Lionel Messi Bio, Age, Height, Father, Wife, Net Worth & Wiki

Former professional footballer Lionel Messi is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the game. He was the first player to win three European Golden Shoes and was the only player to win five FIFA Ballons d’Or. The Argentinean scored 103 goals during his playing career and currently owns records for the most goals scored in an entire La Liga season (50), a whole calendar year (91), a full calendar year (73), and a Champions League match (5).

His childhood was spent playing football with his brothers in Argentina, where he was raised in a football-loving family. The young player joined Newell’s Old Boys’ youth team while still in his teens and went on to play for FC Barcelona’s under-14 team when he was just 13. Messi was a key member of the Barcelona team even before he made his competitive debut as a 17-year-old. With Barcelona achieving the first treble in Spanish football history in the 2008-09 season, he achieved his first big success.

In the following years, he won plenty of honors and became Barcelona’s top scorer in competitions and Argentina’s leading scorer in all times with 55 goals in 112 matches. A year after Argentina lost to Chile in the Copa Americana Centenario final, he retired from the game. He changed his mind however after a campaign urging him to do so began.

Lionel Messi Wiki/Bio

Life Journey

Rosario is the birthplace of Messi. Despite being quite small compared to his older brothers, Messi tagged along to friend’s soccer games when he was young. Upon joining Newell’s Old Boys, a Rosario-based club, at the age of 8, he was recruited for its youth system.

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Doctors eventually diagnosed Messi with a hormone deficiency that slowed his growth as a result of his significantly smaller size. Jorge and Ceclia Messi decided to undergo nightly growth hormone injections for their son, but the cost of these injections soon became overly expensive. 

The family of football icon Lionel Messi picked up and moved across the Atlantic when the club offered him the opportunity to train at the youth academy of soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona. Messi’s medical bills would also be covered by the team. Messi progressed quickly through the junior systems despite being homesick a lot.

A combination of Messi’s small stature (five feet, seven inches), speed, and relentless attacking style have drawn comparisons to another famous Argentinean footballer, Diego Maradona.

Lionel Messi Net Worth

In addition to winning a record six Ballon d’Or awards, among countless other awards and accolades, he is a 36-year-old superstar with a net worth of $670 million, who scored 672 goals in 778 games with Barcelona.

Lionel Messi was the highest-paid soccer player and athlete in the world, overall, during his last contract with Barcelona. During his new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, will he maintain those two titles? Now we know the answer!

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The Ex-Barcelona contract is mind-blowing

A bombshell report was published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo in January 2021 concerning Lionel’s contract since 2017.

Lionel Messi’s base salary jumped from $44 million to $80 million when he re-signed with Barcelona in 2017, according to most outlets (including us here at Celebrity Net Worth). Regardless of the $80 million, Lionel still surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s base salary of $70 million and his teammate Neymar’s base salary of $75 million to become the highest-paid soccer player in the world.

El Mundo obtained contract documents showing that Lionel’s Barcelona contract was for a four-year, $674 million deal. Taking the average annual contract as $168 million, that amounts to $6 million PER MONTH.

Those two payments were technically called upfront payments under the contract:

An amount of 140 million dollars was considered to be a “renewal fee” – a fee paid for simply accepting the contract. The loyalty fee for the year was 94 million dollars. However, Lionel still earned an annual salary of $110 million after those upfront payments!

Leaving Barcelona

Barcelona was Lionel’s only hope for survival. For the sake of staying, he offered a 50% pay cut. Lionel and Barca were largely powerless to influence the decision.

As a result, the organization has lost $120 million over the past year when COVID killed ticket sales as well as television rights. Barcelona has been struggling financially in recent years, with debt topping $1.3 billion.

A player’s salary cannot exceed 70% of the club’s revenue, according to league rules. Messi still would have garnered over 110% of the club’s revenues, even if he accepted a 50% pay cut. Therefore, Messi’s only chance to stay with the only team he’d ever known was mathematically impossible.

Taking His Talents To Paris

Lionel joined Paris Saint-Germain officially yesterday, as we mentioned earlier.

We’re learning about his contract today. Lionel has been reported to have signed a two-year deal with PSG, which is worth $75 million a year.

Accordingly, Lionel has lost the title of the highest-paid soccer player in the world based solely on his base salary. In that category, Neymar makes $76 million each year, his teammate at PSG.

The player with the highest salary

Lionel is also entitled to bonuses from PSG’s jersey sales on the other hand. As a result, Lionel’s PSG earnings will likely surpass $100 million annually.

Barcelona consistently sold more jerseys than any other sports team on the planet thanks to Lionel Messi. The Barcelona team sells an estimated two million Lionel Messi jerseys each year. According to reports, the club generated around $50 million per year from that. We shouldn’t be too surprised if PSG generates at least that much annually. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume Lionel will receive 10-20% of this revenue, which would amount to an additional $5-10 million in annual profits.

Endorsements

At least $40 million is earned by Lionel Messi every year through endorsements. In other words, his annual earnings could easily top $130 million when you include his $40 million-plus his conservative $90 million payment from PSG. Lionel Messi should be able to maintain his title of the highest-paid athlete in the world with this amount, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo on $120 million and LeBron James on $100 million.

Football Career

• As a junior system player, Messi’s career started in the year 2000. During his playing career, he had the distinction of playing for five different teams within a short period.
• Messi was an outstanding player as evident by his rapid progression through the junior ranks to debut in the league on October 16, 2004.
• Following his debut, he scored against Albacete on May 1, 2005. In becoming the youngest ever goalscorer for Barcelona in La Liga, he created history.
• His Spanish citizenship enabled him to make his Championship League debut in September 2005.
• Messi scored his first goal for Juventus against Italian club Udinese in the Champions League. It was amazing to watch him play soccer with Ronaldinho, who exhibited excellent passing and receiving skills.
• Despite making 17 appearances in the league, Messi managed to score six goals. His premature departure from the league was caused, however, by a muscle tear in his right thigh, which was then won by Barcelona as Spanish and European champions.
• Messi was no longer a substitute in the 2006-07 season. A squad of eleven members listed him. A total of fourteen attempts in 26 games led to a successful goal. As a result of his hat-trick in this match, he became the youngest player ever to score in El Clasico.
• Several people referred to Messi as ‘Messidona’ because of the action he took when scoring the goals. Maradona had run 62 meters (203 ft) for a particular goal, beaten the same number of players (six including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just like his performance in 1986 against England.
• Barcelona played Valencia CF in Messi’s 100th match for the club on February 27, 2007. Prior to his premature exit due to a torn muscle, Messi scored six goals and assisted one. Messi has suffered this type of injury four times in the last three seasons. As a player, Messi scored 16 goals in all competitions and assisted 13 times.
• A successful 2009 for Messi included winning not only his first Copa del Rey but also helping his team win La Liga and eventually the Champions League. Barça became the first club to win three trophies in a single season when they achieved the treble in 1992. The Frenchman scored a hat-trick on several occasions. During the season, he scored 38 goals and had 18 assists.
• Barcelona won its sixth title of the year in the 2009 Club World Cup with a win over Estudiantes before the year ended.
• As a consequence of Messi scoring three hat-tricks in 2010, he became the first Barcelona player to score back-to-back hat-tricks in La Liga. The Barcelona forward scored four goals in a game against Arsenal. As a result of his 47 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, Messi ended the year as one of the top players in the world.
• Barcelona faced Real Madrid in the 2010 Copa del Rey final. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored seven goals in this tournament, even though Real Madrid defeated the defending champions.
• Messi scored both Barcelona’s goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League Semifinals. Barcelona took home their fourth title overall and third in six years with a winning goal from Messi in the finals. In all competitions combined Messi scored 53 goals and provided 24 assists during the 2010–11 season.
• Messi broke records after records during the 2011-12 season, at the same pace he did in his prior seasons, in order to emerge as Barcelona’s and the world’s premier player. Among all official competitions, he scored 194 goals, surpassing Laszlo Kubala by one. With 132 goals, he also became second on the Barcelona La Liga scorers list. Through all official competitions, he became Barcelona’s leading goalscorer, surpassing the legendary Cesar Rodriguez.
• The history was made in a match against Bayer Leverkusen, which Barcelona won by 7-1. Messi had already scored hat-tricks and quadruples when he scored five goals. Having scored five goals in a single match in the UEFA Champions League, he became the first player to do so.
• Although Barcelona managed to successfully defend their Copa del Rey title, they were defeated by Chelsea in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, and could not retain their La Liga title.
• While Messi enjoyed his best year or season in his career up to that point, becoming La Liga’s top scorer for the second consecutive season, scoring 50 goals in total. His 16 assists ranked second behind only Mesut Ozil’s 17, who managed 17 assists. The 14 goals he scored in the Champions League made him the top scorer for the fourth time in a row. With 5 assists, he was one of the most prolific assist providers from the tournament. In all club competitions, he had 73 goals and 29 assists, the most by any player in the history of the game.
• Messi scored 91 goals in 2012, his highest goal tally to date, surpassing Gerd Muller’s 85 goals. Messi proved to be an outstanding player for Barcelona and the club renewed his contract until the year 2018.
• During the March of 2013 La Liga season, Messi scored for the 19th consecutive game, thus becoming the first player in football history to score consecutively against every team in the league.
• He then appeared for Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid shortly after. Unfortunately for him, hamstring problems caused him to leave midway. Messi is expected to miss the rest of the season due to his injury.
• In 2014, after he suffered persistent injuries, he was able to bounce back and start the 2014-15 season well. He had broken three records by the end of the year. Against Sevilla in November, he scored a hat-trick that made him La Liga’s all-time leading scorer.
• The 2015 season has started off well for him. In all competitions, he finished with 122 goals, a Spanish record, along with Luis Suárez and Neymar. A total of 58 of Messi’s 122 goals came from him.
• In the first leg of the 2015-16 Copa del Rey Round of 16 in January 2016, Messi scored two goals and assisted two others in a 4–1 win over Espanyol at the Camp Nou. Against Sporting Gijon, he scored his 300th league goal in a 1–3 away victory in February of the same year.
• The strike was made in Barcelona’s 2–1 loss to Valencia on 17 April 2016. His total goals and assists during 2015-16 were 41.
• Having lost the Copa América Centenario final to Chile on 26 June 2016, he announced his retirement from international football.
• Messi was urged to reconsider his decision to retire following the release of a campaign. Argentina revealed on 12 August 2016 that Messi will play in the 2018 World Cup, reversing his decision to retire.
• Argentina defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the final group match of the 2018 FIFA Football World Cup thanks to Messi’s goal. He became the first player to score in the World Cup in three different ages, as well as becoming just the third Argentine to have scored at three World Cups in a row after Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta.
• After a poor World Cup performance, Argentina was eliminated in the Round of 16 when they lost to France.
• There is speculation that Messi may once again retire from international football following the World Cup defeat. On the other hand, he represented Argentina in friendly matches against Venezuela and Morocco last March.
• Against Venezuela in Madrid on March 22, 2019, Messi made his international comeback. Three goals to one were the outcome of the match for Argentina.

Facts about Lionel Messi

• A football player of the utmost prestige, Lionel Messi is regarded as the most celebrated figure on the planet. The greatest football player of all time is considered him. Besides playing for Argentina’s national team, he plays for FC Barcelona in Spain.
• His father coached him at a local football team “Grandoli” when he was four years old. His passion for sports started early in his life.
• Messi’s grandmother used to accompany him to training and matches when he was a child, and thus, her passing greatly affected him. Every time Messi scores, he points up at the sky as a tribute.
• Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara shared the same birthplace (Rosario, Argentina) as Messi. Rasario’s ambassador to the world is Messi.
• When he was 10, he was found to be deficient in growth hormones.
• When he was 16 years, 4 months, and 23 days old, he made his professional debut against “FC Porto” on 16 November 2003.
• Ronaldinho told his teammates that Messi would be even better than him at the age of 16 after watching him play.
• Messi holds both Spanish and Argentine passports. Despite being a Spanish national, he turned down the offer to play with them.
• Rexach (Barcelona Coach) was so impressed with Messi that he signed him on a napkin. As Messi only had a napkin to write on, he couldn’t waste any time.
• When he made his debut for the national team against Hungary in 2005, he was given a “Red Card” after only 47 seconds.
• His short stature gives him greater agility. Because of this, the Spanish media call him “La Pulga” (The Atomic Flea).
• With or without the ball, he is the only player to run faster. Generally, he plays with his left foot.
• Through Messi’s career, Diego Maradona has been compared with him.
• There is no anthem from Argentina that Messi sings. The reason he doesn’t sing it was explained to him once in an interview: I do not sing the national anthem intentionally because I find it annoying when people attack you without thinking. Feeling it doesn’t require singing. Everyone experiences it differently, but it reaches me. Pumas cry for different reasons, and it’s okay. Whenever I play with the national team, I always put winning first.”
• According to Forbes magazine, in 2015 he was the second-highest-paid athlete in the world (after Cristiano Ronaldo).
• For tsunami and earthquake victims, a solid gold replica of his left foot weighing 55 pounds (25 kg) was auctioned in Japan in March 2013 for $5.25 million. He has a very finely detailed gold foot that shows blood vessels on his foot and also swirls of skin on the bottom of the foot.
• A documentary, “Messi,” was produced about the life of *lex de la Iglesia. August 2014 saw the premiere of the documentary at the Venice Film Festival.
• Since 2010, he has also been appointed to the role of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, which he has done throughout his career.
• Also established by Messi is a charitable organization called the Leo Messi Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the lives of children through education, health, and sport.
• The following morning, Messi announced that he was retiring from international football after Argentina lost to Chile in the Copa America Final and Messi missed a penalty. His decision was reversed later, and he led Argentina to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2018.
• After Floyd Mayweather, he was named the world’s most-paid athlete by Forbes (with $84 million salary/winnings).
• His sixth Best Player of the Year award was presented in 2019 and he was honored with the “Ballon d’Or Award”. He now has the most Ballon d’Or awards of any player, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five awards. As part of Ballon d’Or, Megan Rapinoe won the “Best Female Player of the Year” award.
• Messi was forced to leave his preferred club Barcelona in August 2021 after winning 35 trophies. He won 10 league titles and four UEFA Champions League titles with the club. It was reported that Messi’s exit from the club was due to the strictest financial fair-play rules in the world, which can be found in the Spanish LaLiga.

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