# Lionel Andrés Messi

By [freeengine.eth](https://paragraph.com/@freeengine) · 2022-12-22

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**Lionel Andrés Messi**[\[note 1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi#cite_note-8) (Spanish pronunciation: [\[ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Spanish) ([listen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Lionel_Andr%C3%A9s_Messi_-_Name.ogg)); born 24 June 1987), also known as **Leo Messi**, is an Argentine [professional footballer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professionalism_in_association_football) who plays as a [forward](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_\(association_football\)) for [Ligue 1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligue_1) club [Paris Saint-Germain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Saint-Germain_F.C.) and [captains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_\(association_football\)) the [Argentina national team](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina_national_football_team). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record seven [Ballon d'Or](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or) awards,[\[note 2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi#cite_note-11) a record six [European Golden Shoes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Golden_Shoe), and in 2020 was named to the [Ballon d'Or Dream Team](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or_Dream_Team#First_Team). Until leaving the club in 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with [Barcelona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Barcelona), where he won a [club-record](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FC_Barcelona_records_and_statistics) 35 trophies, including 10 [La Liga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Liga) titles, seven [Copa del Rey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_del_Rey) titles and four [UEFA Champions Leagues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champions_League). With his country, he won the [2021 Copa América](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Copa_Am%C3%A9rica) and the [2022 FIFA World Cup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup). A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for [most goals in La Liga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_La_Liga_top_scorers#All-time_top_scorers) (474), [most hat-tricks in La Liga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_La_Liga_hat-tricks) (36) and the [UEFA Champions League](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UEFA_Champions_League_hat-tricks) (8), and most [assists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assist_\(association_football\)) in La Liga (192) and the [Copa América](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_Am%C3%A9rica) (17). He has also the [most international goals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_men%27s_footballers_with_50_or_more_international_goals) by a South American male (98). Messi has scored over [750 senior career goals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_footballers_with_500_or_more_goals) for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (672).

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