50 interesting facts about Lionel Messi

Discover 50 fascinating facts about Lionel Messi, the football legend! Uncover insights into his career, personal life, and achievements that solidify his status as one of the greatest players ever.

Personal Life and Early Career:

1. Born in Argentina: Lionel Messi was born in Argentina in 1987 1.
2. Youth Academy: Joined FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, at 13 1.
3. Growth Hormone Deficiency: Diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child 1.
4. Philanthropy: Established the Leo Messi Foundation to help children in need 1.

Career Achievements with Barcelona:

5. Debut: Made his debut for Barcelona’s first team three years after joining the academy 1.
6. Record Ballon d’Or Wins: Won a record seven Ballon d’Or trophies 1.
7. Champions League Titles: Helped Barcelona win four Champions League titles 1.
8. La Liga Titles: Won 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona 1.
9. Most Trophies with Barcelona: Won a total of 35 major trophies with Barcelona 1.
10. Club’s Top Scorer: Scored 672 goals for Barcelona, more than any other player 3.

International Career with Argentina:

11. Major International Trophy: Won his first major international trophy, the Copa America, in 2021 1.
12. World Cup Champion: Helped Argentina lift their third World Cup title in Qatar 1.
13. Argentina’s Top Scorer: Became Argentina’s all-time top scorer 1.
14. World Cup Goals: Argentina’s all-time highest goalscorer in World Cup with 13 goals 1.
15. Golden Ball Awards: Won the Golden Ball award at the 2014 and 2022 World Cups 1.

Fun Facts and Records:

16. Related to Bojan Krkic: Fourth cousins with former Barcelona teammate Bojan Krkic 1.
17. Arsenal’s Interest: Refused to join Arsenal when approached by Arsene Wenger 1.
18. Spanish National Team Offer: Turned down an offer to play for Spain 1.
19. Hat-tricks: Scored numerous hat-tricks throughout his career 3.
20. 807 Career Goals: Has scored 807 goals in his career so far 3.
21. Goals Breakdown: 676 with left foot, 103 with right foot, 26 with head, 1 with chest, and 1 with hand 3.
22. Most Goals in a Year: Scored 91 times in 2012, a record for a calendar year 3.
23. Top Scorer in Big Five Leagues: Scored the most goals in Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues 3.
24. International Appearance: His first international appearance not wearing No 10 was as No 18 3.
25. Goals Against English Clubs: Scored 27 goals against English clubs in the Champions League 3.

Additional Career Stats and Trivia:

26. Number of Trophies: Has picked up numerous trophies during his glittering career 3.
27. Record Breaker: Surpassed Pele’s record of 643 goals for a single club 3.
28. First Club Goal: Scored his first goal for Barcelona at a young age 1.
29. Free-Kick Goals: Scored 62 free-kicks in his career 3.
30. Copa America Appearances: Played the most games at Copa America 3.
31. Outscored Sunderland: Almost outscored English club Sunderland in the 2010s 3.
32. Consecutive Club Games Scored: Scored in 10 consecutive club games in the 2012-13 season 3.
33. Scoring Drought: Once went 12 club games without scoring, then broke it with a hat-trick 3.
34. Instagram Milestone: Has the most-liked Instagram post ever, with over 75.6 million likes 3.
35. Transfer to Inter Miami: Joined Inter Miami at the age of 36 3.

Miscellaneous:

36. Jersey Number: Messi’s iconic jersey number is 10 3.
37. Contract and Merchandise: Details of his contracts and jersey sales are widely followed 3.
38. International Matches: Played many international matches for Argentina 3.
39. Youth Matches: Showed his talent early on in youth matches 1.
40. Team Leader: Known for being a leader on and off the pitch 1.
41. Play Style: Recognized for his exceptional dribbling and scoring ability 1.
42. Cultural Impact: Has had a significant impact on the sport’s culture 1.
43. Charitable Initiatives: Involved in several charitable projects 1.
44. Children’s Hospital Project: Involved in building a children’s hospital in Rosario 1.
45. Family’s Financial Strain: His medical treatment put a strain on his family’s finances 1.
46. Football Icon: Considered one of the greatest football players of all time 1.
47. Influence: Influenced a generation of footballers 1.
48. Endorsements: Has several high-profile endorsements 1.
49. Media Presence: Featured in various media, including advertisements and video games 1.
50. Global Recognition: Recognized globally as a superstar in football 1.

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