Lionel Messi
Personal information
Full name	Lionel Andrés Messi
Date of birth	June 24, 1987 (1987-06-24) (age 20)
Place of birth	Rosario, Argentina
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position	Winger / Striker
Club information
Current club	FC Barcelona
Number	19
Youth clubs
1995–2000 2000–2003 2003–2004	Newell's Old Boys Barcelona Youth FC Barcelona B
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2004–	FC Barcelona	78 (31)[2]
National team2
2005 2005–	Argentina U-20 Argentina	07 0(6) 29 0(9)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 21, 2008. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of June 19, 2008. * Appearances (Goals) Image File history File links Size of this preview: 444 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (500 × 675 pixel, file size: 148 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Lionel Messi ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Rosario is the largest city of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. ... Winger is an American Hard Rock/Glam Metal band from New York City. ... This article is about association football players. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... Club Atlético Newells Old Boys is a football club from Rosario, Argentina, founded in 1903. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... FC Barcelona B is a Spanish football team. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... First international  Argentina 5 - 0  Venezuela (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 27 February 1951) Biggest win  Argentina 8 - 1  USA (Sao Paulo, Brazil; 4 May 1963) Biggest defeat  Uruguay 5 - 1  Argentina (Quito, Ecuador; 8 January 1981) Argentina national U-20 football team has been the most successful nation in the FIFA... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Lionel Andrés Messi (born June 24, 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine professional footballer who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Spanish Primera División. He is also a member of the Argentine national team. is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. ... “Soccer” redirects here. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... Liga de Fútbol Profesional The Spanish football league is called La Liga. ... First international Uruguay 2 - 3 Argentina (Montevideo, Uruguay; 16 May 1901) Biggest win Argentina 12 - 0 Ecuador (Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942) Biggest defeat Czechoslovakia 6 - 1 Argentina (Helsingborg, Sweden; 15 June 1958) Uruguay 5 - 0 Argentina (Guayaquil, Ecuador; 16 December 1959) Argentina 0 - 5 Colombia (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5...

He has drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, and indeed Maradona himself named Messi his “successor”.^[3] Diego Armando Maradona (born October 30, 1960) is a former Argentine football player. ...

Career

Beginnings

Lionel Messi was born in Rosario city on June 24, 1987. At the age of five, he started playing football for Grandoli, a club coached by his father. In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys.^[4] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.^[5] River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment of the illness that cost over £500 a month. Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, was made aware of Messi's talent, and Barcelona signed him after watching him play,^[6] offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to start a new life in Spain.^[4] His family moved with the young player to Europe and he starred in the club’s youth teams.^[6] Rosario is the largest city of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. ... is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Club Atlético Newells Old Boys is a football club from Rosario, Argentina, founded in 1903. ... Growth Hormone Deficiency is the medical condition of inadequate production of growth hormone (GH) and its effects on children and adults. ... For the club from Uruguay see Club Atlético River Plate (Uruguay), for the one from Paraguay see Club Atlético River Plate (Asunción) Club Atlético River Plate, known also as River Plate or simply River, is an Argentine sports club best known for its football team, established... Carles Rexach Cerdà (born Pedralbes, Barcelona, January 13, 1947 ), also referred to as Charly Rexach or Carlos Rexach, is a Spanish footballer and manager. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ...

FC Barcelona

Messi made his unofficial debut for the first team against FC Porto on November 16, 2003. Less than a year later he made his official debut against Espanyol on October 16, 2004, becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for FC Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga (a record broken by team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007).^[7] When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on May 1, 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for FC Barcelona until 2007 when Bojan Krkić broke this record, a goal assisted by Messi.^[8] FC Porto emblem (Larger version) Futebol Clube do Porto (short: FC Porto, FCP) is a Portuguese sports club, best known for its football section. ... is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (Catalan: ) is a Spanish sports club based in Barcelona. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... (Professional Football League), commonly known as the Primera División or simply La Liga, is the top professional football league in Spain. ... Bojan Krkić Pérez (Serbian Cyrillic: ; pronounced ) or simply Bojan (born August 28, 1990 in Linyola, Lleida, Catalonia), is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona. ... Sociedad Deportiva Albacete Balompié is a Spanish football team formed on August 2, 1940 and is based in Albacete. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... (Professional Football League), commonly known as the Primera División or simply La Liga, is the top professional football league in Spain. ...

Argentina Under-20

In June 2004, he got his chance, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay. In 2005 he was part of the team that won the Under-20 World Cup in Holland. He also won the prize for best player of the tournament and became top-scorer.

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

International career

On August 4, 2005, José Pekerman called Messi up to the senior Argentine national team. He made his debut on August 17, 2005 against Hungary, but it was a forgettable occasion. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off after just 40 seconds, because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt, and left the pitch in tears. The decision was contentious. Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated.^[9][10] Messi then had his first international start on September 3 in Argentina's 0-1 World Cup qualifier away loss against Paraguay.^[11] Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-début. The first one was a bit short."^[12] is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... José Néstor Pekerman (born September 3, 1949) is an ex-Argentine football coach and current coach of Club Toluca of Mexico. ... First international Uruguay 2 - 3 Argentina (Montevideo, Uruguay; 16 May 1901) Biggest win Argentina 12 - 0 Ecuador (Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942) Biggest defeat Czechoslovakia 6 - 1 Argentina (Helsingborg, Sweden; 15 June 1958) Uruguay 5 - 0 Argentina (Guayaquil, Ecuador; 16 December 1959) Argentina 0 - 5 Colombia (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Markus Merk (born March 15, 1962 in Kaiserslautern) is a top-level German football referee. ... Vilmos Vanczák (born June 20, 1983) is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays as a Centre Back or Full Back for FC Sion. ... Diego Armando Maradona (born October 30, 1960) is a former Argentine football player. ... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for South America. ...

2005-06 season

Messi vs Rangers 11/2007.

On September 16, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract - this time improved to pay him as a first team member and extended till June 2014.^[4][13] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on September 25 and was finally able to make his début in the season's Spanish First Division. He had previously been unable to play because FC Barcelona had filled their quota of non-EU players. Messi's first home outing in the UEFA Champions League came on September 27 against Italian club Udinese.^[14] He impressed with some great passing and a seemingly telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho that earned him a standing ovation from the 70,000-odd Nou Camp faithful.^[15] In December of that year, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe, ahead of Lukas Podolski, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.^[16] is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Citizen redirects here. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Professional Football League), commonly known as the Primera División or simply La Liga, is the top professional football league in Spain. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... UEFA Champions League, which replaced the European Champions Cup, is a seasonal club football competition organised by UEFA since 1992 for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ... is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Udinese Calcio S.p. ... For other persons named Ronaldinho, see Ronaldinho (disambiguation). ... FC Barcelona playing against Real Madrid the 6th of December 2003 The Camp Nou is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Lukas Podolski (German, pronounced ) (born as on June 4, 1985 in Gliwice, Upper Silesia, Poland) nicknamed (Prinz) Poldi, is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Bayern Munich and is a member of the German national team. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ...

Messi netted 6 goals from 17 league appearances and scored 1 Champions League goal from the 6 games he featured in. His reputation for big match temperament was helped by performances in Barcelona's important away leg victories against Real Madrid and Chelsea in the league and Champions League respectively, each considered his best of the respective campaign.^[17][6] Messi's season ended prematurely on March 7, 2006, when he tore a muscle in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.^[18] Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe. Real Madrid redirects here. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The UEFA Champions League 2005-06 was the 51st edition of the European UEFA Champions League football club tournament. ...

The injury that kept him from playing for two months at the end of the 2005/06 season jeopardised his presence in the World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on May 15, 2006. He also played in the farewell match against the Argentinian U-20 team for fifteen minutes and a friendly against Angola from the 64th minute.^[19][20] He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the bench.^[21] In the next match against Serbia , Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6-0 victory, that made him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the fifth youngest goalscorer in the whole World Cup.^[22] Messi started in Argentina's following 0-0 tie against the Netherlands.^[23] In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied 1-1. He appeared to score a goal, but was ruled offside in a dubious decision,^[24][25] Argentina needing an extra time winner to proceed. Messi sat on the bench during the quarter-finals match against Germany, which Argentina lost in a penalty shootout.^[26] 2006 World Cup redirects here. ... is the 135th day of the year (136th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... First international Ivory Coast 3 - 2 Dahomey (Madagascar; 13 April 1960) Biggest win Ivory Coast 6 - 0 Mali (Abidjan, Côte dIvoire; 13 March 1985) Côte dIvoire 6 - 0 Botswana (Abidjan, Côte dIvoire; 11 October 1992) Côte dIvoire 6 - 0 Niger (Abidjan, C... First international Czechoslovakia 7 - 0 Yugoslavia[1] (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920) Brazil 2 - 0 Yugoslavia (Porto Alegre, Brazil; 23 December 1994) Serbia and Montenegro 2 - 2 Azerbaijan (Podgorica, Serbia and Montenegro; 12 February 2003) Czech Republic - Serbia (Prague, Czech Republic; 16 August 2006 Largest win Yugoslavia 10 - 1 India... Maximiliano Rubén Rodríguez (Born 2 January 1981 in Rosario, Santa Fe) is an Argentine footballer. ... Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, 1975 in Florida, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, having signed from English Premier League champions Chelsea on a 2 year loan deal on 7 August 2006. ... This article is about world cups in general. ... In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the knockout stage was the second and final stage of the World Cup, following the group stage. ...

2006-07 season

Messi shortly before scoring the goal against Getafe.

Consistently strong performances and the occasional goal meant Messi was not starting any more games on the bench. Failure to effectively replace the injured Samuel Eto'o and poor defensive displays prevented Barcelona from taking advantage of Messi's showings against Chelsea and Real Madrid.^[27] This would later prove critical to their title challenges. On November 12, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal from tackles, ruling him out for 3 months.^[28][29] Barça carried out his recuperation in native Argentina. During this period there were rumours of interest in the player from Inter Milan.^[30][31] Messi returned to action against Racing Santander on the 11th of February, coming on as a second-half substitute[3]. Rijkaard carefully managed his complete return, gradually increasing playing minutes with each game. One month since his return, on the 10th of March, he played his first full league match since the injury, Real Madrid being the opposition. Once again, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3-3 draw, equalising thrice and with the final goal coming in injury time. In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994-95 season) and the first Barcelona player since Romario (1993-94 season) to hit a hat-trick in the El Clásico. Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. The game also marked the beginning of Messi's best spell of form with Barça. He also began finding the net more often, 11 of his 14 league goals for the season coming from the last 13 games. Despite his spirited efforts, Barcelona felt marginally short in its defence of the La Liga title, Real Madrid winning on a better head-to-head record. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (1015 × 675 pixel, file size: 176 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Lionel Messi ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (1015 × 675 pixel, file size: 176 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Lionel Messi ... Samuel Etoo Fils (born March 10, 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian football striker who currently plays for F.C. Barcelona. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Real Zaragoza (or Real Saragossa) is a Spanish football team from Zaragoza in Aragón. ... The metatarsus consists of the five long bones of the foot, which are numbered from the medial side (ossa metatarsalia I.-V.); each presents for examination a body and two extremities. ... Internazionale Milano Football Club is an Italian football club based in Milan, which plays in the Serie A (first division). ... Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard (born September 30, 1962 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football manager and former player. ... El clásico (English: ) is the name given to football matches between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. ... In sports, a hat-trick (more often rendered in North America as hat trick, without the hyphen) is associated with achieving something in a group of three. ... Iván Luis Zamorano Zamora (born January 18, 1967) is a former Chilean football forward, one of the most successful footballers ever for Chile. ... Categories: Brazil-related stubs | 1966 births | Brazilian footballers | People stubs ... (Professional Football League), commonly known as the Primera División or simply La Liga, is the top professional football league in Spain. ...

Messi also proved the “new Maradona” tag was not all hype, by near-replicating Maradona's most famous goal (the goal scored after a sensational run taking the ball around half the England squad in the 1986 World Cup) in the space of the single season.^[32] On April 18, 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century.^[33] The world's sports press exploded with Maradona comparisons, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as “Messidona”. He ran about the same distance (62 metres), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before. In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: “There's no other like Leo.”^[34] Later on, in a crucial league match with Espanyol, Messi scored a goal with his hand that drew even more comparisons to Maradona's Hand of God. is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Copa del Rey won by FC Barcelona in 1978. ... Getafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Getafe, a city in the metropolitan area of South Madrid, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983. ... First international Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Biggest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Ireland; 18 February 1882) Biggest defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First in... The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ... The Goal of the Century, also known as Greatest Goal in FIFA World Cup History, was an award given for the greatest goal ever scored in a FIFA World Cup tournament. ... Anderson Luis de Souza, OIH (born August 27, 1977 in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil) is a professional Portuguese Brazilian footballer widely known as Deco [Portuguese]. He plays internationally for Portugal and for FC Barcelona at club level. ... Hand of God may refer to: an Act of God, in religious or legal contexts (force majeure) a hand-shaped protective amulet in Jewish folklore a conceptual being placed on earth as one of gods authoritative figures (I.E. Jesus ) a book by Bernard N. Nathanson, M.D. on abortion. ...

Copa America 2007

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Copa America 2007

Messi played his first game in Copa America on 29 June, 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4-1 in the first game. In this game, Messi showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later. The Copa América is the main national football competition of the CONMEBOL nations. ... Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, 1975 in Florida, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, having signed from English Premier League champions Chelsea on a 2 year loan deal on 7 August 2006. ...

His second game was against Colombia, in which he caused a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1-1. He also played part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3-1. The final score of the game was 4-2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals. Juan Román Riquelme (born June 26, 1978 in San Fernando, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina) is a football player, who currently plays for the Villarreal CF of Spain, on loan from FC Barcelona. ...

In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with 0-0. In the 79th minute he created a goal for Javier Mascherano. In the quarterfinals, as Argentina faced Peru, Riquelme made a pass to Messi and the latter scored the second goal for Argentina, which advanced to the semifinals after a 4-0 win. Esteban Matías Cambiasso Deleau (born August 18, 1980 in Buenos Aires) is a professional Argentine football midfielder. ... Javier Alejandro Mascherano (pronounced IPA: ) (born 7 June 1984 in San Lorenzo, Santa Fe) is an Argentine football player who currently plays for Liverpool. ...

In the semi finals against Mexico, Messi scored when he spotted the Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez off of his line and chipped the ball into the goal. The goal ultimately helped his team to a 3-0 victory and earned them a place in the final against Brazil, which Argentina subsequently lost 3-0. Oswaldo Javier Sanchez Ibarra (born September 21, 1973 in Guadalajara, Jalisco) is a Mexican footballer currently playing for Chivas de Guadalajara. ...

2007-08 season

Messi takes Barça to 2:0 against Sevilla FC at Camp Nou on 22 September 2007.

Messi scored five goals in a week leading Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. He dedicated the two goals he scored against FC Sevilla on September 22 to Ronaldinho, who was injured and under fire from media outlets at the time. A few days earlier he had scored as Barcelona defeated Lyon 3-0 at home in a Champions League match and then on September 26, Messi scored another goal in a 4-1 victory over Real Zaragoza. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 514 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (957 × 1117 pixels, file size: 331 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 514 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (957 × 1117 pixels, file size: 331 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Sevilla Fútbol Club is the most successful football club from Seville, Spain. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other persons named Ronaldinho, see Ronaldinho (disambiguation). ... Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) is a French football club based in Lyon. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Real Zaragoza (or Real Saragossa) is a Spanish football team from Zaragoza in Aragón. ...

He has been nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward. A recent poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca has him as the current best player of the world with 77 percent of the votes.^[35] Also, other columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport began asking for the Ballon d'Or to be given to Leo Messi this year. This observation was also made by world soccer legends Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff.^[36] Various soccer personalities such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Frank Rijkaard, Víctor Fernández, Bernd Schuster, Guti, Raul, Gianluca Zambrotta, Francesco Totti and Diego Maradona have all, at one time or another, declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.^[37][38] The Fédération International de Footballeurs Professionels, usually known by the abbreviation FIFPro, is a worldwide representative organization for professional football players. ... MARCA is a Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper. ... El Mundo Deportivo is a Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper. ...

On February 27 Messi played in his 100th official match for FC Barcelona. is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ...

Barcelona's medical staff decided to sideline Messi for six weeks following an injury on March 4 where he experienced a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. Messi left the field at the Nou Camp in the 35th minute with tears in his eyes. It was the fourth time in three seasons that the player suffered this type of injury.^[39] He missed Champions League quarterfinals against Schalke but returned on April 12, just before the clash with Manchester United. Barcelona was eventually knocked out of the competition by Manchester United. is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Champions League may refers to: UEFA Champions League - A major football (soccer) tournament contested by European teams. ... FC Schalke 04 is a German football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... MUFC redirects here. ...

Statistics

All-time club performance

The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ... // Classification 2004/05 FC Barcelona -- UEFA Champions League Directly Real Madrid -- UEFA Champions League Directly Villarreal CF -- UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round Betis -- UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round RCD Espanyol -- UEFA Cup Sevilla FC -- UEFA Cup CA Osasuna -- UEFA Cup Runners-Up of Kings Cup Valencia CF -- Intertoto Cup... // Day 1//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 1 Day 2//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 2 Day 3//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 3 Day 4//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 4 Day 5//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 5 Day 6//2005-2006 season... La Liga 2006/2007 season start the August 27, 2006 and finish the June 17, 2007. ... UD Almería Athletic Bilbao Atlético Madrid FC Barcelona Betis Deportivo de La Coruña RCD Espanyol Getafe CF Levante UD RCD Mallorca Murcia CA Osasuna Racing de Santander Real Madrid Recreativo de Huelva Sevilla FC Valencia CF Valladolid Villarreal CF Zaragoza La Liga 2007-08 season, the 77th...

Honours

With Argentina National Team: First international Uruguay 2 - 3 Argentina (Montevideo, Uruguay; 16 May 1901) Biggest win Argentina 12 - 0 Ecuador (Montevideo, Uruguay; 22 January 1942) Biggest defeat Czechoslovakia 6 - 1 Argentina (Helsingborg, Sweden; 15 June 1958) Uruguay 5 - 0 Argentina (Guayaquil, Ecuador; 16 December 1959) Argentina 0 - 5 Colombia (Buenos Aires, Argentina; 5...

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• Copa América 2007 second place

With FC Barcelona: Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... The FIFA U-20 World Cup, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). ... The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between June 10 and July 2, 2005. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Argentina. ... The Copa América 2007 was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for South America. ... Futbol Club Barcelona (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), known familiarly as Barça (Spanish IPA: , Catalan IPA: ), is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. ...

• La Liga: 2004-05, 2005-06
• Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006
• UEFA Champions League: 2005-2006

Personal Honours: Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... (Professional Football League), commonly known as the Primera División or simply La Liga, is the top professional football league in Spain. ... // Classification 2004/05 FC Barcelona -- UEFA Champions League Directly Real Madrid -- UEFA Champions League Directly Villarreal CF -- UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round Betis -- UEFA Champions League Preliminary Round RCD Espanyol -- UEFA Cup Sevilla FC -- UEFA Cup CA Osasuna -- UEFA Cup Runners-Up of Kings Cup Valencia CF -- Intertoto Cup... // Day 1//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 1 Day 2//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 2 Day 3//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 3 Day 4//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 4 Day 5//2005-2006 season La Liga Day 5 Day 6//2005-2006 season... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of the La Liga and the Copa del Rey. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain. ... UEFA Champions League, which replaced the European Champions Cup, is a seasonal club football competition organised by UEFA since 1992 for the most successful football clubs in Europe. ...

• Golden Ball: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• Golden Boot: FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• Golden Boy: 2005
• Bravo Award: 2007^[42]
• World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 2006^[43], 2007^[44]
• Olimpia de Plata: Argentinian Player of the Year: 2005
• FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2006
• FIFPro World XI: 2007
• EFE Trophy: Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga: 2006-2007^[45]
• Best foreign player in La Liga: 2007^[46]
• Copa America Best Young Player: 2007^[47]
• France Football Player of the Year:
  • 3rd place: 2007
• World Soccer Footballer of the Year:
  • 2nd place: 2007^[48]
• FIFA World Player of the Year:
  • 2nd place: 2007^[49]
• SI Latino's 2007 Sportsman of the Year: 2007^[50]

The FIFA U-20 World Cup, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). ... The FIFA U-20 World Cup, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). ... Tuttosport’s cover of 3 December 2006 celebrates Torino F.C.’s centenary: the club was founded on 3 December 1906 Tuttosport is an Italian national sports newspaper based in Turin which has been published since 30 July 1945. ... Since 1978, the Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo hands out the Bravo Award to the most outstanding young football (soccer) player in Europe. ... World Soccer is an English language football magazine published by IPC Media. ... The Olimpia Award is the most important sport award in Argentina, given every year by the Argentine Sports Journalists Circle since 1954. ... FIFPro is a worldwide representative organisation for professional football (soccer) players. ... The Fédération International de Footballeurs Professionels, usually known by the abbreviation FIFPro, is a worldwide representative organization for professional football players. ... EFE is a Spanish news agency created in 1939 by Ramón Serrano Súñer and Manuel Aznar Zubigaray while the former was Spains minister of the press and propaganda. ... The Copa América 2007 is a football tournament, set to be held in Venezuela between June 26 and July 15, 2007. ... The Ballon dOr trophy, as awarded to Hristo Stoichkov in 1994. ... World Soccer is an English language football magazine published by IPC Media. ... The FIFA World Player of the Year is a football award given annually to the male and female player who are thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ...

References

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Peoples Daily (Chinese: 人民日报 Pinyin ) is the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For information on Wikipedia press releases, see Wikipedia:Press releases. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... ESPNsoccernet provides comprehensive coverage of world soccer. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Copa del Rey won by FC Barcelona in 1978. ... The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of the La Liga and the Copa del Rey. ... The European Super Cup (UEFA Super Cup) is at stake in an annual football game between the reigning champions of the UEFA Cup and the Champions League. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Lionel Messi

• Lionel Messi biography at FC Barcelona website

v • d • e Argentina squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Abbondanzieri • 2 Ayala • 3 Sorín • 4 Coloccini • 5 Cambiasso • 6 Heinze • 7 Saviola • 8 Mascherano • 9 Crespo • 10 Riquelme • 11 Tévez • 12 Franco • 13 Scaloni • 14 Palacio • 15 Milito • 16 Aimar • 17 Cufré • 18 Rodríguez • 19 Messi • 20 Cruz • 21 Burdisso • 22 González • 23 Ustari • Coach: Pekerman

v • d • e Argentina squad - Copa América 2007 Runners-up 1 Abbondanzieri • 2 Ayala • 3 Díaz • 4 Ibarra • 5 Gago • 6 Heinze • 7 Palacio • 8 Zanetti • 9 Crespo • 10 Riquelme • 11 Tévez • 12 Carrizo • 13 González • 14 Mascherano • 15 G.Milito • 16 Aimar • 17 Burdisso • 18 Messi • 19 Cambiasso • 20 Verón • 21 D.Milito • 22 Orión • Coach: Basile