messi biography netflix

Netflix to tell story of Messi's World Cup 2022 win in new sports docuseries

Plus, Netflix announces a bunch more upcoming sports docuseries.

The dust has now settled on the World Cup 2022 , with the quadrennial football tournament having concluded with Argentina winning the final on December 20. However, if you're already missing those footie-filled few weeks of your life, Netflix has something on its way for you.

Via a post on its Tudum news website , Netflix has clarified the details on several upcoming sports documentaries, including two never-before-announced ones.

One of these, as you're no doubt aware given the headline of this news story, is about the 2022 World Cup. World Cup: The Greatest Show On Earth is a docuseries that is scheduled to release later in the year, and tells the story of the Qatar-hosted event.

According to Netflix, the documentary will include exclusive footage from the competing teams, with lots of behind-the-scenes coverage. While the name is just a working title, so it could change before release, football fans will likely be glad to hear that something is coming up for them very soon.

The other documentary is called Six Nations , and it'll focus on Six Nations Rugby, an annual rugby championship between England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France and Italy. 

The 2023 edition of the championship starts on February 4 — here's our guide on how to watch the Six Nations Rugby 2023 if you're interested — but Netflix doesn't specify if its docuseries explores the tournament as a whole or just one year's version of it. Again, there's no release date, beyond "2023" as a whole.

Sports fans with Netflix subscriptions are likely adding these two upcoming series to an already-long watch list. A new season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive pulls up on February 24 while the producers of that show are also releasing Break Point about tennis on January 13 and Full Swing , about PGA Tour, which tees off on February 15.

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(Fans of those sports? We've also got guides on how to watch the Australian Open and how to watch the PGA Tour ).

Later in the year, and also from the same producers as all of the above, a docuseries on Tour de France is on its way, following eight teams of the annual cycling tour.

Plus — and the only show we're talking about that's not from the producers of Drive to Survive — a documentary about the Invictus Games called Heart of Invictus is coming later in the year as well.

All in all, that's plenty to sink your teeth into. Despite being one of the only streaming services not to offer live streams of sports events, Netflix is offering lots to keep sports fans entertained and subscribed.

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce writer at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK. His goal is to help you navigate the busy and confusing online video market, to help you find the TV, movies and sports that you're looking for without having to spend too much money.

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Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi, a forward for Inter Miami CF, is one of the world’s greatest soccer players and helped the Argentina national team win its third FIFA World Cup in 2022.

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1987-present

Lionel Messi News: Soccer Star Is the Subject of a New Apple TV+ Docuseries

Messi, now playing for Inter Miami CF of the MLS, helped his home country win soccer’s biggest event for the first time since 1986, scoring two goals in the final and leading Argentina to a 4-2 win over Kylian Mbappé and France on penalties. Argentina’s captain was also named the tournament MVP.

The new series follows up Messi Meets America , Apple’s 2023 look at the star striker’s arrival and first season in the MLS. Inter Miami begins the 2024 regular season also on February 21 with a match against Real Salt Lake.

Quick Facts

Early life of a soccer prodigy, club teams: barcelona, psg, and inter miami, argentina national team, tax fraud scandal, wife and children, charity and unicef, who is lionel messi.

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian soccer player who has played for FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and currently, the MLS club Inter Miami CF as well as the Argentina national team. As a teenager, Messi moved from Argentina to Spain after FC Barcelona agreed to pay for medical treatments related to his growth hormone disorder. At the club, he earned renown as one of the greatest players in history, helping FC Barcelona win more than two dozen league titles and tournaments. In 2012, he set a record for most goals in a calendar year and, a decade later, helped the Argentina national team win its third FIFA World Cup. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, and in July 2023, he joined Inter Miami.

FULL NAME: Luis Lionel Andres Messi BORN: June 24, 1987 BIRTHPLACE: Rosario, Argentina SPOUSE: Antonella Roccuzzo (2017-present) CHILDREN: Thiago, Mateo, and Ciro ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Cancer

Luis Lionel Andres “Leo” Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. As a young boy, Messi tagged along when his two older brothers played soccer with their friends, unintimidated by the bigger boys. At the age of 8, he was recruited to join the youth system of Newell’s Old Boys, a Rosario-based club.

Recognizably smaller than most of the kids in his age group, Messi was eventually diagnosed by doctors as suffering from a hormone deficiency that restricted his growth. Messi’s parents, Jorge and Ceclia, decided on a regimen of nightly growth-hormone injections for their son, though it soon proved impossible to pay several hundred dollars per month for the medication.

So, at the age of 13, when Messi was offered the chance to train at soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, and have his medical bills covered by the team, Messi’s family picked up and moved across the Atlantic to make a new home in Spain. Although he was often homesick in his new country, Messi moved quickly through the junior system ranks.

Ultimately, Messi’s short stature—5 feet, 7 inches—combined with his speed and relentless attacking style, has drawn comparisons to another famous Argentinian footballer, Diego Maradona .

Messi played for FC Barcelona for 17 seasons before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 for two seasons. In July 2023, he joined the MLS club Inter Miami.

FC Barcelona

At age 13, Messi signed with FC Barcelona. His first appearance for the team was when he was 16. On May 1, 2005, Messi put himself in the record books as the youngest player to ever score a goal for the franchise.

Messi steered Barcelona to a wealth of success, most notably in 2009, when the left-footer’s team captured the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup titles. That same year, after two consecutive runner-up finishes, he took home his first FIFA World Player of the Year honor, as well as his first Ballon d’Or award, the top European individual honor in football.

Messi became the first Argentinian player to win the Ballon d’Or. Even the great Maradona gushed about his fellow countryman. “I see him as very similar to me,” the retired player told the BBC. “He’s a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different than any other player in the world.”

Amazingly, the soccer wizard continued to improve, discovering new ways to elude defenders while leading Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as the ’11 Champions League title.

Messi embarked on an all-out assault on the record books in 2012. He became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match in early March, and a few weeks later, he surpassed Cesar Rodriguez’s club-record 232 goals to become Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer. By the end of the year, Messi had accumulated an astounding 91 goals in club and international play, eclipsing the 85 netted in a single calendar year by Gerd Muller in 1972. Fittingly, he broke another record when he was named the Ballon d’Or winner for the fourth consecutive time.

In 2013, the soccer great came back to earth somewhat due to the persistence of hamstring injuries, but he regained his record-breaking form by becoming the all-time leading scorer in La Liga and Champions League play in late 2014.

After helping Barcelona achieve a historic second treble in 2015, he was honored with his fifth Ballon d’Or trophy. Four years later, following another La Liga title, Messi again established a new standard for excellence by claiming his sixth Ballon d’Or.

On August 5, 2021, FC Barcelona announced it couldn’t resign Messi due to the team’s budget constraints and La Liga restrictions. Despite having voiced his desire to leave the club the prior season, Messi bid a teary farewell after 17 seasons: “This is really difficult for me after so many years spent here, being here my entire life. I’m not ready for this.”

Paris Saint-Germain

Four days after the shocking news from FC Barcelona, Messi signed with Paris Saint-Germain. The 34-year-old inked a two-year contract with the French club. The move saw him reunite with former teammate Neymar as well as the talented Kylian Mbappé.

Messi made his debut for the club on August 29, 2021, and scored his first goal that September. PSG won two Ligue 1 titles with Messi but twice failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in the Champions League finals.

Although his contract allowed for an optional third year at PSG, the team announced it would release Messi as a free agent when the deal expired on June 30, 2023. Earlier in the year, the club suspended and fined Messi after he visited Saudi Arabia on an unauthorized trip. This all but sealed fate on the soccer legend’s widely expected move.

Messi’s last game for PSG was June 3, 2023. In total, he started in 72 games, notching 32 goals and 34 assists.

Inter Miami CF

On June 7, 2023, Messi told two Spanish media outlets he planned to play for the MLS club Inter Miami CF, which is partially owned by former soccer player David Beckham . “I have made the decision that I am going to Miami,” Messi said at the time, per ESPN . Messi later told Time he strongly considered joining a Saudi Arabian team before deciding on Inter Miami.

A little over a month later, on July 16, the team officially welcomed him on a 2.5-year contract that runs through the 2025 season. The deal was reportedly worth around $150 million , including an annual salary between $50 million and $60 million , a signing bonus, revenue sharing with the league’s media partner, and team equity upon retirement.

Inter Miami immediately benefitted on and off the field from their new team captain’s presence. The club went on a 12-match winning streak and captured the Leagues Cup, an annual tournament between teams from the MLS and Liga MX. Messi wound up scoring 11 goals in 14 games overall. However, with Messi injured late in the season, Inter Miami went winless in seven straight and failed to qualify for the playoffs. He was named the club’s 2023 MVP in November.

Messi has directly boosted revenue for the team, as well. Attendance at home games spiked 40 percent , the most in the MLS. According to The Athletic , the least expensive Inter Miami season ticket prices rose from $485 to $884 per seat from 2023 to 2024. Even with the price jump, Inter Miami announced 2024 season tickets sold out at the end of November, two months out of the start of the preseason. Not surprisingly, his jersey became the top seller in the MLS .

Messi and Inter Miami open the 2024 MLS regular season on February 21.

In summer 2005, Messi quickly made a name for himself on his native country’s under-20 squad. He led Argentina to the title in the FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring on a pair of penalty kicks to propel the team over Nigeria. Less than two months later, he made his pro debut with Argentina in an August friendly match against Hungary but played less than two minutes before receiving a red card and being ejected from the game.

For all his success with Barcelona, Messi repeatedly came under fire for his inability to help Argentina’s national team win a major title. In the 2014 World Cup, Argentina lost to Germany in the final, though Messi was named player of the tournament that year. In 2016, following Argentina’s second consecutive loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America tournament, Messi announced he was ending his run with the national team.

The soccer great eventually reversed his decision, but his participation in the 2018 World Cup did not bring that elusive title, as hoped. After Messi scored an early goal in a 2-1 win over Nigeria that helped his team advance from the group stage, he was largely kept in check by France, his two assists not enough to stave off a 4-3 defeat that sent Argentina packing.

The following year, after Messi heavily criticized the referees in the wake of a 2-0 loss to Brazil in the Copa America semifinals, the Argentine captain was slapped with a three-game ban by the South American Football Confederation.

At last, in 2021 and 2022, Argentina and Messi found enough traction to bring home trophies that had long evaded them. First, the team won the Copa America—Argentina’s first major title in 28 years—in August 2021, besting Brazil in the final. Captain Messi tied for top goal scorer, alongside Colombia’s Luis Diaz, and was named player of the tournament. The next year, greater glory awaited at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Argentina captured the World Cup trophy on December 18, 2022, after a thrilling game against France that ended in a penalty shootout. Messi was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player for a second time and broke the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 games. Six jerseys that Messi had worn during the victorious championship run later sold for more than $7.8 million at auction.

In fall 2023, Messi scored three goals in qualifying games for the 2026 World Cup. However, as he nears the twilight of the his career, the soccer legend has adopted a realistic attitude about his future. “As long as I feel that I am fine and I can continue contributing, I am going to do it. Today, the only thing I think about is getting to the Copa America well and being able to compete in it,” Messi said of the 2024 tournament. “Then time will tell if I am [at the World Cup] or not. I’m going to be at an age (39) that normally doesn’t allow me to play in the World Cup.”

Messi won FIFA’s World Player Trophy five times, including four consecutive wins between 2009 and 2012, and has collected its contemporary the Best FIFA Men’s Player three times, in 2019, 2022, and 2023.

The soccer legend has won Europe’s Ballon d’Or a record eight times. When he won the Ballon d’Or in October 2023, Messi became the first active MLS player to do so. He’s also won the European Golden Shoe for top scorer six times, two more than his nearest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo .

In 2023, Time magazine named Messi its Athlete of the Year, pointing to his remarkable impact on soccer’s growing popularity in the United States.

In July 2016, Messi suffered a blow off the soccer field when a Barcelona court found him and his father guilty of three counts of tax fraud. During a four-day trial, Messi and his father denied breaking the law and claimed they were unaware of any tax illegalities they had committed.

However, they were both sentenced to 21 months in prison. Under Spanish law, first offenses under two years are suspended so they did not go to jail, but Messi was ordered to pay a fine of 2 million euros. His father was required to pay 1.5 million euros.

On June 30, 2017, Messi married Antonella Roccuzzo, his longtime girlfriend and the cousin of his best friend and fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia. Messi met Roccuzzo in their hometown of Rosario when he was 5 years old. Their marriage, a civil ceremony dubbed by Argentina’s Clarín newspaper as the “wedding of the century,” was held at a luxury hotel in Rosario, with a number of fellow star soccer players and Colombian pop star Shakira on the 260-person guest list.

Messi and Roccuzzo have three children together: Thiago, born in November 2012; Mateo, born in September 2015; and Ciro, born in March 2018.

Although famously private off the field, Messi has quietly helped others in need. In 2007, he formed the Leo Messi Foundation to provide opportunities for disadvantaged youths. In early 2010, UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador, with a focus on fighting for children’s rights across the globe.

• Every time I start a year, I start with the objective of trying to achieve everything, without comparing it to how I’ve done in other seasons.
• Whether it’s a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game—I play the same. I’m always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans and to try and win.
• I am competitive, and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we’ve lost. I’m in a bad way. I don’t like to talk to anyone.
• I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream.
• I have fun like a child in the street. When the day comes when I’m not enjoying it, I will leave football.
• I’ve never stopped being Argentine, and I’ve never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I’ve been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change.
• Something deep in my character allows me to take the hits and get on with trying to win. I’ve always had this ability to get up and get on with it.
• I wasn’t teased as a child for my size. In fact, I think I had more affection because I was small.
• I am lucky, I live by my passion, and there are a lot of people who work, doing what they don't like and are badly paid for that.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

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Lionel Messi: The Greatest

Winner of a record-breaking 6 Ballon d'Or's, Lionel Messi has constantly proved that he is the greatest player of all time. He is the most award-winning player, the highest scorer in La Liga... Read all Winner of a record-breaking 6 Ballon d'Or's, Lionel Messi has constantly proved that he is the greatest player of all time. He is the most award-winning player, the highest scorer in La Liga, and at age 32, he is still performing at a world-class standard week in, week out at Bar... Read all Winner of a record-breaking 6 Ballon d'Or's, Lionel Messi has constantly proved that he is the greatest player of all time. He is the most award-winning player, the highest scorer in La Liga, and at age 32, he is still performing at a world-class standard week in, week out at Barcelona. Follow the journey of the Argentinian prodigy and witness how he became the greate... Read all

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• World Cup 2022

‘You know what to do’ – Lionel Messi’s boyhood club Newell’s Old Boys tell Netflix to get a documentary made about Argentina icon after World Cup triumph

• Robert Calcutt
• Published : 17:18, 19 Dec 2022
• Updated : 17:19, 19 Dec 2022

Lionel Messi cemented himself as one of the greatest players of all time on Sunday by winning the World Cup.

After drawing 3-3 with France in extra-time, Argentina secured their third ever title in the competition via penalties.

Messi scored twice during the match and netted a spot-kick in the shootout on his way to glory.

It's the third international title he has won with his country, and the seven-time Ballon d'Or recipient has once again underlined his greatness.

His efforts have seen one of his former clubs demand a documentary is to be made about him.

Argentinian outfit Newell's Old Boys, the side where he spent much of his youth, have called for Netflix to produce a film on the star.

In a tweet from their English Twitter account, they attached a suggested poster, with Messi being joined by manager Lionel Scaloni.

Both of them played for the club early in their careers, with Old Boys simply saying to Netflix: "You know what to do."

You know what to do, @netflix pic.twitter.com/TlHKad7hbg — Newell's Old Boys - English News (@Newells_en) December 19, 2022

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Scaloni and Messi were also teammates for their country in the past, and have now won football's biggest prize together.

Argentina lost their previous final in 2014, an extra-time defeat to Germany.

However, it was written in the stars for the South Americans and their star player in what was a thrilling encounter against France.

Messi may never play at the World Cup again , but he has certainly etched his name into football history.

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Lionel Messi's Copa America final speech revealed in Netflix documentary

Julien Laurens feels Sergio Aguero can be a positive influence on Argentina if he joins the staff for the World Cup. (1:05)

A stirring speech made by Lionel Messi before Argentina 's Copa America win against Brazil has been revealed in a new documentary about the tournament.

Messi captained Argentina to the trophy last year -- his first senior honour for his country after a host of near-misses -- with a 1-0 victory against Brazil in the final at the Maracana.

- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)

Netflix are set to release a documentary about Argentina's winning campaign called Sean eternos: Campeones de America ("Be eternal: Champions of South America") and a trailer for the series sheds light on how Messi inspired his teammates ahead of the final.

"Forty-five days without seeing our families, boys," Messi said in the dressing room before the game. "We had an objective and we're one small step away from achieving it.

"There's no such thing as coincidence, boys. Do you know what? This trophy was meant to be played in Argentina and God brought it here -- God brought it here so that we could lift it in the Maracana, boys, so that it could be more beautiful for everyone.

"So let's go out with confidence and calm because we're bringing this one home."

Messi's team talk before the Copa America final has been released 🥶 pic.twitter.com/03Kmluw955 — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 2, 2022

Last year's Copa America was originally scheduled to take place in Argentina and Colombia in 2020, but it was postponed and moved to Brazil following the COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest in Colombia.

Messi had experienced heartache with Argentina on a number of occasions, losing three consecutive finals of major tournaments from 2014-2016.

Angel Di Maria 's winning goal against Brazil put an end to that losing streak and ensured Argentina won their first piece of silverware in 28 years.

"I have peace of mind of having achieved the dream that has been denied to me so many times," Messi told ESPN last year .

"It was like a dream, a spectacular moment. I couldn't believe it had happened. I enjoy watching the images now more than at the time as I was in a daze. I didn't quite understand what was happening."

Messi will hope to lead Argentina to their first taste of World Cup glory since 1986 at this month's tournament in Qatar.

Biography Online

Lionel Messi Biography

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of the modern generation. He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has won FIFA world player of the year five times (2009–12 and 2015) . He has often been described as Diego Maradona’s successor because of his prolific goal scoring record and ability to dribble past opponents.

“I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius, and he can become an even better player.”

His potential is limitless, and I think he’s got everything it takes to become Argentina’s greatest player.”

– Diego Maradona

Short Biography Lionel Messi

He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone.

His local club, River Plate were interested in signing Messi but didn’t want to pay for his medical treatment. However, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and coach Carles Rexach was impressed – offering Messi a contract (written on a paper napkin!) which included paying for Messi’s treatment in Spain. Messi moved to Barcelona with his father and became part of the prestigious FC Barcelona youth academy.

“I made a lot of sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream. That’s why I didn’t go out partying, or do a lot of other things.”

– Lionel Messi

In the 2009-10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo’s record total for Barcelona. As the seasons have progressed, Messi kept improving and breaking his own records. In the calendar year of 2012, he broke the all-time world record for most goals scored in a calendar year. His final total of goals in 2012 was 91 – beating the previous record of 85 by German Gerd Muller, and Pele’s milestone of 75 in 1958.

“My record stood for 40 years – 85 goals in a year – and now the best player in the world has broken it, and I’m delighted for him. He is an incredible player, gigantic.”

– Gerd Muller

At the start of 2013, in club football, Messi has scored 292 goals from a total of 359 appearances, and in international football, 31 goals from 76 appearances.

At the end of 2012, Messi turned down a very lucrative offer to play for an unnamed Russian side. It would have given Messi a salary of €20 million a year and made Messi the most expensive player in the world (Barcelona would have been paid €250 million). He turned down the offer because he was unsure if he would be playing in major European championships and the difficulties in moving to Russia. Instead, he signed a contract with Barcelona until the end of 2018. When asked about moving to the English Premier League, Messi revealed his sense of commitment to Barcelona.

“ Barcelona is my life. They have brought me to where I am today. I could not leave, I don’t want to leave. I know the Premier League is very good. But I cannot see myself playing in England because my heart is with Barcelona, always.”

International Career

Because Messi was brought up in Spain, since he was 11 years old, he has Spanish nationality. In 2004, he was offered the chance to play for Spain’s Under 20 side, but Messi decided to play for Argentina, the country of his birth. He led Argentina to victory in the 2005 FIFA Youth Championship. Messi made his full international debut in August 2005, during a friendly against Hungary. In his first game, Messi was sent off for allegedly elbowing a player. The decision was contentious and not in keeping with Messi’s style of play which is generally clean and in the spirit of fair play; he has very rarely been accused of diving.

In 2006, he participated in the World Cup, becoming Argentina’s youngest player to play in the world cup. Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals. In 2008, he won an Olympic gold medal for Argentina in football at the Beijing Olympics. Initially, Barcelona had not allowed him permission to play, but new coach Pep Guardiola allowed him time off.

In the 2010 World Cup, Messi wore the number 10 shirt and played well to help Argentina reach the quarter-finals, but Messi struggled to score, and Argentina disappointingly lost 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-final. Messi has admitted he is desperate to play in a world cup final. Success for Messi in the World Cup would be the last test of greatness. Pele , by contrast, was part of Brazil’s three times winning World Cup side ’58, ’62 and ’70.

Messi is widely regarded as one of the most exciting players of the modern age – in fact, any age. He has a peerless ability to dribble and take on opponents. Maradona has described his ball control as supremely good. “ The ball stays glued to his foot; I’ve seen great players in my career, but I’ve never seen anyone with Messi’s ball control.” Messi has said he wishes to retain the joy of how a child plays football

“I have changed nothing, my style of play is still that of a child. I know that above all it is my job and that I should approach it in another way, but one must not lose sight of the fact that football is a game. It is imperative one plays to amuse oneself, to be happy. That is what children do and I do the same thing.” (total Barca)

After winning the Ballon d’Or for the fourth time in January 2013, Messi said:

“To tell you the truth this is really quite unbelievable. The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words. ” ( BBC )

Messi and Ronaldo

Messi has often been compared to prolific Real Madrid goalscorer Christiano Ronaldo, but both have been keen to downplay the rivalry.

“Messi has his personality and I have mine. He has his game and I have mine. I also play in a big club like him. We are different in every aspect. But right now, he is the best.”

— Christiano Ronaldo , in September 2011

Messi’s goalscoring record

Source: Christopher Johnson, Barcelona FC. CC-SA-2.5

By any standards, Messi’s goal scoring record is exceptional. By June 2019, he has scored 419 goals in 445 official matches for Barcelona FC.

• In 2012/13, Messi set an all-time world record of scoring in 21 consecutive games (33 goals from 21 games)
• He holds the Guinness World Record for most goals in a calendar year – 91 goals during 2012.
• He is the only player to score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns.
• His international record for Argentina is 68 goals from 133 appearances.

Messi major honours

• Spanish La Liga title (*10) : 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Spanish Cup (*6) – Copa del Rey
• Supercopa de España (*6)
• UEFA Champions League ( *4 ) : 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014-15
• UEFA Super Cup ( *3 )
• FIFA Club World Cup ( 3 )
• Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• 2006 World Cup – QF
• 2010 World Cup – QF
• 2014 World Cup – Runners-up.
• 2018 World Cup

Wealth and income

Messi has frequently been the target of other football clubs with big transfer budgets, but he has remained loyal to Barcelona FC. He is one of the highest paid footballers in the world. His base salary is estimated at €40 million per year. His combined income 2018 from all sources was €126m. This made him the highest paid sports star – according to Forbes. From 2018, his weekly salary from Barcelona is $667,000 per week.

Private life

By the standards of modern football, Messi has a relatively private and modest lifestyle. He makes efforts to keep links to his hometown of Rosario. He has an Argentinian girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo, and they have two children. His first child Thiago was born in November 2012.

Lionel Messi – Real Bios at Amazon by Marie Morreale.

Messi acts as an ambassador for Unicef, and also runs his own charitable foundation – supporting access to education and sport for children. Because of his own expensive medical treatment, he has also helped Argentinian hospitals with paying for similar treatment to his own.

World Cup 2014

Many commentators have stated that Lionel Messi has performed at his best in all competitions, except the World Cup. In both the 2006 and 2010 World Cup, Argentina were knocked out in the quarter-finals, with Messi not at his best.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is an opportunity for Messi to make an impact on the highest stage of them all. In the opening game against, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Messi scored a great goal to give Argentina a winning start. He scored four goals to help Argentina reach the World Cup Final. In the final, Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi was awarded ‘Golden Ball’ player of the tournament, though the decision was not universally supported. After the tournament, Messi replied:

“I do not care about the Golden Ball. I am just upset by the wasted chances. We had the best chances. We knew we could not dominate the game but we knew what we wanted to do. Right now I do not care about my prize. I just wanted to lift the cup and bring it to Argentina. The pain is very great.”

In June 2016, a very disappointed Messi announced his retirement from international football, after missing a penalty as Argentina got knocked out of the Copa America final. However, Messi later reversed his decision, saying he loved playing for Argentina too much, and “I see there are many problems in Argentinian football and I don’t intend to create another one.”

However, Messi returned to international football and led Argentina in the 2018 World Cup. Despite carrying the weight of expectation of a nation, the World Cup was considered a great disappointment. However, in the 2018/19 season, Messi returned to his usual scintillating performance with Barcelona.

World Cup 2022

After a disappointing first game, when Argentina unexpectedly lost to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Messi was key to firing Argentina to a 2-0 victory over Mexico, with Messi scoring an excellent goal. If Messi has lost something of his speed and top level fitness, he remains just as potent in front of the goal, with the capacity to make match winning contributions. The goal took him to 8 world cup goals, 2nd overall and level with Diego Maradona.

Published 10 January 2018. Last updated 30 November 2022

• Full name Lionel Andrés Messi
• Date of birth 24 June 1987 (1987-06-24)
• Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
• Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
• Playing Position: Forward
• Total club appearances 684. Total Goals 578 (Dec. 2018)
• Total international appearances 151. Total Goals 81 (Dec. 2018)
• La Liga titles with Barcelona (9)
• UEFA Champions League (4) 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
• FIFA Ballon d’Or/Ballon d’Or (5)
• Guinness World Record as top goalscorer for club and country in a calendar year: 91 goals in 2012

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Lionel Messi”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net . First published 26 June 2012. Last updated 26 June 2019.

The Amazing Story of Leo Messi

The Amazing Story of Leo Messi at Amazon

Lionel Messi: The Rise to Stardom. at Amazon

Related pages

• Football Biographies

External links

• Lionel Messi at Amazon.com

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• February 03, 2019 2:09 PM
• By V.sukumar

• Action/Adventure
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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend’ on AppleTV+, a Four-Part Documentary Look At The Soccer Great’s International Career

Where to stream:.

• Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend
• Lionel Messi

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For the better part of the last two decades, Lionel Messi has been recognized as the greatest soccer player in the world, and the wins and accolades stacked up. For too long, though, the greatest goal–a World Cup win for Argentina–eluded him. In Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend , a four-part documentary debuting on Apple TV+ , we see both his career and his ultimately-successful chase for that elusive win in Qatar 2022.

MESSI’S WORLD CUP: RISE OF A LEGEND : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: Eight Ballon d’Or honors, ten La Liga titles, four Champions League victories… zero World Cup wins. Lionel Messi dominated at the club level, but his first four appearances on the biggest stage found him coming up short. As he approached the back end of his career, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar presented Messi’s last best chance to bring a title home to Argentina. Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend provides some basic context on the great’s long career through extensive interviews (including with the man himself), and sets the stage for his greatest victory.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: If you’ve been keeping up on your Apple TV+ documentaries, then Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend might strike you as a companion piece to Messi Meets America , which debuted on the streaming service in December 2023. Both programs come from the same production team, and while that one focused on Messi’s current club career, following his move to Inter Miami, this one covers the international end of his game. They’re complementary, rather than redundant.

Performance Worth Watching: Most of the interviews in the documentary are conducted in Spanish with subtitles, which makes sense when contextualizing Messi’s presence in the international game–we’re hearing the story straight from Argentinian people (including Messi’s teammates). Figures such as Argentinian journalist Sofi Martinez work to tell just how much Messi matters in his home country.

Memorable Dialogue: “It’s unbearable to be Messi,” a Spanish-language commentator says over a montage of Messi’s long history of struggles in the World Cup, and a shot of fans burning his iconic Argentina jersey, “but it’s extraordinary to be Messi,” he follows, and the camera cuts to a skyscraper-sized mural of the beloved star. (In conclusion, Messi is a land of contrasts.)

Sex and Skin: None, other than that sexy ball-handling. (Not a euphemism.)

Our Take: “He has said it’s his last World Cup,” an announcer intones as the Argentinian team steps onto the pitch for their first match in Qatar 2022, “is it going to be his World Cup?” That narrative–simple, but powerful–was easily the biggest storyline of the 2022 tournament. There was hardly anything else that Messi hadn’t done in his career, but there was also nothing that could possibly matter as much as bringing home a trophy for his home country.

Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend works to give some context–both in describing the enormity of Messi’s exploits, and in illustrating the importance of the game to his countrymen. There’s nice flashbacks, including an endearing segment showing a babyfaced Messi when he was first recruited to Barcelona’s youth academy, and footage of a 17-year-old Messi scoring his very first goal for the club. We see him quickly rise to stardom at the club level, and make the patriotic decision to play for his native Argentina rather than for Spain at the international level. He reflects in interviews on the experience of making his first World Cup–and scoring his first World Cup goal–at only 18 years old in the 2006 tournament.

Each of these flashbacks is done in service of the main story, though–and that’s the chase for that elusive title in Qatar. Much of the first episode’s runtime is dedicated to their opening match, a stunning 1-2 defeat at the hands of the far-less-regarded Saudi national team. It’s a shocking turn of events in a tournament that many had hoped would be Messi’s final coronation. Some of the best footage in the episode is the Saudi team’s manager, Hervé Renard, giving a booming speech at halftime, excoriating his team in a manner one commentator dubs “French Churchill”: “Messi, he has the ball, take your phone, you can make a picture with him if you want! He has the goal!”. His team comes out of the locker room with a fresh fire, and comes back from a one-nil deficit to win. Even if you know what’s happening in the rest of the tournament–and frankly, if you didn’t already, I’ve already spoiled it several times here, Argentina wins the World Cup–it’s dramatic enough a start to make you think they might not do it, and enough to keep you watching to make sure they still do.

Our Call: STREAM IT. If you’re a longtime fan, Messi’s World Cup: Rise of a Legend is a nice retrospective of his international career. If you’re a new fan brought in by his move to MLS, you can start with Messi Meets America and then come here for the rest of the story.

Scott Hines, publisher of the widely-beloved Action Cookbook Newsletter ,  is an architect, blogger and proficient internet user based in Louisville, Kentucky.

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Lionel Messi Series Set at Apple TV+

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Apple TV+ has scored a documentary series on soccer superstar and FIFA World Cup winning player Lionel Messi .

The four-part series, filmed in Paris, Qatar and Argentina, tracks the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner through his five FIFA World Cup appearances and his FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 win, in one of the most nail-biting finals in history. In his own words, Messi tells the story of his career with the Argentina national football team, providing an intimate look at his quest for a World Cup victory.

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The series also features personal interviews with Messi, alongside conversations with teammates, coaches, competitors, fans and commentators.

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New footage shows what Lionel Messi really did to Wout Weghorst after furious World Cup altercation

It's new footage..

Chris Byfield

New footage has shown what Lionel Messi did to Wout Weghorst after a furious altercation between the pair.

Argentina’s victory over the Netherlands in last year’s World Cup was among the most memorable and ill-tempered affairs of the entire tournament.

The game, which saw 15 yellow cards brandished by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz, went to penalties after finishing 2-2 in normal time following a dramatic Weghorst equaliser.

After Argentina claimed a memorable penalty victory, Messi was spotted arguing with Dutch boss Louis van Gaal and his assistant Edgar Davids before turning to Weghorst and shouting in his native Spanish: "What are you looking at bobo (fool)? Get back there."

The comment led to Weghorst being affectionately named “Bobo” by his Manchester United team-mates during a six-month loan spell at Old Trafford.

But new footage from Netflix’s ‘Captains Of The World’, a docuseries that takes the audience behind the scenes of the Qatar tournament, shows that in the tunnel and away from media Messi snubbed Weghorst's hand-shake and completely ignored the Dutchman.

Footage then cuts to a scene of Weghorst explaining to Sergio Aguero and several of Argentina’s players: “I was waiting for him (Messi) as I wanted to give him a hand (handshake).” Messi is also filmed shouting at the Netherlands striker, though the altercation is completely bleeped out.

Messi admitted after the altercation that he is not proud of losing his cool.

"I don't like what I did," Messi reflected in January via the Mirror . "I don't like the 'keep moving' and all that. But well, they are moments of huge tension and huge nervousness and everything happens very fast.

"One reacts the way one reacts, but nothing was planned. It just happened. I don't like to leave that image, but these are things that happen."

Messi went on to inspire Argentina to their first World Cup victory since 1986 in Qatar - a feat that saw the Inter Miami star pick up his record-extending eight Ballon d’Or at a ceremony in Paris earlier this year.

Topics:  Football , Lionel Messi , Wout Weghorst , Football World Cup , Qatar , Argentina , Netherlands

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.

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