008, Argentina beat Nigeria 1-0 in the Olympic football final, and Messi's pass helped set up the winning goal by Angel Di Maria. With the 2008 gold, Argentina defended its Olympic football title, and Messi won an Olympic gold medal. The 2021 Copa America was Messi's first title with Argentina's senior national team. In the final at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, Argentina's winning goal came in the 22nd minute. Messi finished the 2021 Copa America as the joint top goalscorer with four goals.

In the 2022 World Cup final, Messi put Argentina ahead 1-0 with a first-half penalty. It was the first goal or assist he had recorded in a final in his senior Argentina career. Kylian Mbappe scored all three of France's goals in the final. Messi scored his second goal in the 108th minute, in extra time, to put Argentina ahead 3-2. Argentina won the final after a shootout, and Gonzalo Montiel converted the decisive penalty. At 35 years and 177 days, Messi was the second-oldest man to score in a World Cup final.

Messi scored seven goals at the 2022 World Cup, which was not enough for the Golden Boot, because Kylian Mbappe scored eight. Messi was named the best player of the 2022 World Cup and won the Golden Ball. Messi inspired Argentina to the 2022 title, as Diego Maradona did in Mexico in 1986. It was Messi's first World Cup title, and the third for Argentina. As of November 2026, Messi plays for Inter Miami CF. As of November 2026, he has played more than 1,000 games for club and country.

Words to know

• trophies: prizes
• shootout: tie breaker
• decisive: deciding
• inspired: led by example