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MESSI
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
(Argentina) -
Move to Barcelona
At the age of 13, Messi moved from Argentina to Spain to join Barcelona’s youth academy. He quickly rose through the ranks and made his debut for Barcelona’s first team in 2004, at the age of 17. -
First Ballon d'Or
Messi won his first Ballon d’Or, awarded to the best player in the world. He went on to win the award four more times in a row, from 2010 to 2012, and again in 2015 and 2019. -
World Cup Disappointment
Messi has had great success with Barcelona, but he has not been able to replicate that success with the Argentine national team. In 2014, he led Argentina to the World Cup final, but they lost to Germany. Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, but many felt that the award should have gone to a player from the winning team. -
International Retirement and Return
After Argentina’s disappointing performance at the 2018 World Cup, Messi announced his retirement from international soccer. However, he later reversed that decision and returned to the national team in 2019. Messi has said that he hopes to win a major trophy with Argentina before he retires. -
Present Day. Career Achievements
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He has won numerous domestic and international titles with Barcelona, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. Messi has also broken numerous records, including the record for most goals in a calendar year. He continues to play at the highest level and has shown no signs of slowing down.