Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine international football player who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Primera División, and appears on Argentina's national team. Often touted in the media as New Maradona, Messi has been publicly named as his "successor" by Diego Maradona himself.

Current club: Barcelona

Beginnings

Lionel Messi was born in Santa Fe Province on 24 June 1987. At the age of five, he started playing football for Grandoli, a club coached by his father. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys. At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness that cost over £500 a month, as Argentina's economy was collapsing. Carles Rexach, then sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messi's talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play, offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain. His family moved with the young player to Europe and he starred in the club's youth teams.

He soon found himself starting for the Barcelona B team, averaging more than a goal per game, by scoring 37 goals in 30 matches.

Barcelona début

On December 16, 2003, Messi made his début for the first team against FC Porto then, a year later on October 16 came his official début against RCD Espanyol, becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for FC Barcelona. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on May 1, 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for FC Barcelona.

Argentina U-20

Messi was offered the chance to play for the Spanish national side,but he declined, preferring to wait for the opportunity to play for the country of his birth. In June 2004, he got his chance, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay.

In June 2005, Messi played in the U-20 team that won the Football World Youth Championship in Netherlands, picking up the Golden Boot as top scorer with 6 goals, and the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. Despite his youth, Lionel was already being compared to Diego Maradona, one of the greatest football players of all time. On June 27, FC Barcelona renewed his contract until 2010, establishing a selling clause of 150 million euros(which happens to be 30 million more than his Barcelona team mate, Ronaldinho).

International début

On August 4, José Pekerman called him up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his début against Hungary, being put in during the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds, because the referee Markus Merk found he had elbowed the defender Vilmos Vanczák who was tugging Messi's shirt, and left the pitch in tears. The decision was heavily contested as Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated. Messi then had his first real international debut on September 3 in Argentina's 0-1 World Cup qualifier away loss against Paraguay playing the last eight minutes of the match. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-début. The first one was a bit short"

Honours

With Argentina National Team:
FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
Copa América 2007 second place
Olympic Gold Medal: 2008 Olympics

With FC Barcelona:
La Liga: 2004-05, 2005-06
UEFA Champions League: 2005-06
Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006

Personal Honours:
Golden Ball: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
Golden Boot: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
Golden Boy: 2005
Bravo Award: 2006 (second place)
World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2006
Olimpia de Plata: Argentinian Player of the Year: 2005
FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2006
EFE Trophy: Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga: 2007
Best foreign player in La Liga: 2007
Copa America Best Young Player: 2007