Lionel Andrés Leo Messi Cuccittini (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ( listen); born 24 June 1987), is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon dOr and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon dOr and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the inaugural FIFA Ballon dOr in 2010, and then again in 2011 and 2012. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At the age of 24, Messi became Barcelonas all-time top scorer in all official club competitions. At age 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200 goals in La Liga. Commonly ranked as the best player in the world and rated by some in the sport as the greatest of all time,[3][4][5][6][7][8] Messi is the first football player in history to win four FIFA/Ballons dOr, all of which he won consecutively, and the first to win three European Golden Shoe awards. With Barcelona, Messi has won six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, six Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups. Messi is the first and only player to top-score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns, and also holds the record for the most hat-tricks scored (4) in the competition. In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match. He also matched José Altafinis record of 14 goals in a single Champions League season. Messi set the European record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals. In the same season, he set the current goalscoring record in a single La Liga season, scoring 50 goals. Also in that season, Messi became the first player ever to score and assist in six different official competitions in one season. On 16 February 2013, Messi scored his 300th Barcelona goal. On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in his 19th consecutive La Liga game, becoming the first footballer in history to net in consecutive matches against every team in a professional football league. He extended his record scoring streak to 21 consecutive league matches, and the run came to a halt only when he sustained a hamstring injury. In March 2014, with a hat-trick against Real Madrid, Messi became the player with the most goals and most hat-tricks in the history of El Clásico. Messi helped Argentina win the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, finishing as both the best player and the top scorer (with 6 goals). In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play and score in the FIFA World Cup, and won a runners-up medal at the Copa América in 2007, in which he was named young player of the tournament. In 2008, he won an Olympic Gold Medal with the Argentina Olympic football team. At the 2014 World Cup, he led Argentina to the final, winning four consecutive Man of the Match awards in the process, and received the Golden Ball award after being adjudged the player of the tournament. In 2013, SportsPro rated him the second-most marketable athlete in the world.[9] His playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriot Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his successor.[10] Barcelona La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13; Runner-up 2006–07, 2011–12, 2013–14 Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12; Runner-up 2010–11, 2013–14 Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013; Runner-up 2012 UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11 UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011; Runner-up 2006 FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011 Argentina Olympic Gold Medal: 2008 FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005 Runner-up: FIFA World Cup: 2014 Copa America: 2007 Third place: U20 South American Youth Championship: 2005 Individual FIFA Ballon dOr (3): 2010, 2011, 2012. Created in 2010. Ballon dOr (1): 2009. Ceased to exist after 2009. FIFA World Player of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist after 2009. World Soccer Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. World Soccer Greatest XI of All Time: 2013. Onze dOr (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010. European Golden Shoe (3): 2010, 2012, 2013. UEFA Best Player in Europe Award (1): 2011. Created in 2011. UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010. FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (2): 2009, 2011. UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match (1): 2011. UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. LÉquipe Champion of Champions : 2011. FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament (1): 2005. FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Goalscorer (1): 2005. LFP Best Player (5): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. La Liga Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2010, 2011. La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (3): 2007, 2009, 2010. Ceased to exist in 2010. Pichichi Trophy (3): 2010, 2012, 2013. LFP Best Forward (5): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010. La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (5): 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. FIFPro World Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008. World Soccer Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008. Bravo Award (1): 2007. Golden Boy (1): 2005. Marca Legend Award (1): 2009. Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano (3): 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11 ESPY Awards Best International Athlete (1): 2012. El País King of European Soccer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.[332] IFFHS Worlds Top Goal Scorer (2): 2011, 2012.[333] IFFHS Worlds best Top Division Goal Scorer (1): 2012.[334] FIFA/FIFPro World XI (7): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. UEFA Team of the Year (5): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. ESM Team of the Year (7): 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Copa América Young Player of the Tournament (1): 2007. Copa América Top Assist Provider (1): 2011. Copa del Rey Top Goalscorer (2): 2010–11, 2013–14. Argentine Sportsperson of the Year Award (1): 2011. Olimpia de Plata (8): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. 2014 FIFA World Cup: Best Player Records As of 5 June 2014. World Most FIFA Ballon dOr awards: 4[335] Guinness World Records title for the most goals in a year: 91 goals[336] Most international goals in a year (club and national team): 25 goals (shared with Vivian Woodward) Most consecutive league matches scored in: 21 matches (33 goals)[337] First footballer ever to score consecutively against all teams in a professional league[338] Europe Most European Golden Shoe awards: 3[339] Most goals scored in a season (club): 73 goals[124] Most goals scored in a year (club): 79 goals[340] Most European Cup top scorer awards: 4 (shared with Gerd Müller)[341] Most consecutive European Cup top scorer awards: 4[341] Most hat-tricks in UEFA Champions League: 4 hat-tricks[170] Highest scorer in a UEFA Champions League game: 5 goals[342] Most goals scored in UEFA Champions League knockout phase: 31 goals Only player to score in 21 different cities in the European Cup Argentina Most goals scored in a year (national team): 12 goals (shared with Gabriel Batistuta)[343] Spain Most goals scored for a single club: 354 goals Most away goals scored in La Liga history: 107 goals[167] Most goals scored in La Liga in a season: 50 goals[344] Most consecutive La Liga matches scored in: 21 matches (33 goals)[337] Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 hat-tricks[345] Youngest player to score 200 La Liga goals: 25 years[346] First player to score at least 25 goals in 5 consecutive seasons in La Liga (shared with Cristiano Ronaldo) Most goals scored in El Clásico matches: 21 goals Most hat-tricks in El Clásico matches: 2 Most goals scored in the Supercopa de España: 10 goals Barcelona Top scorer in official competitions: 354 goals Top scorer in La Liga: 243 goals Top scorer in UEFA Champions League: 67 goals Top scorer in European competitions: 68 goals Top scorer in international competitions: 72 goals Most hat-tricks in official competitions: 26 hat-tricks Most hat-tricks in La Liga: 19 hat-tricks SFHS
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 11:22:13 +0000
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