On 18 March 2026, Lionel Messi became only the second men’s footballer in history to score 900 career goals. A few months later, leading Argentina’s defence of its World Cup crown at the 2026 tournament, he stood alone as the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history. Few athletes in any sport have managed to keep adding to their legend so deep into their careers, but Messi continues to do exactly that.
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, having won a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, led Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup title, and built a club career spanning legendary spells at FC Barcelona, a move to Paris Saint-Germain, and now a groundbreaking chapter with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. His blend of dribbling artistry, vision, and consistency over more than two decades has made him a generational figure in world sport.
Messi’s story matters globally because it represents the rare case of an athlete whose excellence has only deepened with time. As he leads Argentina into the 2026 World Cup on home soil for North America, in what could be his final tournament, his career offers a living case study in sustained greatness, from a boy diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency in Rosario to a billionaire global icon reshaping a league on a different continent.
Profile
| Full Name | Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini |
| Born | 24 June 1987 |
| Age | 39 years old |
| Birthplace | Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina |
| Nationality | Argentine and Spanish |
| Occupation | Professional Footballer |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Parents | Jorge Messi, Celia Cuccittini |
| Siblings | Three siblings, including brother Matías Messi |
| Spouse | Antonela Roccuzzo (married 2017) |
| Children | Three sons: Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro |
| Relationship Status | Married |
| Net Worth | $1.1 billion |
Early Life
Lionel Andrés Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina, to Jorge Messi, a steel factory worker, and Celia Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.
He grew up with three older siblings in a close-knit, football-loving family, and began playing the sport almost as soon as he could walk, joining local club Grandoli at the age of four, coached by his father.
As a child, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency that threatened to limit both his height and his footballing prospects.
His family struggled to afford the costly treatment, and it was ultimately FC Barcelona, after being impressed by the young Messi during a trial, that agreed to cover his medical costs as part of an arrangement to bring him into their famed La Masia youth academy.
At the age of 13, Messi relocated with his family from Rosario to Barcelona, beginning the next phase of a career that would soon make him one of the most famous athletes in the world.
Education
Messi’s formal schooling took place primarily in Rosario before his family’s relocation to Spain, after which his education became closely intertwined with his development at Barcelona’s La Masia academy, which combined football training with conventional schooling for its young prospects. As is typical for elite athletes recruited at a young age, his focus shifted overwhelmingly toward football development from his early teenage years onward.
Career
Messi progressed rapidly through Barcelona’s youth ranks after his family’s move to Spain, making his senior debut for the first team in October 2004 in a La Liga match against Espanyol under manager Frank Rijkaard. Over the following two decades at Barcelona, he developed into arguably the most decorated player in the club’s history, winning multiple Champions League titles, numerous La Liga championships, and breaking goal-scoring records that had stood for generations, including becoming the club’s all-time top scorer at just 24 years old.
Messi’s individual honours piled up alongside his club success, culminating in a record collection of Ballon d’Or awards recognising him as the world’s best player across multiple distinct eras of the sport. After leaving Barcelona, he had a spell at Paris Saint-Germain in France, where he continued to add to his trophy collection before making the move that would define the next chapter of his career.
In July 2023, Messi signed with Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer, a transfer that transformed the profile of American soccer almost overnight. His arrival sparked a dramatic rise in attendance, broadcast viewership, and global interest in MLS. On the pitch, he continued to deliver at an extraordinary level, leading Inter Miami to its first-ever MLS Cup title in 2025, when the club defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final. Messi was named MLS Cup MVP after providing two assists in that match, and he capped the season by winning the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 games, while also being named MLS MVP for a second consecutive year, a first in league history.
On 23 October 2025, Messi signed a contract extension with Inter Miami through 2028, by which point he will be 41 years old, alongside compensation and equity arrangements reported in March 2026 to be worth between $70 and $80 million per year. During the Eastern Conference final of the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, an assist from Messi pushed his career assist total past 405, surpassing the legendary Ferenc Puskás for the most career assists in football history. On 18 March 2026, in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Nashville, Messi scored his 900th career goal, becoming only the second men’s player ever to reach that mark, behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi’s international career has been equally historic. After initially announcing his retirement from international football in 2016, he returned to help Argentina qualify for the 2018 World Cup, and went on to end the country’s 28-year trophy drought by winning the 2021 Copa América. In 2022, he captained Argentina to its third World Cup title, the country’s first in 36 years, and added a further Copa América crown in 2024. Heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Messi captained Argentina as defending champions, scoring twice against Jordan to celebrate his 39th birthday during the tournament and standing alone as the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history with 18 career goals.
Off the pitch, Messi has built a significant business and media portfolio. He has endorsed Adidas since 2006, launched the sports drink brand Más+ in 2024, and that same year founded the production company 525 Rosario in partnership with Smuggler Entertainment. In April 2026, he acquired full ownership of a Spanish football club, further expanding his interests beyond playing. In 2026, Bloomberg reported that Messi’s net worth had surpassed $1 billion, and he appeared for the first time on a global billionaires list.
Awards & Nominations
- Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner
- FIFA World Cup winner — 2022 (Qatar)
- Two-time Copa América winner — 2021, 2024
- MLS Cup winner and MVP — 2025
- Back-to-back MLS Most Valuable Player — 2024, 2025
- MLS Golden Boot — 2025
- Two-time Laureus World Sportsman of the Year — 2020, 2023
- Time 100 Most Influential People — 2011, 2012, 2023
- FIFA World Cup all-time leading goalscorer (as of 2026 tournament)
Social Media
Lionel Messi maintains one of the largest social media followings in the world, regularly sharing updates on his football career, family life, and brand partnerships.
- Instagram: @leomessi (over 500 million followers)
Personal Life
Lionel Messi married his childhood sweetheart, Antonela Roccuzzo, on 30 June 2017, in a star-studded ceremony in their shared hometown of Rosario, Argentina, attended by guests including Neymar, Luis Suárez, and Shakira. The couple first met as children through Antonela’s cousin, a friend of Messi’s, and reconnected as young adults following a personal tragedy in 2005, eventually confirming their relationship publicly in 2009 after dating privately for some time.
Messi and Roccuzzo have three sons together: Thiago, born in 2012; Mateo, born in 2015; and Ciro, born in 2018. The family lived in Barcelona and later Paris before relocating to Miami following Messi’s move to Inter Miami in 2023. Roccuzzo, who has built her own career as a model, influencer, and philanthropist with ambassador roles at organisations including UNICEF and the Special Olympics, has often been described as the grounding presence behind Messi’s intense football career.
Despite his global fame, Messi has a reputation for valuing privacy and family time, often describing a preference for quiet, low-key home life away from football. He has spoken about needing periods of solitude to decompress, and the family has continued to follow his career closely, including attending matches together during the 2026 World Cup hosted across North America.
Net Worth
Lionel Messi’s net worth was reported by Bloomberg to have surpassed $1 billion in 2026, making him one of the few athletes in history to reach that milestone alongside contemporaries such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Jordan.
His wealth has been built through a combination of record-breaking playing contracts at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami, alongside his compensation and equity arrangement with the MLS club reportedly worth $70 to $80 million annually.
Beyond his playing contracts, Messi’s income streams include a long-running endorsement deal with Adidas, his Más+ beverage brand, his production company 525 Rosario, and his April 2026 acquisition of full ownership of a Spanish football club.
He has been ranked the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes multiple times, including in 2019 and 2022, and became just the second footballer in history to surpass $1 billion in career earnings back in 2020.
Athletic Record
- 900 career goals (second player in history to reach the mark, after Cristiano Ronaldo)
- 405+ career assists, the most in football history
- FIFA World Cup winner — 2022
- All-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history (18 goals, as of 2026)
- Two-time Copa América champion — 2021, 2024
- MLS Cup champion and MVP — 2025
- MLS Golden Boot — 29 goals, 19 assists in 28 games (2025)
- Multiple Champions League and La Liga titles with FC Barcelona
FAQs
How old is Lionel Messi?
Messi was born on 24 June 1987, making him 39 years old.
What club does Lionel Messi play for?
He plays for Inter Miami CF in Major League Soccer, having signed a contract extension through 2028.
How many World Cups has Messi won?
He has won one FIFA World Cup, with Argentina in 2022, and entered the 2026 tournament as defending champion.
What is Lionel Messi’s net worth?
His net worth was reported by Bloomberg to have surpassed $1 billion in 2026.
Is Lionel Messi married?
Yes, he married Antonela Roccuzzo in June 2017, and they have three sons together.
Conclusion
Lionel Messi’s career has moved through nearly every imaginable stage of footballing greatness, from a hormone-deficient child in Rosario to a World Cup champion, a billionaire, and now a central figure reshaping the landscape of American soccer. Each new chapter has somehow added to, rather than diminished, the scale of his legacy.
As Messi leads Argentina through what may be his final World Cup campaign and continues to redefine what is possible for a player in his late thirties, his story stands as one of the most remarkable in the history of sport, a reminder that, for the rarest of athletes, time can be less an obstacle than simply another record waiting to be broken.