Lionel Messi Biography: From Rosario to World Cup Glory and Inter Miami

October 29, 2026

Daniel Reed

Lionel Messi biography: the Argentine forward widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina, spent 17 trophy-laden seasons at Barcelona, and now captains Inter Miami. Born in Rosario in 1987, he has scored more than 930 senior career goals and, in October 2026, was still leading Major League Soccer’s scoring charts at 39.

Full name	Lionel Andrés Messi
Born	24 June 1987, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Nationality	Argentine
Occupation	Professional footballer (forward), Inter Miami captain
Known for	Eight Ballons d’Or, 2022 World Cup win, Barcelona career, 91 goals in 2012
Spouse	Antonela Roccuzzo (married June 2017)
Children	3 sons — Thiago, Mateo and Ciro

Lionel Messi biography: early life and the move to Barcelona

Messi grew up in Rosario, Argentina, where he played youth football for Grandoli and then for Newell’s Old Boys, whose youth side was known as “The Machine of ’87” after the players’ birth year. At around the age of ten he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, and the cost of treatment became a reason for his family to look abroad. Barcelona offered him a trial in September 2000, when he was 13; in a story now famous in football, sporting director Carles Rexach wrote out a first contract on a paper napkin that December. The family moved to Catalonia in early 2001 and Messi joined Barcelona’s La Masia academy, as recorded in his career history and Britannica’s profile.

Barcelona: 17 seasons, 474 league goals

Messi made his Barcelona first-team debut in 2004 at 17 and stayed until 2021, scoring 474 goals in 520 league appearances. He won ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles with the club, and his individual honours include a record eight Ballons d’Or and six European Golden Shoes. His most astonishing single year came in 2012, when he scored 91 goals in all competitions — a calendar-year record that still stands. Barcelona’s announcement of his departure in 2021, citing financial and structural obstacles, ended one of the great club-career partnerships in the sport’s history and sent him to Paris Saint-Germain, where he played from 2021 to 2023.

Argentina: from early heartbreak to World Cup glory

Messi’s international career ran from 2005 to 2026 and finished with 208 caps and 126 goals for Argentina. After losing the 2014 World Cup final and three Copa América finals, he finally lifted a senior international trophy at the Copa América in 2021, then captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — the defining achievement of his career. He added a second Copa América in 2024, and at the 2026 World Cup he captained Argentina to the final, where they finished runners-up to Spain. His international farewell came on 6 October 2026, when he played his 208th and final match for his country, a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in Buenos Aires.

Inter Miami and the 2026 season

Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023 and announced himself with a 94th-minute free-kick winner on his debut against Cruz Azul. He has since won the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and the 2025 MLS Cup — Miami’s first playoff championship, sealed with a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in which he was named MLS Cup MVP. He won the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award in both 2024 and 2025, the first player to win it in consecutive seasons, and in October 2025 he signed a contract extension running through the 2028 season. In 2026 he also received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, and he entered the final week of October leading the MLS scoring charts with 25 goals.

His most recent match underlined how tight Miami’s run-in has become. On 28 October 2026, Messi went scoreless as the reigning MLS Cup champions drew 2-2 with FC Cincinnati at home: Luis Suárez opened the scoring in the 61st minute, Cincinnati hit back twice late on, and substitute Riquelme Fillipi rescued a point with a 90th-minute equaliser. The draw left Miami third in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the New England Revolution with two matches remaining, as reported by the Associated Press and AFP. Miami still have everything to play for as they defend their title — and, as ever with Messi, the next record is never far away. His rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo, football’s other billionaire player, has defined an era of the sport.

Personal life

Messi married his childhood sweetheart Antonela Roccuzzo in their hometown of Rosario in June 2017. The couple have three sons: Thiago, born in November 2012; Mateo, born in September 2015; and Ciro, born in March 2018. All three play in Inter Miami’s youth academy. Away from football, Messi’s charitable work has included long-standing support for children’s hospitals and UNICEF, and his public image has remained notably free of the controversies that have touched many of his contemporaries.

Net worth snapshot

Forbes estimated Messi’s fortune at $1.1 billion in October 2026, making him only the second footballer to reach billionaire status while still playing. The full breakdown — his Inter Miami package, lifetime Adidas deal and business holdings — is set out in Lionel Messi’s net worth article.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina, which makes him 39 years old in 2026.

How many Ballons d’Or has Lionel Messi won?

Lionel Messi has won eight Ballons d’Or, more than any other player in history, with his most recent coming in 2023 after Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph.

Is Lionel Messi still playing for Argentina?

No. Messi played his final match for Argentina on 6 October 2026, a 3-0 friendly win over Benin in Buenos Aires that was his 208th cap. He continues to play club football for Inter Miami, under contract through the 2028 season.

How many goals has Lionel Messi scored in his career?

Messi has scored more than 930 senior career goals for club and country, including 474 league goals for Barcelona and 126 goals for Argentina, plus a record 91 goals in the calendar year 2012.