Lionel Andrés Messi also known as Leo Messi, (24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and is the captain of the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and often considered the greatest player of all time, Messi has won six Ballon d'Or awards, six European Golden Boots, and in 2020 was named the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. He spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, ​​where he won 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for the all-time top goalscorer in La Liga (474 ​​goals), most goals in La Liga and Europe in a season (50 goals), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and most goals scored in La Liga. UEFA Champions League (8), as well as most assists in La Liga (192), most assists in La Liga and Europe during a season (21) and most assists in the Copa América (17). He has scored more than 750 goals during his senior career for club and country, and the most goals ever scored by a player playing for just one club.

Born and raised in Argentina, Messi moved to Spain to join Barcelona at the age of 13, where he made his competitive debut at the age of 17 in October 2004. In the 2008–2009 season, he helped Barcelona to their first treble. At that time, aged 22, Messi won his first Ballon d'Or. The following three seasons were successful, Messi won four consecutive Ballon d'Ors, making him the first player to win the award four times in a row. During the 2011–2012 season, he set La Liga and European records for the most goals scored. scored in one season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer. In the 2014–2015 season, Messi became the all-time leading goalscorer in La Liga and led Barcelona to a second treble, after which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015. Messi captained Barcelona in 2018, and in 2019 he won the Ballon d'Or. Or sixth.

As a player for the Argentine national team, Messi is the player with the most appearances and goals of all time for the Argentine national team. At youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA Youth World Championships, finished the tournament with the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards, and was awarded an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. After making his senior national team debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine player to ever win the title. played and scored in the FIFA World Cup in 2006, and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named the best young player of the tournament. As team captain since August 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals, namely the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, where he won the Golden Ball, as well as the 2015 and 2016 Copa América Finals. After announcing his retirement from the national team in 2016, he canceled his decision and led his country to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, finishing third in the 2019 Copa América, and winning the 2021 Copa América.

According to France Football, he was the highest-paid footballer in the world for five years between 2009 and 2014, and the highest-paid athlete in the world according to Forbes in 2019. Messi was ranked among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2011 and 2012. In February 2020, he was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Best Athlete, making him the first soccer player and the first team sports athlete to win the award.