Lionel Messi is a 39-year-old Argentine forward who plays for Inter Miami in MLS and has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards. In this Lionel Messi biography, we follow him from a growth hormone treatment in Rosario to 672 goals at Barcelona, the 2022 World Cup title and his Argentina farewell on October 6, 2026. All facts are as of October 21, 2026.
Lionel Messi biography: quick facts
Question | Answer |
|---|---|
Full name | Lionel Andrés Messi |
Born | June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina |
Age | 39 |
Height | About 5 ft 7 in (1.69–1.70 m), the figure most outlets use |
Current club | Inter Miami CF, under contract through the 2028 MLS season |
Ballon d'Or wins | 8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) |
World Cup | Champion in 2022, runner-up in 2014 and 2026 |
Argentina career | 208 caps and 126 goals, retired from the national team in 2026 |
Wife | Antonela Roccuzzo (married June 30, 2017) |
Children | Three sons: Thiago (2012), Mateo (2015) and Ciro (2018) |
2026 earnings | $140 million (No. 3 on Forbes' 2026 list) |
Where did Lionel Messi grow up?
Messi grew up in Rosario, Argentina, where he was born on June 24, 1987, to Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini. He has two brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and a sister, María Sol.
As a boy, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. The treatment cost roughly $900 to $1,000 a month, depending on the account, and sources disagree on exactly how old he was when he was diagnosed. In a January 2026 interview, Messi said his youth club Newell's Old Boys and his father's employer helped pay, but the support was "neither simple nor consistent."
How did Messi end up at Barcelona?
He joined Barcelona after a trial in late 2000, and the deal started on a paper napkin. On December 14, 2000, sporting director Carles Rexach wrote a pledge to sign him on a napkin during a lunch with his agents. Barcelona then paid for his hormone treatment, and a formal youth contract followed in early 2001 (reports say either about a month later or March 2001).
That napkin sold at a Bonhams auction in 2024 for £762,400, about $966,400.
What did Messi achieve at Barcelona?
He's the top scorer in the club's history, with 672 goals in 778 games, both club records. His official debut came on October 16, 2004, as a late substitute at Espanyol, according to FC Barcelona, and he scored his first official goal against Albacete on May 1, 2005.
Over 17 seasons, he won 35 trophies with Barcelona, including:
10 La Liga titles
4 Champions League titles (he scored a header in the 2009 final in Rome)
7 Copa del Rey titles
His 672 goals passed Pelé's 643 for Santos as the most ever scored for one club. He's also La Liga's all-time top scorer with 474 goals in 520 games. In 2012, he scored 91 goals in a calendar year (79 for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina), which Guinness recognizes as the record, beating Gerd Müller's 85.
Why did Messi leave Barcelona?
He left because Barcelona couldn't register a new contract under LaLiga's financial rules. His old deal ran out on June 30, 2021, and on August 5, 2021, the club announced it couldn't keep him because of "economic and structural obstacles." At a tearful press conference three days later, he said, "I never imagined having to say goodbye."
He signed with Paris Saint-Germain on August 10, 2021, and won Ligue 1 in both of his seasons there, 2021-22 and 2022-23, scoring in both title-clinching games. PSG confirmed his departure on June 3, 2023.
What has Messi won with Inter Miami?
He's won four trophies and two MVP awards since signing with Inter Miami on July 15, 2023:
Date | Achievement |
|---|---|
August 19, 2023 | Leagues Cup, the club's first trophy (won on penalties against Nashville) |
2024 season | Supporters' Shield, with a record 74 points |
December 2024 | MLS MVP (20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches) |
2025 season | MLS Golden Boot (29 goals and 19 assists) |
December 6, 2025 | MLS Cup, a 3-1 win over Vancouver, where he was named MLS Cup MVP |
2025 | MLS MVP again, the league's first back-to-back winner |
September 16, 2026 | Campeones Cup, won against Cruz Azul |
The 2024 MVP numbers come straight from MLS. He reached 900 career goals on March 18, 2026, and after a brace against Atlanta on October 17, 2026, he was reported to lead MLS with 25 goals this season. Goal trackers don't all agree on his 2026 tally, so check the league's site for the latest count.
What is Messi's Inter Miami contract?
He's signed through the 2028 MLS season, when he'll be 41. Inter Miami announced the three-year extension on October 23, 2025, CBS Sports reported, but didn't release any financial terms. A salary of $70 million to $80 million a year has been reported, but it isn't official.
What has Messi won with Argentina?
He won six titles with Argentina, including the 2022 World Cup:
2005 U-20 World Cup (he won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot)
2008 Olympic gold
2021 Copa América, Argentina's first senior title in 28 years
2022 Finalissima against Italy
2022 World Cup, where he scored twice in a 3-3 final against France that Argentina won on penalties
2024 Copa América
In 2022, he also became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Ball twice, after winning it in 2014.
How did Messi do at the 2026 World Cup?
He led Argentina to the final, where they lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. The final was played on July 19, 2026, at New York New Jersey Stadium, and Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute, NBC New York reported.
It was still his best World Cup by the numbers: 8 goals and 4 assists. He scored a hat-trick against Algeria in his 200th cap, became the first player to score in seven straight World Cup matches and passed everyone to become the World Cup's all-time top scorer. Rodri won the Golden Ball, and Messi took the Silver Ball.
Has Lionel Messi retired?
He's retired from the Argentina national team, but not from club soccer. He announced his international retirement in an Instagram letter on August 31, 2026, writing, "It was a decision that hurt–and still hurts deeply–but I understand that the time has come."
The announcement came a few weeks after his father, Jorge, died on August 8, 2026. Messi had drafted the letter after the World Cup final but held it back while his father was ill.
His farewell match was on October 6, 2026, at the Monumental in Buenos Aires. He set up goals for Nicolás Otamendi and Nico Paz and scored a penalty in a 3-0 win over Benin, Sky Sports reported. He finished with 208 caps and 126 goals, both Argentina records. (You'll still see 207 caps and 125 goals in older articles, which were written before that last match.) "I leave grateful, proud, and at peace," he said.
Talk of a Barcelona return or of him playing past 2028 is fan and pundit speculation, not reporting.
How many goals has Messi scored in his career?
He had 936 career goals after his October 17, 2026, brace: 126 for Argentina and about 810 for his clubs. These totals come from media and stats trackers, not an official body, and assist and trophy counts vary by source. Most count about 47 team trophies.
His individual awards are clearer:
8 Ballon d'Or awards, the men's record
3 The Best FIFA Men's Player awards (2019, 2022 and 2023), also a record
6 European Golden Shoes (2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019)
What is Lionel Messi's net worth?
Nobody knows his exact net worth, and the estimates range from about $600 million to more than $1 billion. Several 2026 articles say Forbes valued him at about $1.1 billion, but we couldn't find that figure on Forbes itself, so treat it as unconfirmed.
His earnings are clearer. Forbes' 2026 list of the world's highest-paid athletes, published May 22, 2026, puts him at $140 million, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo ($300 million) and Canelo Álvarez ($170 million), ESPN reported. That's split roughly evenly between his salary and off-field income.
What businesses does Messi own?
He owns several businesses outside soccer, including:
MiM Hotels, a hotel chain he started in Sitges, Spain, in 2017
Más+, a hydration drink launched in June 2024
L10 Wines and The Messi Store
Stakes in clubs: he co-founded Uruguay's Deportivo LSM with Luis Suárez in 2025 and bought Spain's UE Cornellà in 2026
Adidas has sponsored him since 2006 and signed him to a lifetime deal in 2017. When he moved to MLS in 2023, he reportedly got a share of new Apple TV MLS Season Pass subscriptions and of Adidas profits, though those terms were never officially disclosed.
What charity work does Messi do?
He founded the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007 to fund health care and education for vulnerable children. He's also been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since March 2010.
Who is Lionel Messi's wife?
His wife is Antonela Roccuzzo, his childhood sweetheart from Rosario. They married there on June 30, 2017, and they have three sons: Thiago, born in 2012, Mateo, born in 2015, and Ciro, born in 2018.
Our take on Lionel Messi's career
As of October 21, 2026, there's not much left for Messi to win. He has eight Ballon d'Ors, a World Cup, 35 trophies at Barcelona and back-to-back MVPs in MLS. He's stepped away from Argentina, but he's still scoring for Inter Miami with a contract through 2028. For his profile and future coverage, see our Lionel Messi page and the rest of our soccer coverage.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Lionel Messi?
Lionel Messi is 39. He was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, so he'll turn 40 in June 2027.
How tall is Lionel Messi?
Messi is about 5 ft 7 in (1.69 to 1.70 m). That's the figure most outlets use, though his clubs haven't published an official height that we could find.
How many Ballon d'Ors does Messi have?
Messi has eight Ballon d'Ors, the men's record. He won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Did Messi go to jail?
No. A Spanish court convicted him in 2016 of defrauding Spain of €4.1 million over image rights, and the Supreme Court upheld a 21-month sentence in May 2017. The sentence was suspended, so he didn't serve any time.
What team does Messi play for now?
Messi plays for Inter Miami CF in MLS. His contract runs through the 2028 MLS season.
Is Messi still playing for Argentina?
No. He announced his international retirement on August 31, 2026, and played his farewell match against Benin on October 6, 2026. He keeps playing club soccer for Inter Miami.
