Lionel Messi turned 39 on Wednesday. And still, through the group stage of this, his sixth World Cup, he leads all scoring with five goals in just two games.
As he and his Argentine mates head into the knockout round, looking to repeat as champions, here is a look at 39 facts about Lionel Messi:
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1. Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at age 10
He underwent a lengthy and expensive treatment that involved Messi giving himself shots. Some clubs passed on him because of his size and cost of the treatment.
2. Barcelona was not swayed by his small stature
The Spanish club was so eager to sign him as a 13-year-old that the club inked him to a deal on a napkin.
3. Messi was 17 when he made his Barcelona debut
It happened on Oct. 16, 2004. His first goal came the following season, on a pass from the great Ronaldinho.
4. He first wore No. 30
You might notice above that Messi did not wear the No. 10 when he made his debut. Instead, he sported No. 30. The No. 10, typically for the club’s primary playmaker, was worn by the aforementioned Ronaldinho, who predicted Messi’s greatness.
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5. Messi is notoriously quiet
He’s never been a vocal leader, doing most of his talking with this feet.
6 World Cups, 1 Lionel Messi: 39 facts about soccer’s immortal star
(Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports)
6. And speaking of his feet
Most of Messi’s goals have come off his left foot, his dominant foot.
7. Messi is actually right handed
8. Messi first wore No. 10 in his fifth season with Barcelona
When Ronaldinho left Barcelona after the 2008 season, Messi inherited the No. 10 jersey, which he wore for the rest of his time at Barça.
World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings
9. In 2009, he won his first Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d’Or honors the best player in the world, as voted on by a panel of international journalists. After Messi scored 38 goals and assisted on 19 more in 51 appearances across all competitions, Messi won his first Ballon d’Or over second place Cristiano Ronaldo.
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10. Messi wins four in a row
That Ballon d’Or would be the first of four straight for Messi, who scored 47, 53, 73 and 60 goals for Barcelona in all competitions in that span.
11. Messi has won a record 8 Ballon d’Ors
Awarded since 1956, only 10 players have won multiple Ballon d’Ors. Messi’s eight is the most ever, with Ronaldo’s five the only other player who’s come close.
12. Messi has scored the most goals ever in a single season
In 2012, Messi scored an astonishing 91 goals across 69 club and international matches, a record. He broke Gerd Müller’s record of 85, which was set in 1972.
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13. Messi won 12 European league championships
In 19 European club seasons, Messi won 12 championships — 10 with Barcelona, 2 with Paris Saint-Germain. That’s a winning percentage of 63%.
14. Messi’s greatest goal
Where do you start, and where do you end? This is obviously up for debate, but when it comes to a singular effort, it’s hard to top this one from a then 19-year-old Messi:
15. Or this one …
16. Messi’s greatest assist
17. Ohh, the vomiting
Yes, even Lionel Messi gets nervous. For years, Messi was infamous for his on-field vomiting, including during the 2014 World Cup final. He says he has remedied the vomiting through a better diet.
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18. Messi is quite average at penalty kicks
Including his miss in the Group Stage against Austria, Messi is 25 of 31 in his international career, and 116 of 149 in his club career, per The Athletic. That’s a 77-80% clip, which is about average.
19. Spain wanted Messi
Rising through the ranks at Barcelona, Messi obtained dual citizenship, and Spain wanted him. But Messi’s heart was always with Argentina, and he never played internationally for any other country.
20. Messi’s first red card
He drew it under 50 seconds into his international debut, when he was sent off for an elbow.
21. What is Messi always drinking?
Just do a search for Messi drinking and you will find image after image of Messi drinking yerba mate, a South American herbal tea, his favorite.
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22. Messi’s world record streak
From November 2012 to May 2013, Messi scored in 21 straight La Liga games, a record. In the span, he scored a total of 33 goals.
23. Messi’s nickname: La Pulga
La Pulga is Spanish for “The Flea,” an appropriate nickname for someone who stands just 5-foot-7.
24. Messi has scored in every minute but one
There are 90 minutes in a soccer match. Messi has scored in 89 of them. The only minute he hasn’t scored in? Minute 1. His quickest goal came 1 minute, 19 seconds in.
25. Messi retired from international play in 2016
After losing the 2016 Copa América final, yet another disappointment for his country, Messi retired from international play. However, a national campaign convinced him to return for the 2018 World Cup … where Argentina lost in the Round of 16.
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26. Messi’s record-breaking hat trick
In Argentina’s opener against Algeria, Messi’s three goals made him the oldest player (38 years, 357 days) to record a hat trick in a World Cup, breaking the record held by … Ronaldo, who scored one at the 2018 World Cup when he was just 33 years old.
27. One record Messi doesn’t have
France‘s Just Fontaine has the record for most goals at a single World Cup, with 13 in the 1958 tournament. Through two games, Messi already has five goals, which is on pace for 20 if Argentina were to make it all the way to the final.
28. Messi vs. Ronaldo, by the numbers
Category | Messi | Ronaldo |
Ballon d’Ors | 8 | 5 |
World Cup titles | 1 | 0 |
World Cup Golden Balls | 2 | 0 |
World Cup goals | 18 | 10 |
Career club goals | 558 | 600 |
League titles | 13 | 8 |
Champions League titles | 4 | 5 |
European Golden Boots | 6 | 4 |
29. Where Ronaldo has him beat
On Instagram, where Ronaldo has the most followers of anyone — 640 million — to Messi’s minuscule 520 million.
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30. Messi’s two Golden Balls is a record
In every World Cup since 1982, the best overall player has been recognized with the Golden Ball award. Only one player has won it more than once, and that’s Messi, who won it at the 2014 and 2022 World Cups.
31. No one has played more World Cup matches
Messi has played in 28 World Cup games and counting. That is three more than anyone else, four more than Ronaldo, who he could meet later in this tournament.
32. Messi scored 5 goals in a Champions League match
It happened in 2012, when Messi scored five times against Leverkusen. It’s believed he’s the only player ever to do this in the modern era.
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33. Why he points to the sky after he scores
It’s a tribute to his grandmother, Celia, who took him to practices and games as a child. She died when Messi was just 10.
34. Messi is married to his hometown sweetheart
He met Antonela Roccuzzo when he was just 5 years old. They married in 2017 in their hometown of Rosario, and have three sons.
35. Messi’s career earnings
It’s estimated he’s made over $700 million in salary, plus about as much in endorsements and other business ventures, making him a billionaire.
36. Messi is superstitious
At the team hotel in Kansas City, Messi is staying in room 202, reportedly because the numbers add up to four — the number of World Cup victories Argentina would have if they win this year. Four years ago, Messi reportedly stayed in room 201. Hmmm.
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37. The World Cup record breaker
38. Messi stands alone
Messi is generally considered the only player in history to win all of the following major honors:
FIFA World Player/FIFA Best awards
Domestic league titles in multiple countries
39. Messi’s age in perspective
At 39, Messi is older than 99% of the players he’ll face at this World Cup. The average age of a World Cup player is typically around 27 years old. That means Messi is roughly 12 years older than the average opponent. To put that in perspective: many of the players marking Messi this World Cup were still in elementary school when he won his first Ballon d’Or in 2009.
