Fun Facts About Lionel Messi
- Lionel Messi's first contract with Barcelona was written on a paper napkin, because director Carles Rexach had no other paper at hand.[1]
- At 10, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, and his father's health insurance covered only two years of the therapy.[1]
- During his first year in Spain, Messi was so quiet that some of his teammates initially believed he was mute.[1]
- Messi celebrates goals by pointing to the sky in tribute to his grandmother Celia, who used to take him to training and matches.[1]
- In 2012 Messi scored a record 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina, breaking Gerd Müller's record for most goals in a calendar year.[1]
- As a citizen of both Argentina and Spain, Messi could have played for Spain's national team, but he turned it down.[1]
- Usain Bolt and Lionel Messi were born less than a year apart.[1][2][3][4]
- Lionel Messi was alive at the same time as Marlene Dietrich — their lives overlapped for 5 years (1987–1992).[1][2][5][6]
Lionel Andrés Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Messi has set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career, including eight Ballon d'Ors, six European Golden Shoes, and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA. In 2025, he was named the All Time Men's World Best Player by the IFFHS. He is the most decorated player in the history of professional football, having won 46 team trophies. Messi's records include most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club, most goals in La Liga (474), most assists in international football (61), most goal contributions in the FIFA World Cup (21), and most goal contributions in the Copa América (32). A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi has scored 900 senior career goals and provided over 400 assists for club and country—the most of any player—resulting in over 1,300 goal contributions, the highest total in the sport's history.[1]
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Questions About Lionel Messi
When was Lionel Messi born?
Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, and is alive today.
How old is Lionel Messi?
Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, and turned 39 on June 24, 2026.
What is Lionel Messi known for?
Lionel Messi is known for: Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, 2022 World Cup champion. Lionel Andrés Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Messi has set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career, including eight Ballon d'Ors, six European Golden Shoes, and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA. In 2025, he was named the All Time Men's World Best Player by the IFFHS. He is the most decorated player in the history of professional football, having won 46 team trophies. Messi's records include most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals for a single club, most goals in La Liga (474), most assists in international football (61), most goal contributions in the FIFA World Cup (21), and most goal contributions in the Copa América (32). A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi has scored 900 senior career goals and provided over 400 assists for club and country—the most of any player—resulting in over 1,300 goal contributions, the highest total in the sport's history.
Who was alive at the same time as Lionel Messi?
Lionel Messi's closest contemporary was Noam Chomsky. Their lives overlapped for 39 years.
Sources
- Lionel Messi — Wikipedia. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lionel Messi (Q615) — Wikidata
- Usain Bolt — Wikipedia
- Usain Bolt (Q1189) — Wikidata
- Marlene Dietrich — Wikipedia
- Marlene Dietrich (Q4612) — Wikidata
- Portrait: Lionel Messi NE Revolution Inter Miami 7.9.25-178.jpg — Wikimedia Commons. Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0