Career Overview: Lionel Andrés Messi
*Lionel Andrés Messi* was born June 24, 1987, in Argentina. He plays as a forward and is captain of both Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and the Argentina national team.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers ever. Across club and country, he has won a record number of individual honors and team titles.
#### *Individual Honors*
– *8 Golden Ball awards* – World’s best player award
– *8 FIFA Best Player of the Year awards*
– *6 European Golden Boot awards* – Top scorer in Europe
– *IFFHS All-Time Best Male Player 2025*
– *2 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year awards* – 2020, 2023. First team-sport athlete to win it
– *2x Time Athlete of the Year* recognition, including 2023 after moving to the US
– *Ligue 1 Foreign Player of the Year* – 2022–2023
– *2x MLS Most Valuable Player* – 2024, 2025
– *World Cup Golden Ball* – Best player of the tournament, 2014 and 2022. First player to win it twice
– *Olympic Gold Medal* – 2008
#### *Team Achievements*
Messi is the most decorated player in professional football with *46 major trophies*.
*With FC Barcelona: 34 trophies*
– *10 La Liga titles*
– *4 UEFA Champions League titles*
– *7 Copa del Rey titles*
– *8 Spanish Super Cups*
– *3 UEFA Super Cups*
– *3 FIFA Club World Cups*
*With Paris Saint-Germain: 3 trophies*
– *2 Ligue 1 titles*
– *1 French Super Cup*
*With Inter Miami: 2 trophies*
– *1 MLS Cup* – 2025, club’s first
– *1 Leagues Cup* – 2023, club’s first
*With Argentina: 4 trophies*
– *1 FIFA World Cup* – 2022
– *2 Copa América titles* – 2021, 2024
– *1 Finalissima* – 2022
*Career Records*
– *910+ career goals* and *410+ assists* across club and country
– *1,320+ total goal contributions*
– *91 goals* in a single calendar year
– *672 goals* for one club – Barcelona
– *474 goals* in La Liga
– *125 goals* and *207 appearances* for Argentina – both national records
– *12 assists* in World Cup history
– *65 assists* in international football
– First footballer to surpass *$1 billion in career earnings* in 2020
– *$1.1 billion net worth* listed in 2026
– Awarded the *Presidential Medal of Freedom* in 2025
*Career Timeline*
Debuted for Barcelona in 2004 at age 17. Became the team’s all-time top scorer and captain in 2018. Left in 2021 for PSG, then joined Inter Miami in 2023 where he immediately led the club to its first major trophy. For Argentina, he captained the team to World Cup glory in 2022 after reaching finals in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
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