Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer

Lionel Messi born 24 June 1987 is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains both Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team.

An Argentine international, Messi is his country's all-time leading goalscorer. At youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe, and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who declared the teenager his successor. After making his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup during the 2006 edition, and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named young player of the tournament. As the squad's captain from August 2011, he led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 World Cup, for which he won the Golden Ball, and the 2015 and 2016 Copas América. After announcing his international retirement in 2016, he reversed his decision and led his country to qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

With the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team's new captain for the following season. On 12 August 2018, he lifted his first title as Barcelona's captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla; with his 33rd title for the club, he also became the most decorated player in the team's history. On 19 August, Messi scored twice in helping Barcelona defeat Alavés 3–0 in their first La Liga match of the season, with his first goal, a free kick that he rolled under the jumping Alavés wall, making history in being Barcelona's 6000th goal in La Liga.

In Argentina's final group match against Nigeria at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg on 26 June, Messi scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–1 victory which saw Argentina progress to the second round as group runners-up behind Croatia. Receiving Ever Banega’s long pass upfield over the defence Messi controlled the ball on the run with two touches before striking it across goal into the net with his right foot. With this goal, Messi became only the third Argentine after Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta to score in three World Cups; he also became the first player to score in the World Cup in his teens, twenties, and his thirties.

In the round of 16 match against France on 30 June, Messi set up Gabriel Mercado's and Sergio Agüero's goals in a 4–3 defeat, which saw Argentina eliminated from the World Cup