Lionel Messi Biography, Net Worth, Wife, Career, Age, Height, Awards

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who is currently playing as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. He is famous for his quick, balanced, and stylish run with the football. He is one of the greatest players of all time and has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and in 2020 was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona. He holds the records for most goals in La Liga (474), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (192), a La Liga season (21) and the Copa América (17). Further, he holds the record for most international goals by a South American male (86). 

At the age of four, he joined the local club Grandoli and after two years, he joined the Rosario Club. Before coming to Barcelona, he used to play football for  Newell’s Old Boys. He played for Newell’s till 2000. Messi then joined Barcelona in 2001. He made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. He rose to fame during the 2003-05 season playing for Barcelona. On 4 February 2004, he signed a contract that lasted till 2012. On 24th June 2005, on his birthday he signed his first senior contract as a senior team player for Barcelona. During his 2006-07 season, he established himself as the best player in the world. He is frequently compared to Diego Maradona and he was named “Messiah” by the Spanish media. He signed a new contract in July 2008 on an annual salary of €7.8 million, becoming the club’s highest-paid player. After his contract expired on 1st July 2021, he signed for Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021. He signed a two-year deal until June 2023 with an option for an extra year and chose 30 as his squad number. He made his debut for the club on 29 August, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 2–0 away win over Reims in Ligue 1. Representing his national team, he holds the national record for appearances and is also the country's all-time leading goalscorer. After his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup in 2006 and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named young player of the tournament. He led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the 2015 and 2016 Copa América. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a third-place finish at the 2019 Copa América, and winning the 2021 Copa América. According to France Football, he was the world's highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014 and was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022. In 2021, he became the second footballer (and second team-sport athlete) to surpass $1 billion in career earnings. In July 2022, Messi threatened to leave the PSG club (and join Barcelona instead) if Cristiano Ronaldo was also signed to the club. At that time, Ronaldo was looking to change his club as Manchester United had failed to qualify for the Champions League. Besides his footballer career, he is also a founder of the organization, Leo Messi Foundation which was established with a motive to give children the best opportunities for education and healthcare. 

How Rich is Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi is a successful footballer and he is one of the best footballers of all time. He spent his entire professional career with Barcelona and has helped the club to win 34 club trophies including 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, and 4 Champions League titles. As of 2022, Messi has accumulated a net worth of $620 Million. He made this fortune from his football career as well as from endorsement deals. His present annual salary is more than $60 Million and his monthly income is over $5 Million. The majority of his income comes from match-winning prizes, contracts, and transfer deals. As per leaked details, Messi signed a four-year contract extension with the club that grossed €555,237,619 million including a fixed salary, signing bonus, and various incentives. His 2017 contract with Barcelona paid him a fixed salary of €138 million annually. The contract also set his buyout clause to €700 million.  According to Forbes, Lionel Messi was the highest-paid athlete with $130 million (£110m) in pre-tax gross earnings last year. He earned €126 million in 2018 and was the highest-paid athlete in 2019. He has more than 40 brand endorsements across the globe and charges more than 5 Million for each endorsement. He is Adidas's leading brand endorser. He was previously signed to Nike. Likewise, he has also made endorsement deals with Pepsi Konami, EA Sports, Dolce & Gabbana, Audemars Piguet, Gillette, Turkish Airlines, Ooredoo, and more. He also endorses Non Profit organizations like UNICEF and Red Cross. He has two houses, he has a house in Argentina which he bought in the year 2009 and that cost him around 2 Million USD. Another house is in Spain and also he has multiple real–estate properties in France and other countries. His car collection includes Mercedes, Ferrari, Bentley, Ferrari F430, Maserati GranTurismo S, and more. In April 2021, he purchased a 5,515-square-feet condo on the 9th floor of a luxury apartment building in Sunny Isles Beach in Miami for $7.3 million. In July 2021, Lionel spent his vacations in a house in Key Biscayne, Florida for a huge rent of $200,000 a month. The house was 8,202 square feet with 5 bedrooms (with 75″ smart HDTVs in each of them) and 5.5 bathrooms. It further has a rooftop terrace, an infinity pool on a wooden deck, and a modern gym. He is living a luxurious lifestyle at present. 

Wher is Lionel Messi From?

Lionel Messi took birth on 24 June 1987 with the birth name of Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini. He is from Rosario, Argentina. He is Argentine by nationality and his ethnicity is Mixed as he has Italian, Catalan, and Spanish ancestry.

His dad was a factory steelworker and his mum was a part-time cleaner and worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. He has three siblings; Rodrigo (Older Brother), Matías (Older Brother), and María Sol (Sister). He has Italian and Spanish ancestry. His father is a steel factory manager, whereas his mother worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. He has 3 siblings. At the age of five, Messi joined a local club called Grandoli coached by her father. At the age of six, he joined the Rosario Club. He was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at the age of 10. His family relocated to Barcelona after he signed with the Spanish club Barcelona. The club agreed to pay his medical fees. In Barcelona, he suffered from homesickness after his mother returned to Argentina with his brothers and sister. He stayed in Barcelona with his father. His growth hormone treatment was completed at the age of 14.

Messi has not shared his educational background. He has been playing football since childhood.

Who is Lionel Messi's Wife?

Lionel Messi is a married man when it comes to his marital status. Messi tied a knot to his longtime girlfriend turned wife, Antonella Roccuzzo. They got married at a luxury hotel named Hotel City Center in Rosario on June 30, 2017, with about 260 guests attending the wedding. The couple knew each other since their childhood. The duo started dating in 2007. They first met at Lucas Scaglia’s place (one of Messi’s closest friends). The couple has been blessed with 3 children, namely, Thiago (b. November 2, 2012), Mateo (b. September 11, 2015), and Ciro (b. March 10, 2018). The happily married couple is enjoying their present life a lot with their children. 

How tall is Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi is a handsome footballer who stands at the perfect height of 5 feet 7 inches. His bodyweight measures 67 kg. He has dark brown hair and his eye color is also the same. His body type is athletic. He wears a shoe size of 10 (US) or 9 (UK) or 43 (EU). He has a healthy body at present and he frequently does exercise to maintain his body. He has two different approaches for the workouts which deal with thrust, speed, and movement in various directions.