Lionel Messi is a world-famous footballer who has not only etched his name in the sand of football history, but also delighted the football world with his spectacular goal-scoring ability, dazzling dribbles, exceptional passing, and incredible playmaking.

While you might already know that Messi is the all-time leading Ballon d’Or winner, and that his full name is Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini, there are probably a number of interesting things you don’t know about the living football great.

In this post, we’ll, therefore, expose you to a biography of Lionel Messi with emphasis on his career, stats, goals, and net worth.

Early Life and Family Background

Lionel Messi was born into the family of Jorge Horacio (father) and Celia Cuccittini (mother) on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. He was only 13 when his family moved from Argentina to Barcelona in Spain.

The Football Club Lionel Messi Currently Plays for

Lionel Messi currently plays for Inter Miami –the Major League Soccer (MLS) football club he joined in 2023. At Inter Miami, Messi has made a huge impact; in his first season, he helped the club win its first trophy by clinching the Leagues Cup. Also in 2024, he won another trophy –the Supporters’ Shield –with Inter Miami.

Messi’s incredible impact at Inter Miami has been felt on and off the pitch; the MLS side has not only won trophies, but also elevated in global appeal.

Messi’s Spell at Barcelona

Barcelona is the football club where Messi clinched most of his achievements at the club level. It’s therefore unsurprising that Messi won six of his eight Ballon d’Or awards at Barcelona. Between 2004, when he marked his La Liga debut for Barcelona, and 2021, when he left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Messi racked up many individual honours and helped Barcelona win numerous trophies.

Messi was the pivot in Pep Guardiola’s formidable Barcelona team which not only delighted the football world with a possession-oriented style of play, but also pulled incredible achievements including the 2009 historic treble. In 2012, Messi toppled Cesar Rodriguez to become the all-time top scorer for Barcelona. That same year, the Argentinian forward surpassed Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals in a calendar year by setting his own unmatched record of 91 goals in a calendar year. In 2015, Barcelona won another treble, thanks to Lionel Messi’s formidable partnership with the duo of Neymar and (Luis) Suarez.

In 2021, Messi eventually left Barcelona not only as the club’s all-time top scorer, but also a legend who had won everything there was to win for the club. His departure from the Spanish side to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) meant he and former teammate, Neymar, would be on the same team again.

Although the duo of Messi and Neymar couldn’t bring PSG the much-coveted UCL glory, Messi proved instrumental by helping PSG win the Ligue 1 title in his first and second seasons.

World Cup Glory with Argentina

Messi has had a remarkable career with the Argentina national team, and the climax of the career came in 2022 when he led the team to World Cup glory. Prior to 2022, that World Cup triumph seemed to be the only significant achievement missing from Messi’s record with the Argentina national team. Although he had come very close to World Cup glory in 2014, Messi had lost the final to Germany.

Messi is also heroic for having previously helped Argentina end their 28-year wait for trophy by leading the national team to Copa America victory in 2021. Without any doubt, Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer, and it’s highly fascinating that his record with Argentina includes 2022 World Cup, 2022 Finalissima, 2021 Copa America, and 2024 Copa America.

How Old Is Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987. Based on this year of birth, and at the time of writing this post in 2025, Messi is 38 years old.

Messi’s (Goal) Stats

For many football fans, Messi is, though arguably, the greatest footballer of all time. With that noted, it’s unsurprising that the Argentinian forward boasts incredible stats such as 672 goals for Barcelona and over 100 goals for Argentina.

In the UEFA Champions League alone, Messi scored 129 goals, keeping him behind only Cristiano Ronaldo in UCL’s record of all-time leading goal scorers. Messi’s La Liga goal tally is also remarkable as the Argentinian forward netted 474 times in the competition.

Messi’s career goal tally stands at over 850 goals, and this clearly proves that he is one of the greatest goal scorers in football history.

Lionel Messi’s Height

Lionel Messi stands at a height of 5 feet, 7 inches.

Family

Lionel Messi is the son of Jorge Horacio (father) and Celia Cuccittini (mother). He is married to Antonela Roccuzzo with whom he has three children –Mateo, Thiago, and Ciro.

Net Worth

At Inter Miami, Messi’s annual (base) salary is $12 million, which suggests that the Argentinian forward earns $230,000 weekly. It should be noted that Messi reportedly earns over $20.4 million in total annual compensation as an Inter Miami player. The Argentinian star’s total yearly earnings would normally surpass the quoted figure since he maintains partnership deals with top brands such as Adidas and Apple.

Lionel Messi’s net worth is estimated at $850 million, and this makes him the second-richest “world-recognized” footballer behind only Cristiano Ronaldo.

Conclusion

Lionel Messi is undeniably one of the all-time greatest footballers in football history. Following his 2022 World Cup trophy –the achievement that seems to give him an edge over closest rival Cristiano Ronaldo –Messi has even been considered by many observers as the “greatest player in football history.”

Even as many other observers and football fans believe the title “greatest player in football history” is widely arguable, the truth we must hold unto is that the name “Lionel Messi” deserves to be in any list of the greatest football players of all time.

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While we’ve revealed a lot of information in this Lionel Messi biography, you might like to tell us what you think about the living football great.