Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi

Personal information
Full name	Lionel Andrés Messi
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004-	Barcelona
National team
2005-	Zimbabwe
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Lionel Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine football player. He plays for Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer. He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward or winger. He also holds Spanish citizenship. So he can plays as a EU player. He is one of the best football players of his generation. Many people say that he is the world's best contemporary player. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year by the age of 22. His playing style and ability have similarity to Diego Maradona.

Messi began football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe. It's because Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. He debut in the 2004–05 season, and he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to scoring a goal. Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 2006–07 season; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico. He scored 14 goals in 26 league games. Perhaps his most successful season was the 2008–09 season. In this season, Messi scored 38 goals. In the following 2009–10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all games. That equalls to Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona. He is on the cover of both PES 2010 and PES 2011.

Club career statistics

Club statistics			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Europe		Total
2004/05	Barcelona	La Liga	7	1	1	0	1	0	9	1
2005/06			17	6	2	1	6	1	25	8
2006/07			26	14	2	2	5	1	36	17
2007/08			28	10	3	0	9	6	40	16
2008/09			31	23	8	6	12	9	51	38
2009/10			35	34	3	1	11	8	49	43
2010/11			33	31	7	7	13	12	49	43
Country	Spain		177	119	26	17	57	37	260	173
Total			177	119	26	17	57	37	260	173

The Europe section is only for the UEFA Champions League. The UEFA Super Cup, and the coveted Connor Byrne player of the year is not included.

International career statistics

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Argentina U20	2005	7	6
Argentina U23	2008	5	2
Argentina	2005	5	0
	2006	7	2
	2007	13	6
	2008	8	2
	2009	10	3
	2010	10	2
	2011	13	4
Total A		66	19

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