Lionel 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. His individual achievements include eight Ballon d'Or awards, the most for any footballer. Having won 45 team trophies,[note 1] he is the most decorated player in the history of professional football.[11] His remarkable goal-scoring ability, masterful ball control, high level passing and playmaking as well as his outstanding dribbling skills has earned him recognition as one of the greatest and most iconic players in football history. In 2024, US-based sports company ESPN named Messi the greatest player of the 21st-century.[12]
Messi's club career began with Barcelona, where he rose through the youth ranks, making his first-team debut in 2004. Over the next years, Messi became the club's all-time leading scorer, amassing numerous domestic and international accolades. During his tenure, Barcelona secured ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys, four UEFA Champions League, seven Supercopa de Españas, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups. In August 2021, due to financial constraints faced by Barcelona, Messi transferred to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Joining forces with fellow superstars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, he won two Ligue 1 titles and one Trophée des Champions. In July 2023, Messi transferred to Inter Miami, leading the team to win their first-ever trophies with the Leagues Cup and the Supporters' Shield.
On the international stage, Messi made his debut with Argentina's senior national football team in 2005, and would represent the country in five FIFA World Cups, seven Copa Américas, and one Finalissima. Initially facing criticism for not winning major tournaments with the senior national team, Messi broke Argentina's 28-year international trophy drought by captaining the team to victory in the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2024 Copa América.
Club career
Barcelona
2004–2006: Rise to the first team and becoming a starting eleven player
During the 2004–05 season, Lionel Messi was a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring on six occasions.[13][14] Since his debut in the friendly the previous November, he had not been called up to the first team again, but in October 2004, the senior players asked manager Frank Rijkaard to promote him.[13] Since Ronaldinho already played on the left wing, Rijkaard moved Messi from his usual position onto the right flank (though initially against the player's wishes), allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot with his dominant left foot.[15][16]
Messi made his league debut with Barcelona's senior team during the next match on 16 October, against Espanyol at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc, coming on in the 82nd minute.[17] At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition.[18] As a substitute player, he played 244 minutes in nine matches for the first team that season, including his debut in the UEFA Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk.[14] He scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005, against Albacete, from an assist by Ronaldinho, becoming – at that time – the youngest-ever scorer for the club.[15][19] Barcelona, in their second season under Rijkaard, won the league for the first time in six years.[20]
"In my entire life I have never seen a player of such quality and personality at such a young age, particularly wearing the 'heavy' shirt of one of the world's great clubs."
– Fabio Capello praises the 18-year-old Messi following the Joan Gamper trophy in August 2005.[21]
On 24 June, his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player. It made him a Barcelona player until 2010, two years less than his previous contract, but his buyout clause increased to €150 million.[22] His breakthrough came two months later, on 24 August, during the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona's pre-season competition. A starter for the first time, he gave a well-received performance against Fabio Capello's Juventus, receiving an ovation from the Camp Nou.[21] Capello sought to take Messi to Juventus on loan, but Inter Milan offered to pay his €150 million buyout clause and triple his wages.[23] According to then-president Joan Laporta, it was the only time the club faced a real risk of losing Messi, but he ultimately decided to stay.[24] On 16 September, his contract was updated for the second time in three months and extended to 2014.[22][25]
Due to issues regarding his legal status in the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Messi missed the start of La Liga, but on 26 September, he acquired Spanish citizenship and became eligible to play.[25][26] Wearing the number 19 shirt, he gradually established himself as the first-choice right winger, forming an attacking trio with Ronaldinho and striker Samuel Eto'o.[27][28] Barcelona began the season by winning the Supercopa de España against Real Betis without Messi, who was not selected to participate in the competition.[9] He was in the starting line-up in major matches like his first Clásico against rivals Real Madrid on 19 November, as well as Barcelona's away victory over Chelsea in the last 16 round of the Champions League,[29][30] which came on back of an intense period of rivalry between the clubs leading a resentful Messi to state, "We would rather play Arsenal, Manchester United or anyone else than be on the pitch with Chelsea."[31] After he had scored 8 goals in 25 games, including his first in the Champions League,[32] in a 5–0 win over Panathinaikos on 2 November 2005,[33] his season ended prematurely during the return leg against Chelsea on 7 March 2006, when he suffered a torn hamstring. Messi worked to regain fitness in time for the Champions League final, but on 17 May, the day of the final, he was eventually ruled out. He was so disappointed that he did not celebrate his team's victory over Arsenal in Paris, something he later came to regret.[30][34]
2006–2008: Improving form amid club decline
While Barcelona began a gradual decline, the 19-year-old Messi established himself as one of the best players in the world during the 2006–07 campaign.[35][36] Already an idol to the culés, the club's supporters, he scored 17 goals in 36 games across all competitions.[36][37] However, he continued to be plagued by major injuries; a metatarsal fracture sustained on 12 November 2006 kept him out of action for three months.[38][39] He recovered in time for the last 16 round of the Champions League against Liverpool, but was effectively marked out of the game; Barcelona, the reigning champions, were out of the competition.[40] In the league, his goal contribution increased towards the end of the season; 11 of his 14 goals came from the last 13 games.[37] On 10 March 2007, he scored his first hat-trick in a Clásico, the first player to do so in 12 years, equalising after each goal by Real Madrid to end the match in a 3–3 draw in injury time.[41] His growing importance to the club was reflected in a new contract, signed that month, which greatly increased his wages.[42]
Already frequently compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, Messi proved their similarity when he nearly replicated Maradona's two most famous goals in the span of seven weeks.[43] During a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe on 18 April, he scored a goal remarkably similar to Maradona's second goal in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, known as the Goal of the Century. Messi collected the ball on the right side near the halfway line, ran 60 metres (66 yd), and beat five defenders before scoring with an angled finish, just as Maradona had done.[44][45] A league match against Espanyol on 9 June saw him score by launching himself at the ball and guiding it past the goalkeeper with his hand in similar fashion to Maradona's Hand of God goal in the same World Cup match.[46] As Messi continued his individual rise, Barcelona faltered; the team failed to reach the Copa del Rey final after Messi was rested during the second leg against Getafe and lost the league to Real Madrid on head-to-head results.[47][48]
After Ronaldinho lost form, Messi became Barça's new star player at only 20 years old, receiving the nickname "Messiah" from the Spanish media.[44][49][50] His efforts in 2007 also earned him award recognition; journalists voted him the third-best player of the year for the 2007 Ballon d'Or, behind Kaká and runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo, while international managers and national team captains voted him second for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, again behind Kaká.[51][52] Although he managed to score 16 goals during the 2007–08 campaign,[53] the second half of his season was again marred by injuries after he suffered a torn hamstring on 15 December.[54] He returned to score twice in their away victory against Celtic in the last 16 round of the Champions League, becoming the competition's top scorer at that point with six goals,[55] but reinjured himself during the return leg on 4 March 2008. Rijkaard had fielded him despite warning from the medical staff, leading captain Carles Puyol to criticise the Spanish media for pressuring Messi to play every match.[54] Barcelona finished the season without trophies, eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Manchester United, and placed third in the league.[56]
2008–2009: First treble
After two unsuccessful seasons, Barcelona were in need of an overhaul, leading to the departure of Rijkaard and Ronaldinho. Upon the latter's departure, Messi was given the number 10 shirt.[28] He signed a new contract in July with an annual salary of €7.8 million, becoming the club's highest-paid player.[57][58] Ahead of the new season, a major concern remained his frequent muscular injuries, which had left him side-lined for a total of eight months between 2006 and 2008. To combat the problem, the club implemented new training, nutrition, and lifestyle regimens, and assigned him a personal physiotherapist, who would travel with him during call-ups for the Argentina national team. As a result, Messi remained virtually injury-free during the next four years, allowing him to reach his full potential.[39][59] Despite his injuries early in the year, his performances in 2008 saw him again voted runner-up for the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times behind Cristiano Ronaldo.[51][60]
In his first uninterrupted campaign, the 2008–09 season, he scored 38 goals in 51 games, contributing alongside Eto'o and winger Thierry Henry to a total of 100 goals in all competitions, a record at the time for the club.[61][62] During his first season under Barcelona's new manager, former captain Pep Guardiola, Messi played mainly on the right wing, like he had under Rijkaard, though this time as a false winger with the freedom to cut inside and roam the centre. During the Clásico on 2 May 2009, however, he played for the first time as a false nine, positioned as a centre-forward but dropping deep into midfield to link up with Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. He set up his side's first goal and scored twice to end the match in an emphatic 6–2 victory, the team's greatest-ever score at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[63][64] Returning to the wing, he played his first final since breaking into the first team on 13 May, scoring once and assisting a second goal as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–1 to win the Copa del Rey.[65] With 23 league goals from Messi that season, Barcelona became La Liga champions three days later and achieved its fifth double.[61][66]
As the season's Champions League top scorer with nine goals, the youngest in the tournament's history,[67] Messi scored two goals and assisted two more to ensure a 4–0 quarter-final victory over Bayern Munich.[63] He returned as a false nine during the final on 27 May in Rome against Manchester United. Barcelona were crowned champions of Europe by winning the match 2–0, the second goal coming from a Messi header over goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Barcelona thus achieved the first treble in the history of Spanish football.[68] This success was reflected in a new contract, signed on 18 September, which committed Messi to the club through 2016 with a new buyout clause of €250 million, while his salary increased to €12 million.[57]
2009–2010: First Ballon d'Or
His team's prosperity continued into the second half of 2009, as Barcelona became the first club to achieve the sextuple, winning six top-tier trophies in a single year.[69] After victories in the Supercopa de España and UEFA Super Cup in August, Barcelona won the FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes de La Plata on 19 December, with Messi scoring the winning 2–1 goal with his chest.[70] At 22 years old, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, both times by the biggest voting margin in each trophy's history.[51]
"Messi is the best player in the world by some distance. He's [like] a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make."
– Arsène Wenger commends Messi for his four-goal display against Arsenal in April 2010.[71]
The new year, however, started on a less positive note for Barcelona, as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Sevilla in the round of 16.[72] Unsatisfied with his position on the right wing – with the club's summer acquisition Zlatan Ibrahimović occupying the central forward role – Messi resumed playing as a false nine in early 2010, beginning with a Champions League last 16-round match against VfB Stuttgart. After a first-leg draw, Barcelona won the second leg 4–0 with two goals and an assist from Messi. At that point, he effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola's team, and his goalscoring rate increased.[73] Messi scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions that season, equaling Ronaldo's club record from the 1996–97 campaign.[74][75] He scored all of his side's four goals in the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal on 6 April while becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in the competition.[76] Although Barcelona were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Inter Milan, Messi finished the season as top scorer (with 8 goals) for the second consecutive year.[77] As the league's top scorer with 34 goals (again tying Ronaldo's record), he helped Barcelona win a second consecutive La Liga trophy with only a single defeat and earned his first European Golden Shoe.[75][78]
2010–2011: Fifth La Liga title, third Champions League, two Ballon d'Ors
Messi secured Barcelona's first trophy of the 2010–11 campaign, the Supercopa de España, by scoring a hat-trick in his side's second-leg 4–0 victory over Sevilla, after a first-leg defeat.[79] Assuming a playmaking role, he was again instrumental in a Clásico on 29 November 2010, the first with José Mourinho in charge of Real Madrid, as Barcelona defeated their rivals 5–0.[80] Messi helped the team achieve 16 consecutive league victories, a record in Spanish football, concluding with another hat-trick against Atlético Madrid on 5 February 2011.[81][82] His club performances in 2010 earned him the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or, an amalgamation of the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, though his win was met with some criticism due to his lack of success with Argentina at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[51][83] Under the award's old format, he would have placed just outside the top three, owing his win to the votes from the international coaches and captains.[83]
Towards the end of the season, Barcelona played four Clásicos in the span of 18 days. A league match on 16 April ended in a draw after a penalty from Messi. After Barcelona lost the Copa del Rey final four days later, Messi scored both goals in his side's 2–0 win in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals in Madrid, the second of which – a slaloming dribble past three Real players – was acclaimed as one of the best ever in the competition.[84] Although he did not score, he was again important in the second-leg draw that sent Barcelona through to the Champions League final,[85][86] where they faced Manchester United in a repeat of the final two years earlier. As the competition's top scorer for the third consecutive year, with 12 goals, Messi gave a man-of-the-match performance at Wembley on 28 May, scoring the match-winning goal of Barça's 3–1 victory.[87][88] Barcelona won a third consecutive La Liga title. In addition to his 31 goals, Messi was also the league's top assist provider with 18.[89][90] He finished the season with 53 goals in all competitions, becoming Barcelona's all-time single-season top scorer and the first player in Spanish football to reach the 50-goal benchmark.[89][91]
2011–2012: A record-breaking year
As Messi developed into a combination of a number 8 (a creator), a 9 (scorer), and a 10 (assistant),[92] he scored an unprecedented 73 goals and provided 29 assists in all club competitions during the 2011–12 season, producing a hat-trick or more on 10 occasions.[93][94][95] He began the campaign by helping Barcelona win both the Spanish and European Super Cups; in the Supercopa de España, he scored three times to achieve a 5–4 aggregate victory over Real Madrid, overtaking Raúl as the competition's all-time top scorer with eight goals.[96][97] At the close of the year, on 18 December, he scored twice in the FIFA Club World Cup final, a 4–0 victory over Santos, earning the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament, as he had done two years previously.[98] For his efforts in 2011, he again received the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming only the fourth player in history to win the Ballon d'Or three times, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten.[99] Additionally, he won the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, a revival of the old-style Ballon d'Or.[100] By then, Messi was already widely considered one of the best footballers in history, alongside players like Diego Maradona and Pelé.[101]
"I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi's throne – it's impossible, this kid is unique."
– Pep Guardiola after Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer at the age of 24 in March 2012[102]
As Messi maintained his goalscoring form into the second half of the season, the year 2012 saw him break several longstanding records. On 7 March, two weeks after scoring four goals in a league fixture against Valencia, he scored five times in a Champions League last 16-round match against Bayer Leverkusen, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the competition.[103][104] In addition to being the joint top assist provider with five assists, this feat made him top scorer with 14 goals, tying José Altafini's record from the 1962–63 season, as well as becoming only the second player after Gerd Müller to be top scorer in four campaigns.[105][106] Two weeks later, on 20 March, Messi became the top goalscorer in Barcelona's history at 24 years old, overtaking the 57-year record of César Rodríguez's 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada.[107]
Despite Messi's individual form, Barcelona's four-year cycle of success under Guardiola – one of the greatest eras in the club's history – drew to an end.[108] Although Barcelona won the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao on 25 May, its 14th title of that period, the team lost the league to Real Madrid and was eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by the eventual champions, Chelsea, with Messi sending a crucial second-leg penalty kick against the crossbar.[109][110] In Barça's last home league match on 5 May, against Espanyol, Messi scored all four goals before approaching the bench to embrace Guardiola, who had announced his resignation as manager.[111] He finished the season as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for a second time, with 50 goals, a La Liga record, while his 73 goals in all competitions surpassed Gerd Müller's 67 goals in the 1972–73 Bundesliga season, making him the single-season top scorer in the history of European club football.[112][113]
Under manager Tito Vilanova, who had first coached him aged 14 at La Masia, Messi helped the club achieve its best-ever start to a La Liga season during the second half of 2012, amassing 55 points by the competition's midway point, a record in Spanish football.[114] A double scored on 9 December against Real Betis saw Messi break two longstanding records: he surpassed César Rodríguez's record of 190 league goals, becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga, and Gerd Müller's record of most goals scored in a calendar year, overtaking his 85 goals scored in 1972 for Bayern Munich and West Germany.[115] Messi sent Müller a number 10 Barcelona shirt, signed "with respect and admiration", after breaking his 40-year record.[116] At the close of the year, Messi had scored a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina.[117] Although FIFA did not acknowledge the achievement, citing verifiability issues, he received the Guinness World Records title for most goals scored in a calendar year.[118][119] As the odds-on favourite, Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming the only player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times.[117][120]
2013–2014: Messidependencia
Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by the start of 2013, eventually equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season. However, their performances deteriorated in the second half of the 2012–13 campaign, concurrently with Vilanova's absence due to ill health.[121] After losing successive Clásicos, including the Copa del Rey semi-finals, they were nearly eliminated in the first knockout round of the Champions League by AC Milan, but a revival of form in the second leg led to a 4–0 comeback, with two goals and an assist from Messi.[122] Now in his ninth senior season with Barcelona, Messi signed a new contract on 7 February, committing himself to the club through 2018, while his fixed wage rose to €13 million.[123][124] He wore the captain's armband for the first time a month later, on 17 March, in a league match against Rayo Vallecano; by then, he had become the team's tactical focal point to a degree that was arguably rivalled only by former Barcelona players Josep Samitier, László Kubala and Johan Cruyff.[125] Since his evolution into a false nine three years earlier, his input into the team's attack had increased; from 24% in their treble-winning campaign, his goal contribution rose to more than 40% that season.[126]
"In Leo we are talking about the best player in the world and when things are not going well you have to use him. Even if he is half lame, his presence on the pitch is enough to lift us and our play in general."
– Defender Gerard Piqué explains Barcelona's reliance on an unfit Messi against Paris Saint-Germain in April 2013.[127]
After four largely injury-free seasons, the muscular injuries that had previously plagued Messi reoccurred. After he suffered a hamstring strain on 2 April, during the first quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), his appearances became sporadic. In the second leg against PSG, with an underperforming Barcelona down a goal, Messi came off the bench in the second half and within nine minutes helped create their game-tying goal, which allowed them to progress to the semi-finals. Still unfit, he proved ineffective during the first leg against Bayern Munich and was unable to play at all during the second, as Barcelona were defeated 7–0 on aggregate by the eventual champions.[128] These matches gave credence to the notion of Messidependencia, Barcelona's perceived tactical and psychological dependence on their star player.[128]
Messi continued to struggle with injury throughout 2013, eventually parting ways with his long-time personal physiotherapist.[129] Further damage to his hamstring sustained on 12 May ended his goalscoring streak of 21 consecutive league games, a worldwide record; he had netted 33 goals during his run, including a four-goal display against Osasuna, while becoming the first player to score consecutively against all 19 opposition teams in La Liga.[130][131] With 60 goals in all competitions, including 46 goals in La Liga, he finished the campaign as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times.[132][133] Following an irregular start to the new season under manager Gerardo Martino, formerly of his boyhood club Newell's Old Boys, Messi suffered his fifth injury of 2013 when he tore his hamstring on 10 November, leaving him sidelined for two months.[134][135] Despite his injuries, he was voted runner-up for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, relinquishing the award after a four-year monopoly to Cristiano Ronaldo.[136]
During the second half of the 2013–14 season, doubts persisted over Messi's form, leading to a perception among the culés that he was reserving himself for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Statistically, his contribution of goals, shots, and passes had dropped significantly compared to previous seasons.[137][138] He still managed to break two longstanding records in a span of seven days: a hat-trick on 16 March against Osasuna saw him overtake Paulino Alcántara's 369 goals to become Barcelona's top goalscorer in all competitions including friendlies, while another hat-trick against Real Madrid on 23 March made him the all-time top scorer in El Clásico, ahead of the 18 goals scored by former Real Madrid player Alfredo Di Stéfano.[137][139] Messi finished the campaign with his worst output in five seasons, though he still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions.[138][140] For the first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy; they were defeated in the Copa del Rey final by Real Madrid and lost the league in the last game to Atlético Madrid, causing Messi to be booed by sections of fans at the Camp Nou.[141] After prolonged speculation over his future with the club, Messi signed a new contract on 19 May 2014, only a year after his last contractual update; his salary increased to €20 million, or €36 million before taxes, the highest wage in the sport.[142] It was reported that Vilanova played a key role in convincing Messi to stay[143] amid strong interest from José Mourinho's Chelsea.[144]
2014–2015: Birth of MSN and second treble
Under new manager and former captain Luis Enrique, Messi experienced a largely injury-free start to the 2014–15 season, allowing him to break three more longstanding records towards the end of the year.[145] A hat-trick scored against Sevilla on 22 November made him the all-time top scorer in La Liga, as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra.[146] A third hat-trick, scored against city rivals Espanyol on 7 December, allowed him to surpass César Rodríguez as the all-time top scorer in the Derbi barceloní with 12 goals.[147] Messi again placed second in the FIFA Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, largely owing to his second-place achievement with Argentina at the World Cup.[148]
At the start of 2015, Barcelona were perceived to be headed for another disappointing end to the season, with renewed speculation in the media that Messi was leaving the club. A turning point came on 11 January during a 3–1 victory over Atlético Madrid, the first time Barça's attacking trident of Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar, dubbed "MSN", each scored in a match, marking the beginning of a highly successful run.[149][150] After five years of playing in the centre of the pitch, Messi had returned to his old position on the right wing late the previous year, by his own suggestion according to Suárez, their striker.[150][151] From there, he regained his best form, while Suárez and Neymar ended the team's attacking dependency on their star player.[152][153] Luis Enrique's system would feature quick transitions from defense to attack led by the attacking trio, who would break goalscoring records.[154] With 58 goals from Messi, the trio scored a total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in Spanish football.[155]
Towards the end of the campaign, Messi scored in a 1–0 away win over Atlético Madrid on 17 May, securing the La Liga title.[156] Among his 43 league goals that season was a hat-trick scored in 11 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on 8 March, the fastest of his senior career; it was his 32nd hat-trick overall for Barcelona, allowing him to overtake Telmo Zarra with the most hat-tricks in Spanish football.[157] As the season's top assist provider with 18 he surpassed Luís Figo with the most assists in La Liga;[note 2] he made his record 106th assist in a fixture against Levante on 15 February, in which he also scored a hat-trick.[158][159][160] Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 3–1 in the Copa del Rey final on 30 May, achieving the sixth double in their history. His opening goal was hailed as one of the greatest in his career; he collected the ball near the halfway line and beat four opposing players, before feinting the goalkeeper to score in a tight space by the near post.[161]
In the Champions League, Messi scored twice and set up another in their 3–0 semi-final victory over Bayern Munich, now under the stewardship of Guardiola.[162] His second goal, which came only three minutes after his first, saw him chip the ball over goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after his dribble past Jérôme Boateng had made the defender drop to the ground; it went viral, becoming the year's most tweeted about sporting moment, and was named the best goal of the season by UEFA.[163][164] Despite a second-leg loss, Barcelona progressed to the final on 6 June in Berlin, where they defeated Juventus 3–1 to win their second treble, becoming the first team in history to do so.[165][166] Although Messi did not score, he participated in each of his side's goals, particularly the second as he forced a parried save from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from which Suárez scored the match-winning goal on the rebound.[155] In addition to being the top assist provider with six assists, Messi finished the competition as the joint top scorer with ten goals, which earned him the distinction of being the first player ever to achieve the top scoring mark in five Champions League seasons.[167][168] For his efforts during the season, he received the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for a second time.[169]
2015–2016: Domestic success and fifth Ballon d'Or
Messi opened the 2015–16 season by scoring twice from free kicks in Barcelona's 5–4 victory (after extra time) over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.[170] On 16 September, he became the youngest player to make 100 appearances in the UEFA Champions League in a 1–1 away draw to Roma.[171] After a knee injury, he returned to the pitch on 21 November, making a substitute appearance in Barcelona's 4–0 away win over rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico.[172] Messi capped off the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final on 20 December, collecting his fifth club trophy of 2015 as Barcelona defeated River Plate 3–0 in Yokohama.[173] On 30 December, Messi scored on his 500th appearance for Barcelona, in a 4–0 home win over Real Betis.[174]
On 11 January 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for a record fifth time in his career.[175] On 3 February, he scored a hat-trick in Barcelona's 7–0 win against Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Camp Nou.[176] In a 6–1 home win against Celta Vigo in the league, Messi assisted Suárez from a penalty kick. Some saw it as "a touch of genius", while others criticised it as being disrespectful to the opponent. The Celta players never complained and their coach defended the penalty, stating, "Barca's forwards are very respectful." The penalty routine has been compared to that of Barça icon Johan Cruyff in 1982, who was battling lung cancer, leading many fans to indicate that the penalty was a tribute to him. Cruyff himself was "very happy" with the play, insisting "it was legal and entertaining".[177][178]
On 17 February, Messi reached his 300th league goal in a 3–1 away win against Sporting de Gijón.[179] A few days later, he scored both goals in Barcelona's 2–0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, in the first leg of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League round of 16, with the second goal being Barcelona's 10,000th in official competitions.[180] On 17 April, Messi ended a five-match scoring drought with his 500th senior career goal for club and country in Barcelona's 2–1 home loss to Valencia.[181] Messi finished the 2015–16 season by setting up both goals in Barcelona's 2–0 extra time win over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey final, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, on 22 May 2016, as the club celebrated winning the domestic double for the second consecutive season.[182] In total, Messi scored 41 goals as Barcelona's attacking trio managed a Spanish record of 131 goals throughout the season, breaking the record they had set the previous season.[183]
2016–2017: Fourth Golden Boot
"[Messi] is indispensable, but the rest of us are dispensable. – No, the club is bigger than any manager, than any player... except Leo. That's the reality, and you have to accept it."
– In an interview with Barcelona's official magazine, Javier Mascherano outlines Messi's importance to the team.[184]
Messi opened the 2016–17 season by lifting the 2016 Supercopa de España as Barcelona's captain in the absence of the injured Andrés Iniesta;[185] he set-up Munir's goal in a 2–0 away win over Sevilla in the first leg on 14 August,[186] and subsequently scored in a 3–0 win in the return leg on 17 August.[187] Three days later, he scored two goals as Barcelona won 6–2 against Real Betis in the opening game of the 2016–17 La Liga season.[188] On 13 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the opening game of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League campaign against Celtic in a 7–0 victory; this was also Messi's sixth hat-trick in the Champions League, the most by any player. A week later, Messi sustained a groin injury in a 1–1 draw against Atlético Madrid and was ruled out with injury for three weeks.[189] He marked his return with a goal, scoring three minutes after coming off the bench in a 4–0 home win over Deportivo de La Coruña, on 16 October.[190] Three days after this, he netted his thirty-seventh club hat-trick as Barcelona defeated Manchester City 4–0.[191] On 1 November, Messi scored his 54th Champions League group stage goal in Barcelona's 3–1 away loss to Manchester City, surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by Raúl.[192]
Messi finished the year with 51 goals, making him Europe's top scorer, one ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimović.[193] After placing second in the 2016 Ballon d'Or, on 9 January 2017 Messi also finished in second place – behind Cristiano Ronaldo once again – in the 2016 Best FIFA Men's Player Award.[194] On 11 January, Messi scored from a free-kick in Barcelona's 3–1 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the second leg of the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, which enabled Barcelona to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition; with his 26th goal from a free-kick for Barcelona in all competitions, he equalled the club's all-time record, which had previously been set by Ronald Koeman.[195] In his next league match, on 14 January, Messi scored in a 5–0 win against Las Palmas; with this goal, he equalled Raúl's record for the most teams scored against in La Liga (35).[196]
On 4 February 2017, Messi scored his 27th free-kick for Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Athletic Bilbao in the league, overtaking Koeman as the club's all-time top-scorer from free-kicks.[197] On 23 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–2 away win over Real Madrid. His game-winning goal in stoppage time was his 500th for Barcelona.[198] His memorable celebration saw him taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans – with his name and number facing the crowd.[199] On 27 May, Messi scored a goal and set up another for Paco Alcácer in the 2017 Copa del Rey final, helping Barcelona to a 3–1 victory over Alavés, and was named Man of the Match.[200] In total, Messi finished the 2016–17 season with 54 goals, while his 37 goals in La Liga saw him claim both the Pichichi and European Golden Boot Awards for the fourth time in his career.[201] The attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez would combine for 110 goals by season's end. Neymar would depart for Paris Saint Germain the next season, leaving the attacking trio with a combined total of 363 goals over the course of three seasons.[202] Luis Enrique would also leave Barcelona at the end of the season after managing the club to a total of nine trophies during his three-year tenure.[203]
2017–2018: Domestic double and a record fifth Golden Boot
Messi opened the 2017–18 season by converting a penalty in Barcelona's 1–3 first leg home defeat to Real Madrid in Supercopa de España.[204] Thereby, Messi also extended his El Clásico goalscoring record with the goal being his 24th official and 25th overall.[205] On 9 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the 2017–18 league campaign, against Espanyol in Derbi barceloní, thus helping to secure a 5–0 home victory for Blaugrana over local rivals.[206] Messi netted twice against Gianluigi Buffon, on 12 September, as Barça defeated the last season's Italian champions Juventus 3–0 at home in the UEFA Champions League.[207] On 19 September, Messi found the net four times in a 6–1 trashing of Eibar at the Camp Nou in La Liga.[208] Three weeks later, on 1 October, Messi surpassed his former teammate Carles Puyol to become the third-highest appearance maker in the club's history, as he helped Barça defeat Las Palmas 3–0 by assisting Sergio Busquets' opener and later adding two himself in his 594th official game for the club; the league game was played behind closed doors at the Camp Nou due to violence in Catalonia relating to an ongoing independence referendum.[209]
On 18 October, in his 122nd European club appearance, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and his 100th in all UEFA club competitions, in a 3–1 home victory over Olympiacos.[210] Messi became only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this century milestone, but accomplished it in 21 fewer appearances than the Portuguese counterpart.[211] On 4 November, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2–1 home win over Sevilla in La Liga.[212] Following the reception of his fourth Golden Boot, Messi signed a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him with the club through the 2020–21 season. His buyout clause was set at €700 million.[213] On 7 January 2018, Messi made his 400th La Liga appearance with Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Levante, marking the occasion with his 144th league assist and 365th league goal for the club, the latter of which saw him equal Gerd Müller's record for the most league goals scored for the same club in one of Europe's top five divisions.[214] A week later, he broke the record, scoring his 366th La Liga goal from a free kick in a 4–2 away win against Real Sociedad.[214]
On 4 March, he scored his 600th senior career goal from a free kick in a 1–0 home win over Atlético Madrid, in La Liga.[215] On 14 March, Messi scored his 99th and 100th Champions League goals in a 3–0 home win over Chelsea, becoming only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this landmark, in fewer appearances, at a younger age and having taken fewer shots than his Portuguese counterpart.[216] His opening goal, which came after only two minutes and eight seconds, was also the fastest of his career, as Barcelona advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition for the eleventh consecutive season.[217] On 7 April, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Leganés including his sixth goal scored from a free-kick for the season, matching the record set by former teammate Ronaldinho.[218] On 10 April, following AS Roma comeback against Barcelona in Champions League quarter final by overturning a 4–1 deficit to progress to the semi final with a 3–0 win at home, Messi was criticized for being absent during the game after being dispossessed 7 times during the match, the most during the campaign.[219] He once again finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, with 34 goals, which also saw him win his fifth Golden Shoe award.[220] On 21 April, Messi scored Barcelona's second goal – his 40th of the season – in a 5–0 win over Sevilla in the 2018 Copa del Rey final, later also setting up Suárez's second goal; this was Barcelona's fourth consecutive title and their 30th overall.[221] On 29 April, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 away win over Deportivo de La Coruña, which saw Barcelona claim their 25th league title.[222] On 9 May, Messi scored as Barcelona defeated Villarreal 5–1 to set the longest unbeaten streak (43 games) in La Liga history.[223]
2018–2019: Captaincy, 10th La Liga title, and a record sixth Golden Boot
With the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team's new captain for the following season.[224] On 12 August, he lifted his first title as Barcelona's captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. On 18 August, Messi scored twice in helping Barcelona defeat Alavés 3–0 in their first La Liga match of the season, with his first goal, a free kick that he rolled under the jumping Alavés wall, making history in being Barcelona's 6000th goal in La Liga.[225] On 18 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over PSV Eindhoven in Barcelona's opening Champions League group stage match of the season, setting a new record for most hat-tricks in the competition, with eight.[226] On 20 October, Messi scored in a 4–2 home win over Sevilla, but was later forced off in the 26th minute after falling awkwardly and injuring his right arm; tests later confirmed that he had fractured his radial bone, ruling him out for approximately three weeks.[227] On 8 December, Messi scored two free kicks – his ninth and tenth goals from set pieces during the calendar year – in a 4–0 away win over Derbi barceloní rivals Espanyol in La Liga; this was the first time ever that he had managed such a feat in the league. His first goal was also his 10th league goal of the season, making him the first player ever to reach double figures in La Liga for 13 consecutive seasons.[228]
On 13 January 2019, Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal in his 435th league appearance in a 3–0 home win over Eibar, becoming the first player ever to manage this tally in just one of Europe's top five leagues.[229] On 2 February, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 draw against Valencia, with his first goal coming from the penalty spot, his 50th La Liga penalty goal; as such, he became only the third player in La Liga history after Cristiano Ronaldo and Hugo Sánchez to score 50 penalties in the competition.[230] Later that month, the club admitted they had begun preparations for Messi's future retirement.[231] On 23 February, Messi scored the 50th hat-trick of his career and also provided an assist for Suárez, as he helped Barcelona come from behind to achieve a 4–2 away victory over Sevilla in La Liga; the goal was also his 650th career goal for club and country at senior level.[232] On 16 April, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals to give Barcelona a 4–0 aggregate win, which saw Barcelona progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2015; these were also his first goals in the Champions League quarter-finals since 2013.[233][234]
On 27 April, Messi came off the bench and scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Levante, which allowed Barcelona to clinch the league title;[235] this was his 450th La Liga appearance, and his first league title as Barcelona's captain.[236][237] On 1 May, Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals; his second goal of the match, a 35-yard free kick, was the 600th senior club goal of his career, all of which had been scored with Barcelona.[238] In the return leg six days later at Anfield, Barcelona suffered a 4–0 away defeat, which saw Liverpool advance to the final 4–3 on aggregate.[239][240] On 19 May, in Barcelona's final La Liga match of the season, Messi scored twice in a 2–2 away draw against Eibar (his 49th and 50th goals of the season in all competitions), which saw him capture his sixth Pichichi Trophy as the league's top scorer, with 36 goals in 34 appearances; with six titles, he equalled Zarra as the player with the most top-scorer awards in La Liga.[241][242] He also captured his sixth Golden Shoe award, and a record third consecutive award since the 2016–17 season.[243] On 25 May, Messi scored his final goal of the season in a 2–1 defeat to Valencia in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.[244]
2019–2020: Record sixth Ballon d'Or
On 5 August 2019, it was announced that Messi would miss Barcelona's US tour after sustaining a right calf injury.[245] On 19 August, Messi's chipped goal from the edge of the box against Real Betis was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award.[246] Later that month, he suffered another setback following the return of his calf injury, which ruled him out of the opening game of the season;[247] as a result, he was sidelined indefinitely, and was only expected to return to action with Barcelona after the September international break.[248] On 2 September, Messi was shortlisted as one of the three finalists for both the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award and the 2019 Best FIFA Men's Player Award, with Messi winning the latter on 23 September.[249][250]
Messi made his first appearance of the season on 17 September, and on 6 October he scored his first goal of the season with a free kick in a 4–0 home win over Sevilla; this was his 420th goal in La Liga, which saw him break Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 419 goals scored in Europe's top five leagues.[251] On 23 October, Messi scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–1 away win over Slavia Prague, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons (excluding qualifying rounds).[252] He also equalled Raúl and Cristiano Ronaldo's shared record of the most sides scored against in the competition (33).[253] On 29 October, Messi scored in a 5–1 home win over Real Valladolid in La Liga; his first goal – a set piece from 35 yards – was the 50th free-kick of his career.[254] His goals (608) also saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo's senior goal tally (606) at club level.[255] On 9 November, Messi scored three goals (including two free kicks) in a 4–1 home win against Celta Vigo. This was his 34th hat-trick in La Liga, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's Spanish top-flight record.[256] On 27 November, in what was his 700th appearance for Barcelona, Messi scored one goal and assisted two more in a 3–1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League. Dortmund were the 34th team he had scored against in the competition, breaking the previous record of 33 held by Cristiano Ronaldo and Raúl.[257] On 2 December, Messi was awarded a record-breaking sixth Ballon d'Or.[258] On 7 December, Messi scored his record-breaking 35th hat-trick in La Liga with three goals in Barcelona's 5–2 home win over Mallorca.[259]
On 22 February 2020, Messi scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Eibar in La Liga.[260] On 14 June, he scored in a 4–0 away win against Mallorca, becoming the first player ever in La Liga to score 20 goals or more in 12 consecutive seasons.[261] On 30 June, he scored a panenka in a 2–2 home draw against Atlético Madrid in La Liga, to reach his 700th goal in his senior career for Barcelona and Argentina.[262] On 11 July, Messi provided his 20th assist of the league season for Arturo Vidal in a 1–0 away win over Real Valladolid, equalling Xavi's record of 20 assists in a single La Liga season from 2008 to 2009;[263][264] with 22 goals, he also became only the second player ever, after Thierry Henry in the 2002–03 FA Premier League season with Arsenal (24 goals and 20 assists), to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a single league season in one of Europe's top-five leagues.[264][265] Following his brace in a 5–0 away win against Alavés in the final match of the season on 19 July, Messi finished the season as both the top scorer and top assist provider in La Liga, with 25 goals and 21 assists respectively, which saw him win his record seventh Pichichi trophy, overtaking Zarra; however, Barcelona missed out on the league title to Real Madrid.[266] On 8 August, in the Champions League round of 16 second leg versus Napoli at the Camp Nou, Messi scored the second goal and earned a penalty which led to a third goal and led his side to a 3–1 home victory and qualified 4–2 on aggregate for the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich.[267] On 14 August, Messi suffered his worst defeat as a player as Bayern Munich beat Barcelona 8–2 in a one-off tie in Lisbon, leading to another disappointing exit from the Champions League.[268]
August 2020: Desire to leave Barcelona
"I wasn't happy and I wanted to leave. I have not been allowed this in any way and I will stay at the club so as not to get into a legal dispute. The management of the club led by Bartomeu is a disaster. My love for Barça will never change."
– Messi on reversing his decision to leave Barcelona in an interview with Goal on 4 September 2020.[269]
Following growing dissatisfaction with the direction of Barcelona on and off the field,[270] Barcelona announced that Messi sent the club "a document expressing his desire to leave" on 25 August 2020.[271] The announcement garnered a significant media response, including from current and former teammates (who supported Messi's statement) and Catalan president Quim Torra.[272] On 26 August, Barcelona's sporting director Ramon Planes iterated the club's desire to "build a team around the most important player in the world"[273] and affirmed Messi will only be able to leave should a buyer pay his €700 million buyout clause; a reported early termination option available in Messi's contract (which would have allowed him to leave the club for free) could only be exercised if he had communicated his decision to Barcelona by 31 May 2020, although the player's representatives argued the deadline should be set to 31 August, due to the adjourned 2019–20 season.[274] On 30 August, La Liga issued a statement stating Messi's contract and buyout clause were still active.[275]
On 4 September, Jorge Messi, Lionel's father and agent, released a statement in response to La Liga claiming the release clause "is not valid when the termination of the contract is by the player's unilateral decision from the end of the 2019–20 season", as stated in Messi's contract with Barcelona;[276] moments later, La Liga issued a response reiterating their statement published on 30 August.[277] Later that evening, Messi announced in an interview with Goal that he would continue at Barcelona for the final year of his contract. In the interview, Messi claimed to have informed Barcelona of his desire to leave multiple times, and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu said Messi could decide at the end of every season if he wanted to stay or leave, only for Bartomeu to refer to the release clause.[278] This left Messi with two options: to stay or go to court against the club, with the player saying "I would never go to court against the club of my life".[279]
2020–2021: Final season at Barcelona
On 27 September, Messi began the 2020–21 season by scoring a penalty in a 4–0 home win against Villarreal in La Liga.[280] Two days prior to the opening game, he again criticised the club, this time for the manner of Luis Suárez's departure, stating, "at this stage nothing surprises me any more".[281] On 20 October, Messi scored a penalty in a 5–1 home victory against Ferencváros in the Champions League, becoming the first player in history to score in sixteen consecutive Champions League seasons.[282] On 25 November, Messi was nominated for the 2020 Best FIFA Men's Player award, and was later shortlisted as one of the final three candidates.[283][284] On 29 November, Messi scored his side's fourth goal in their 4–0 victory over Osasuna. After scoring, he unveiled a shirt of his former side Newell's Old Boys, in tribute to Argentine compatriot Diego Maradona, who had died four days earlier, and raised both hands to the screen showing Maradona's face in the stadium. The shirt was a number 10 replica of the same one Maradona had worn during his stint with the club in 1993.[285] On 17 December, Messi finished third in The Best FIFA Men's Player award behind Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo, and was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the fourteenth consecutive year.[286]
"Congratulations on your historic record, Lionel. But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career at Barcelona. Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football. I admire you very much, Leo Messi."
– Pelé congratulates Messi after he overtook his record in scoring the most goals for a club.[287]
On 23 December, Messi scored his 644th goal for Barcelona against Real Valladolid in La Liga, surpassing Pelé with Santos as the player with the most goals scored for a single club.[287][288] In order to celebrate his achievement, Budweiser sent personalised bottles of beer to every goalkeeper whom Messi has scored against.[289] On 17 January 2021, Messi was sent off for the first time in his club career for violent conduct (swinging an arm at the head of Asier Villalibre, missed initially by the referee but reviewed via VAR) in the final minutes of Barcelona's 2–3 extra time defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España Final.[290] On 10 March, Messi scored from 35 yards out and later had a penalty saved in a 1–1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 as Barcelona were eliminated at this stage for the first time in 14 years by an aggregate score of 2–5 after having lost 1–4 at home on 16 February, with Messi scoring Barcelona's only goal in that game.[291] On 15 March, Messi scored two goals in a 4–1 win against Huesca, and became the first player in history to score at least 20 goals in 13 consecutive seasons in the top five European leagues.[292] On 21 March, he surpassed Xavi's record to reach a club record of 768 appearances, in which he also scored a brace in a 6–1 away win against Real Sociedad.[293]
On 17 April, Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–0 in the 2021 Copa del Rey final. With his second goal, he broke Gerd Müller's record of 30 plus goals in 12 consecutive club seasons, setting a new record of 13.[294][295] On 16 May, Messi scored his 30th league goal of the campaign in a 1–2 home defeat against Celta Vigo, which later turned out to be his final goal and match in a Barcelona shirt.[296] The top goalscorer in La Liga, Messi received the Pichichi trophy for a record eighth time in his career.[297] It was also his record fifth consecutive win in La Liga, surpassing Alfredo Di Stéfano and Hugo Sánchez who both had four for Real Madrid.[297]
"Leo wanted to stay and the Club wanted him to stay but with the La Liga rules it has not been possible. To comply with the league's fair play regulations we had to accept an agreement that mortgaged the Club's TV right for half a century and FC Barcelona is above everything else."
– Barcelona president Joan Laporta explains the reason behind Messi's departure.[298]
On 1 July, Messi became a free agent after his contract expired,[299] with negotiations on a new deal complicated due to financial issues at Barcelona.[300] On 5 August, Barcelona announced that Messi would not be staying at the club, even though both parties reached an agreement and were due to sign a contract that day.[301] The club cited financial and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations as a reason for Messi's departure.[302] Club president Joan Laporta also blamed the previous board for Messi's exit by saying "the basis of everything is the calamitous and disastrous situation left by the previous board", he added by saying "the expected debt is much higher and we had some sports contracts in place that meant we had no margin on salary".[303] Three days later, in a tearful press conference held at the Camp Nou, Messi confirmed that he would be leaving Barcelona.[304]
Paris Saint-Germain
2021–2022: First season adjustments and seventh Ballon d'Or
On 10 August, Messi joined French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).[305] He signed a two-year deal until June 2023 with an option for an extra year.[306] Messi chose 30 as his squad number, the same he wore as a teenager when he made his senior debut for Barcelona.[307]
Messi made his debut for the club on 29 August, coming on as a substitute in the second half of a 2–0 away win over Reims in Ligue 1.[308] He made his first start and Champions League debut for the club in a 1–1 away draw against Club Brugge on 15 September.[309] Four days later, Messi made his home debut for PSG in a 2–1 win over Lyon.[310] On 28 September, he scored his first goal for the club, a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box in a 2–0 Champions League group stage win over former manager Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.[311] On 21 November, Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 3–1 home victory over Nantes.[312] Later that month, he provided a hat-trick of assists for the fifth time in his career as PSG beat Saint-Étienne 3–1 away from home.[313] Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar year and helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa América, Messi received a record seventh Ballon d'Or on 29 November.[314]
"I think about being able to reverse the situation, about not having the feeling of having changed clubs and that it didn't go well for me. I'm already prepared for what's to come, I know the club, I know the city, I'm a little more comfortable with the dressing room, with my teammates and I know it's going to be different"
– Messi on his difficult first season at PSG and how he wants to improve in his second season in an interview with TyC Sports.[315]
On 2 January 2022, PSG announced that Messi had tested positive for COVID-19, missing two league games and a cup game as a result.[316][317] He made his return against on 23 January in the league against Reims where he came on as a substitute in the second half and assisted PSG's third goal in a 4–0 home victory.[318] On 13 March, following their Champions League elimination against Real Madrid in the round of 16, Messi and his team-mate Neymar were booed by some of the PSG fans at the Parc des Princes in the league match against Bordeaux.[319][320] Then-PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino defended Messi by saying "To judge Messi in this way is unfair," adding "It was a year of learning, and not just on a professional level coming to Paris Saint-Germain, in a new league and with new teammates, but also on a family level."[321] On 23 April, he helped PSG clinch their 10th Ligue 1 title after scoring from a strike outside the 18-yard box in a 1–1 draw against Lens at home.[322] Messi finished his debut season with 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions.[323] He failed to reach double figure league goals for the first time since 2005–06, ending the campaign with six.[324]
2022–2023: Return to form and departure
After adjusting to his new surroundings and settling in Paris, under new coach Christophe Galtier, Messi returned to his preferred free attacking role; being placed in his favoured position as the playmaker behind two strikers, in an attacking trident with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, quickly regaining his form from his previous season by starting off the new season on 31 July by scoring PSG's first goal in a 4–0 victory over Nantes in the Trophée des Champions, winning his second trophy with PSG.[325]
Due to his form in the previous season, Messi was not nominated for the Ballon d'Or award for the first time since 2005.[326] On 21 August, Messi provided a long-range assist for Mbappé, clocked at eight seconds, for Ligue 1's second-fastest goal ever scored, before also scoring a goal in 7–1 away win over Lille.[327][328] The following matches, after registering six goal contributions, including one goal and five assists, Messi was named Ligue 1's Player of the Month in September.[329] On 5 October, he scored in a 1–1 draw away to Benfica in the Champions League, becoming the only player in the competition's history to score against 40 different Champions League opponents.[330] On 25 October, he scored twice in a 7–2 Champions League win at home to Maccabi Haifa, setting the record for the most goals scored from outside the 18-yard box than any other player in the competition, with 23 goals.[331] Four days later, Messi scored and provided an assist as PSG won 4–3 against Troyes to remain top of the Ligue 1 table. The goal was his seventh of the league season and his twelfth overall, surpassing his total output of the prior season in just 18 matches.[332]
On 26 February 2023, PSG defeated Marseille 3–0 in Le Classique, with Messi scoring his 700th senior career club goal as well as assisting two goals for Mbappé.[333] On 11 March, PSG defeated Brest 2–1, with Messi setting up a last-minute winner for Mbappé, registering his 300th career assist.[334] On 8 April, he scored and provided an assist in a 2–0 away win over Nice in Ligue 1, which saw him overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time highest goalscorer in European club football with 702 goals; during the match, he also achieved 1,000 career direct goal contributions at club level.[335][336] On 2 May, Messi was suspended for two weeks and fined after taking an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia with his family as part of a promotional commercial agreement. His visit to Saudi Arabia meant he did not show up to training the previous day following a 3–1 defeat to Lorient.[337] The next day, on 3 May, it was reported that Messi would leave PSG at the end of the season, following the expiry of his contract.[338] Afterwards, several PSG supporters demanded his exit from the club, viewing his absence as evidence of a team not fighting for the shirt, within a context of perceived disconnect between themselves and the club's identity.[339] Two days later, Messi apologised to the club and his teammates for the trip, stating he thought he had a free day after the match [against Lorient], and already had the trip planned, which he had canceled previously.[340] On 28 May, Messi scored in a 1–1 draw against Strasbourg helping PSG clinch their 11th Ligue 1 title and his second in a row; in the process Messi overtook Cristiano Ronaldo and became the player with the most goals in the history of Europe's top five leagues, with 496 goals.[341][342]
On 1 June, Galtier confirmed that PSG's home game against Clermont on 3 June would be Messi's last for the club, with the club confirming his departure two days later;[343] the match ended in 3–2 defeat. He ended the season with the highest number of assists in the league with 16 and was also included in the UNFP's Ligue 1 Team of the Season alongside teammates Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes and Mbappé.[344][345]
Inter Miami
Following confirmation of his departure from PSG, Messi was linked with a return to former club Barcelona, as well as with a big-money move to Saudi Professional League club Al-Hilal, but his eventual decision to sign for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami was communicated to Barcelona president Joan Laporta by 5 June 2023.[346][347] Barcelona were unable to sign him due to financial constraints.[348]
On 7 June, Inter Miami posted a video on their social media hinting at the club's impending signing of Messi.[349] On the same day, Messi confirmed his intention to join Miami in a joint interview with Mundo Deportivo and Sport, in which he said that they "haven't closed it 100 percent"; MLS also stated that the deal had not been finalised.[350] He explained that even though La Liga had accepted everything and was fine for him to return to Barcelona, there were many things left to be done such as lowering salaries and selling players, and he did not want to go through it again or be responsible for it.[351] He confirmed that other European clubs approached him, but that Barcelona was the only European team he wanted to play for.[348]
On 15 July 2023, Inter Miami announced the signing of Messi on a two-and-a-half-year contract.[352][353] He was formally introduced to fans at a live-streamed event, dubbed "La PresentaSÍon", at DRV PNK Stadium the following day alongside fellow signee and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets.[354] His base salary is set at $12 million with guaranteed compensation totaling $20.4 million for the 2023 season; Messi is also set to earn additional shares from jersey sales, MLS Season Pass subscriptions, and a stake in the club itself.[355]
2023: Leagues Cup victory and eighth Ballon d'Or
Messi made his debut for the club on 21 July in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, scoring with a free-kick in stoppage time for a 2–1 victory.[356] After scoring nine goals in his first six games for Miami, Messi opened the scoring in the 2023 Leagues Cup final against Nashville SC on 19 August before Nashville equalised in the second half. The game ended in a penalty shoot-out which Miami won, 10–9, with Messi scoring the first, giving the club their first ever trophy.[357] He would later make his debut in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup in the semi-final against FC Cincinnati on 23 August. During the match, he assisted two goals in a 3–3 draw. Miami would advance after winning 5–4 in a penalty shootout, where Messi converted his opportunity.[358] However, Messi would be unavailable due to injury in the final on 27 September, which Miami would lose 2–1 to the Houston Dynamo.[359]
Messi made his MLS debut on 26 August, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, scoring a late goal in a 2–0 away win against New York Red Bulls, which put an end to Inter's eleven-match league winless streak.[360] Messi's first goal in the regular season earned him Goal of the Matchday with 89.7% of the vote.[361] On 30 October, following his World Cup win with Argentina and Ligue 1 trophy with PSG, Messi was awarded a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or.[362] Messi finished his first season for Inter Miami with 11 goals in 14 matches, after playing in his final game in a 1–0 loss to Charlotte FC on 21 October.[363] Miami finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, having gone winless in their last seven games.[364] For his achievements in 2023, he was named Time Athlete of the Year, the first footballer to ever win the award.[365] On 15 January 2024, Messi won The Best FIFA Men's Player for a record third time.[366] He also extended his record number of appearances in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 to 17 straight appearances, having not missed out on the selection since 2006.[367]
2024: Supporters' Shield champions and Inter Miami's all-time leading goalscorer
During Inter Miami's preseason in February 2024, Messi was set to play in an exhibition match against the Hong Kong League players at Hong Kong Stadium. However, Messi sat on the bench during the whole match due to injury, which aroused the anger of the fans at the scene, who a majority opted for a refund.[368] Legislative Council Member Kenneth Fok issued a statement condemning the organiser Tatler and Inter Miami, believing that both of them are responsible and to issue an apology to the fans when the latter had received high remuneration.[369] The Government of Hong Kong also stated twice, expressing extreme disappointment at Messi's absence and saying that it was considering to revoke the HK$16 million sponsorship funds.[370][371] Soon after the incident, Messi was seen training in Japan before marking his return in a friendly against Vissel Kobe on 7 February, which left many to speculate he was not injured prior.[372][373][374][375] As a result, the Chinese Football Association temporarily halted its partnership with the Argentine Football Association over the incident on 8 February,[376] and 50% refunds were offered to fans who attended the match.[377]
After two games in the 2024 season, and the introduction of former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez to join him,[378] Messi scored his first goal of the season in stoppage time to equalise in a 1–1 league draw with LA Galaxy on 26 February.[379][380] In March, Messi was ruled out with a right hamstring injury after experiencing discomfort during the Round of 16 of the Champions Cup against Nashville.[381][382] On his return from injury, having missed four games, Messi scored for Inter Miami in a 2–2 league draw with Colorado Rapids on 6 April.[383] On 10 April, Messi and Inter Miami were knocked out of the Champions Cup after a 5–3 aggregate defeat to Monterrey.[384] Three days later, Messi managed one goal and an assist in a 3–2 away win over Sporting KC, attracting the highest-ever attendance at Arrowhead Stadium with a crowd of 72,610.[385] On 27 April, Messi scored two goals, recording his 16th goal contribution, in a 4–1 away win against New England Revolution and becoming the first MLS player to do so in their seventh appearance.[386] On 4 May, Messi broke the record for the most assists in a single MLS game with five assists and he also broke the record for the most goal contributions in an MLS game with six in a 6–2 win over the New York Red Bulls. Messi assisted Luis Suárez in his first hat-trick for the club and assisted in Matias Rojas' brace. Messi also scored a goal against the Red Bulls to complete six goal contributions.[387]
On July 16, two days after Messi injured his ankle in the 2024 Copa América final, Inter Miami announced that medical evaluation determined that Messi suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle, ruling him out indefinitely. Prior to the tests, Inter Miami manager Gerardo Martino said Messi would likely be sidelined for at least the club's next two games.[388] He would make his return to Inter Miami two months later on September 14, scoring a brace and providing an assist in a 3–1 win against the Philadelphia Union.[389] On October 2, a brace from Messi in a 3–2 win against the Columbus Crew would guarantee that Inter Miami would have the best regular season record in MLS, securing the Supporters' Shield in the process.[390] On the last day of the season, Messi came off the bench in a match against the New England Revolution. He would then score a hat-trick within 11 minutes to ensure a 6–2 result. Inter Miami would finish the season with 74 points - a league record that ensured the club a place in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Messi would finish the regular season with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches with Inter Miami.[391] In doing so, he became Inter Miami's all-time leading goalscorer.[392] During the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, Messi's first appearance in the league's postseason, Miami would draw Atlanta United in the first round and split the first two games. In the third game, Messi would score his first postseason goal, but Miami were eliminated from the playoffs after Atlanta prevailed 3–2.[393]
International career
2005–2007: Beginnings with national team
In recognition of his achievements with the under-20 side, senior manager José Pékerman gave Lionel Messi his first call-up for a friendly against Hungary on 17 August 2005. Aged 18, Messi made his senior debut for Argentina in the Ferenc Puskás Stadium in Budapest when he came on in the 63rd minute, only to be sent off after two minutes for a perceived foul against Vilmos Vanczák, who had grabbed his shirt; Messi had struck the defender with his arm while trying to shake him off, which the referee interpreted as an intentional elbowing, a contentious decision.[394] Messi was reportedly found weeping in the dressing room after his sending-off.[395]
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
Messi returned to the team on 3 September in their World Cup qualifier defeat to Paraguay, which he had declared his "re-debut" ahead of the match.[396] Messi started his first game in the next qualifying match against Peru, in which he was able to win a crucial penalty that secured their victory. After the match, Pékerman described him as "a jewel".[397] Messi subsequently made regular appearances for the team ahead of Argentina's participation in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring his first international goal in a friendly against Croatia on 1 March 2006.[398] A hamstring injury sustained a week later jeopardised his presence in the World Cup, but he was nevertheless selected for Pékerman's squad and regained fitness in time for the start of the tournament.[399]
2006 FIFA World Cup
"Look, I know that at this World Cup you're capable of.. you're going to be the best player in the world. I see that. But this World Cup is not going to be yours yet ... your World Cup is that of South Africa. And you will play many years with the Argentina national team."
– Argentina manager José Pékerman's words to Messi prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[400]
Being that this was Messi's first international tournament with Argentina's senior team, and that he was spending most of his time in Spain, Pékerman wanted Messi to integrate himself into Argentina's locker room before expanding his role on the team. He wanted Messi to get close with and learn from the more experienced players, and understand the dynamic within the team. Pékerman told Messi that he saw that he had the potential to be the best player in the world, but that his time in the World Cup would happen in South Africa, four years later.[400]
During the World Cup in Germany, Messi witnessed their opening group stage match victory against the Ivory Coast from the substitutes' bench. In the next match on 16 June 2006, against Serbia and Montenegro, he became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a FIFA World Cup when he came on as a substitute in the 74th minute. He assisted their fourth strike within minutes and scored the final goal in their 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth-youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup.[401] As their progression to the knockout phase was secured, several starters were rested during the last group match. Messi consequently started the game against the Netherlands, a 0–0 draw, as they won their group on goal differential.[402][403]
In the round of 16 match against Mexico, played on his 19th birthday, Messi came on in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was contentiously ruled offside, with the team needing a late goal in extra time to proceed.[404][405] He did not play in the quarter-final against Germany, during which Argentina were eliminated 4–2 in a penalty shootout.[406] Back home, Pékerman's decision to leave him on the bench against Germany led to widespread criticism from those who believed Messi could have changed the outcome of the match in Argentina's favour.[407][408]
2007 Copa América
As Messi evolved into one of the best players in the world, he secured a place in Alfio Basile's starting line-up, as part of a team considered favourites to win the 2007 Copa América, held in Venezuela.[36][409] He set up the game-winning goal of their 4–1 victory over the United States in the opening group match, before winning a penalty that led to the game-tying first strike of their 4–2 win in the next match against Colombia.[410][411]
At the quarter-final match against Peru in the knockout stage, Messi scored the second goal of a 4–0 victory that saw them through to the semi-final, during which he chipped the ball over Mexico's goalkeeper to ensure another 3–0 win.[409] In a surprise defeat, Argentina lost the final 3–0 to a Brazil squad that lacked several of the nation's best players.[412] Their unexpected loss was followed by much criticism in Argentina, though Messi was mostly exempt due to his young age and secondary status to star player Juan Román Riquelme.[409] He was named the best young player of the tournament by CONMEBOL having scored two goals and provided one assist.[413]
2008: Beijing Summer Olympics
Before the 2008 Summer Olympics, FIFA ordered Barcelona to release him for the Olympics[414][415] before the CAS legally barred Messi from representing Argentina at the tournament as it coincided with their Champions League qualifying matches.[416][417][418][419][420] After interference from newly appointed Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, who had won the tournament in 1992, Messi was permitted to join Sergio Batista's under-23 squad in Beijing.[421][422][423][424]
During the first match, he scored the opening goal in their 2–1 victory over the Ivory Coast. Following a 1–0 win in the next group match against Australia, ensuring their quarter-final qualification, Messi was rested during the game against Serbia, while his side won the match to finish first in their group. Against the Netherlands, he again scored the first goal and assisted a second strike to help his team to a 2–1 win in extra time. After a 3–0 semi-final victory over Brazil, Messi assisted the only goal in the final as Argentina defeated Nigeria to claim Olympic gold medals.[425] Along with Riquelme, Messi was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out player from the tournament's best team. Messi registered two goals and three assists throughout the Olympics.[426]
2008–2011: Collective decline
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
From late 2008, the national team experienced a three-year period marked by poor performances.[409] Under manager Diego Maradona, who had led Argentina to World Cup victory as a player, the team struggled during the 2010 World Cup qualification campaign. Maradona was criticised for his strategic decisions, which included playing Messi out of his usual position. In eight qualifying matches under Maradona's stewardship, Messi scored only one goal, netting the opening goal in the first such match, a 4–0 victory over Venezuela.[398][427] During that game, played on 28 March 2009, he wore Argentina's number 10 shirt for the first time, following the international retirement of Riquelme. Maradona, who had famously worn the number during his time as a player for Argentina, told Messi "the No 10 is yours. There's nobody better than you to wear it."[428] Argentina secured their place in the tournament only after defeating Uruguay 1–0 in their last qualifying match on 14 October.[427] Overall, Messi scored four goals in 18 appearances during the qualifying process.[398]
2010 FIFA World Cup
Despite their poor qualifying campaign, Argentina were considered title contenders at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[427] Ahead of the tournament, Maradona visited Messi in Barcelona to request his tactical input; Messi then outlined a 4–3–1–2 formation with himself playing behind the two strikers, a playmaking position known as the enganche in Argentine football, which had been his preferred position since childhood.[429] When the tournamenbt started on 12 June 2010, this new formation proved effective; Messi managed at least four attempts on goal during their opening group match but was repeatedly denied by Nigeria's goalkeeper, resulting in a 1–0 win. During the next match on 17 June, against South Korea, he excelled in his playmaking role, participating in all four goals of his side's 4–1 victory. As their place in the knockout phase was guaranteed, most of the starters were rested during the last group match, but Messi reportedly refused to be benched.[427] He wore the captain's armband for the first time on 22 June in their 2–0 win against Greece; as the focal point of their play, he helped create their second goal to see Argentina finish as group winners and advance to the knockout stage.[430]
In the round of 16, Argentina were again drawn against Mexico. Messi assisted a controversial goal to striker Carlos Tevez in the 25th minute to open the scoring for the match. Tevez appeared to be offside, but the goal was eventually kept for Argentina en route to their 3–1 victory.[431] Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-final against Germany on 3 July, at the same stage of the tournament and by the same opponent as four years earlier. Their 4–0 loss was their worst margin of defeat at a World Cup since 1974.[432] Messi failed to score throughout the tournament but provided a single assist. FIFA subsequently identified Messi as one of the tournament's 10 best players, citing his "outstanding" pace and creativity and "spectacular and efficient" dribbling, shooting and passing.[433] Back home, however, Messi was the subject of harsher judgement. As the perceived best player in the world, he had been expected to lead an average team to the title, as Maradona arguably did in 1986, but he had failed to replicate his performances at Barcelona with the national team, leading to the accusation that he cared less about his country than his club.[434]
2011 Copa América
Maradona was replaced by Sergio Batista, who had orchestrated Argentina's Olympic victory. Batista publicly stated that he intended to build the team around Messi, employing him as a false nine within a 4–3–3 system, as used to much success by Barcelona.[434][435] Although Messi scored a record 53 goals during the 2010–11 club season, he had not scored for Argentina in a competitive match since March 2009.[89][398] Despite the tactical change, his goal drought continued during the 2011 Copa América, hosted by Argentina. Their first two group matches, against Bolivia and Colombia, ended in draws. Media and fans noted that he did not combine well with Tevez, who enjoyed greater popularity among the Argentine public; Messi was consequently booed by his own team's supporters for the first time in his career.[434]
During the crucial next match on 11 July 2011, with Tevez on the bench, Messi gave a well-received performance, assisting two goals in their 3–0 victory over Costa Rica. This ensured that Argentina would advance to the knockout stage. After the quarter-final against Uruguay on 16 July ended in a 1–1 draw following extra time, with Messi having assisted their equaliser, Argentina were eliminated 4–5 in the penalty shootout by the eventual champions. Messi would again be goalless but had three assists during the tournament.[434]
2011–2013: Assuming captaincy
After Argentina's unsuccessful performance in the Copa América, Batista was replaced by Alejandro Sabella. Upon his appointment in August 2011, Sabella awarded the 24-year-old Messi the captaincy of the squad, in accord with then-captain Javier Mascherano. Reserved by nature, Messi went on to lead his squad by example as their best player, while Mascherano continued to fulfil the role of the team's on-field leader and motivator.[436][437]
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
In a further redesign of the team, Sabella dismissed Tevez and brought in players with whom Messi had won the World Youth Championship and Olympic Games. Now playing in a free role in an improving team, Messi ended his goal drought by scoring during their first World Cup qualifying match against Chile on 7 October, his first competitive goal for Argentina in two-and-a-half years.[398][436]
Under Sabella, Messi's goalscoring rate drastically increased; where he had scored only 17 goals in 61 matches under his previous managers, he scored 25 times in 32 appearances during the following three years.[398][436] He netted a total of 12 goals in 9 games for Argentina in 2012, equalling the record held by Gabriel Batistuta for the most goals scored in a calendar year for their country.[438] His first international hat-trick came in a friendly against Switzerland on 29 February 2012, followed by two more hat-tricks over the next year-and-a-half in friendlies against Brazil and Guatemala. Messi then helped the team secure their place in the qualifiers of the 2014 World Cup with a 5–2 victory over Paraguay on 10 September 2013 when he scored twice from penalty kicks, taking his international tally to 37 goals to become Argentina's second-highest goalscorer behind Batistuta. Overall, he had scored a total of 10 goals in 14 matches during the qualifying campaign.[398][439] Concurrently with his bettered performances, his relationship with his compatriots improved, as he gradually began to be perceived more favourably in Argentina.[436]
2014–2016: Three consecutive finals losses
2014 FIFA World Cup
Ahead of the World Cup in Brazil, doubts persisted over Messi's form, as he finished an unsuccessful and injury-plagued season with Barcelona. At the start of the tournament, however, he gave strong performances, being elected man of the match in their first four matches.[440] In his first World Cup match as captain, during the group stage he led them to a 2–1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina; he helped create Sead Kolašinac's own goal and scored their second strike after a dribble past three players, his first World Cup goal since his debut in the tournament eight years earlier.[441] During the second match against Iran, he scored an injury-time goal from 25 yards out to end the game in a 1–0 win, securing their qualification for the knockout phase.[442] He scored twice in the last group match, a 3–2 victory over Nigeria, his second goal coming from a free kick, as they finished first in their group.[443]
During the knockout stage, Messi assisted a late goal in extra time to ensure a 1–0 win against Switzerland in the round of 16.[444] He played in the 1–0 quarter-final win against Belgium as Argentina progressed to the semi-final of the World Cup for the first time since 1990.[445] Following a 0–0 draw in extra time, they eliminated the Netherlands 4–2 in a penalty shootout to reach the final, with Messi scoring his team's first penalty.[446]
Billed as Messi versus Germany, the world's best player against the best team, the final match on 13 July 2014 was a repeat of the 1986 and 1990 finals, which both featured Diego Maradona and split between both countries.[447] Within the first half-hour, Messi had started the play that led to a goal, but it was ruled offside. He missed several opportunities to open the scoring throughout the match, in particular at the start of the second half when his breakaway effort went wide of the far post. Substitute Mario Götze finally scored in the 113th minute, followed in the last minute of extra time by a free kick that Messi sent over the net, as Germany won the match 1–0 to claim the World Cup.[448]
At the conclusion of the final, Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. In addition to being the joint third-highest goalscorer, with four goals and an assist, he created the most chances, completed the most dribbling runs, made the most deliveries into the penalty area and produced the most throughballs in the competition.[440][449] However, his selection drew criticism due to his lack of goals in the knockout round; FIFA President Sepp Blatter expressed his surprise, while Maradona suggested that Messi had undeservedly been chosen for marketing purposes.[450]
2015 Copa América
Another final appearance, the third of Messi's senior international career, followed in the 2015 Copa América, held in Chile. Under the stewardship of former Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino, Argentina entered the tournament as title contenders due to their second-place achievement at the World Cup.[451][452] During the opening match in group stage against Paraguay on 13 June 2015, they were ahead two goals by half-time but lost their lead to end the match in a 2–2 draw; Messi had scored from a penalty kick, netting his only goal in the tournament.[453] On 16 June, following a 1–0 win against defending champions Uruguay, Messi earned his 100th cap for his country in the final group match, a 1–0 win over Jamaica, becoming only the fifth Argentine to achieve this milestone.[454] In his 100 appearances, he had scored a total of 46 goals for Argentina, 22 of which came in competitive matches.[398][454]
As Messi evolved from the team's symbolic captain into a genuine leader, he led Argentina to the knockout stage as group winners.[455] In the quarter-final on 26 June, they created numerous chances, including a rebound header by Messi, but were repeatedly denied by Colombia's goalkeeper, and ultimately ended the match scoreless, leading to a 5–4 penalty shootout in their favour, with Messi netting his team's first spot kick.[456] At the semi-final stage on 30 June, Messi excelled as a playmaker as he provided three assists and helped create three more goals in his side's 6–1 victory over Paraguay, receiving applause from the initially hostile crowd.[455]
Argentina started the final on 4 July as the odds-on title favourites, but were defeated by Chile 4–1 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 extra-time draw. Faced with aggression from opposing players, including taking a boot to the midriff, Messi played below his standards, though he was the only Argentine to successfully convert his penalty.[457]
At the close of the tournament, he was reportedly selected to receive the Golden Ball award, having scored one goal and provided three assists throughout, but rejected the honour.[458] As Argentina continued a trophy drought that began in 1993, the World Cup and Copa América defeats again brought intense criticism for Messi from Argentine media and fans.[459]
Copa América Centenario
Messi's place on the Argentina squad for the Copa América Centenario tournament, held in the United States, was initially put in jeopardy when he sustained a back injury in a 1–0 friendly win over Honduras in a pre-Copa América warm-up match on 27 May 2016.[460] It was later reported that he had suffered a deep bruise in his lumbar region. He was later left on the bench in Argentina's 2–1 opening group match win over defending champions Chile on 6 June due to concerns regarding his fitness.[461] Although Messi was declared match-fit for his nation's second against Panama on 10 June, Martino left him on the bench once again; he replaced Augusto Fernández in the 61st minute and subsequently scored a hat-trick in 19 minutes, also starting the play which led to Sergio Agüero's goal, as the match ended in a 5–0 victory, sealing Argentina's place in the knockout stage of the competition;[462] he was elected man of the match for his performance.[463]
"Did it annoy me that Messi took the record? A little, yes. You go around the world and people say, 'he's the top scorer for the Argentina national team.' But the advantage I have is that I'm second to an extraterrestrial."
– Gabriel Batistuta on the consolation of Messi breaking his record.[464]
On 18 June, in the quarter-final of the Copa América against Venezuela, Messi produced another man of the match performance,[465] assisting two goals and scoring another in a 4–1 victory, which enabled him to equal Gabriel Batistuta's national record of 54 goals in competitive international matches.[466] This record was broken three days later when Messi scored a free kick in a 4–0 semi-final win against hosts the United States; he also assisted two goals during the match as Argentina sealed a place in the final of the competition for a second consecutive year,[467] and was named man of the match once again.[468]
The Copa América Centenario final on 26 June would be a repeat of the previous year's result, with Argentina once again lost to Chile on penalties after a 0–0 deadlock. This resulted in Messi's third consecutive defeat in a major tournament final with Argentina, and his fourth overall. Messi would miss his penalty.[469] Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi said after the match, "My generation can't compare him to Maradona that's for my generation, because of what Maradona did for Argentine football. But I think the best player ever played today here in the United States."[470]
Messi finished the tournament as the second-highest scorer, behind Eduardo Vargas, with five goals, and was the highest assist provider with four assists, also winning more Man of the Match awards than any other player in the tournament (3).[471] He was named to the team of the tournament for his performances, but missed out on the Golden Ball Award for best player, which went to Alexis Sánchez.[472]
2016–2020: Initial retirement and return
"My thinking right now and thinking about it in the locker room, I'm done playing with the national team. I tried my hardest. It's been four finals, and I was not able to win. I tried everything possible. It hurts me more than anyone, but it is evident that this is not for me. I want more than anyone to win a title with the national team, but unfortunately, it did not happen."
– Messi initially announcing his international retirement following Argentina's loss in the Copa América Centenario final.[469]
Shortly after the Copa América Centenario final, Messi, who had missed his penalty in the shootout, announced his retirement from international football.[469] He stated, "I tried my hardest. The team has ended for me, a decision made."[473] Following his announcement, a campaign began in Argentina for Messi to change his mind about retiring.[474] He was greeted by fans with signs like "Don't go, Leo" when the team landed in Buenos Aires. President of Argentina Mauricio Macri urged Messi not to quit, stating, "We are lucky, it is one of life's pleasures, it is a gift from God to have the best player in the world in a footballing country like ours... Lionel Messi is the greatest thing we have in Argentina and we must take care of him."[475] Mayor of Buenos Aires Horacio Rodríguez Larreta unveiled a statue of Messi in the capital to convince him to reconsider retirement.[476] The campaign also continued in the streets and avenues of the Argentine capital, with about 50,000 supporters going to the Obelisco de Buenos Aires on 2 July, using the same slogan.[477]
"A lot of things went through my mind on the night of the final and I gave serious thought to quitting, but my love for my country and this shirt is too great."
– Messi reversing his decision from retiring on 12 August 2016[478]
Just a week after Messi announced his international retirement, Argentine newspaper La Nación reported that he was reconsidering playing for Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.[479] On 12 August, it was confirmed that Messi had reversed his decision to retire from international football, and he was included in the squad for the national team's upcoming World Cup qualifiers.[480]
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
In Messi's first game back on 1 September, he scored in a 1–0 home win over Uruguay in a 2018 World Cup qualifier.[481] Messi insulted an assistant referee in a game against Chile on 23 March 2017. He was consequently suspended for four international games on 28 March 2017, and also fined CHF 10,000.[482][483] On 5 May, Messi's four match ban as well as his 10,000 CHF fine was lifted by FIFA after the Argentine Football Association appealed against his suspension, which meant he could now play Argentina's remaining World Cup qualifiers.[484]
Argentina's place in the next World Cup was in jeopardy going into their final qualifying match. They were sixth in their group, outside the five possible CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying spots, which meant they risked failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1970. On 10 October, Messi led his country to World Cup qualification in scoring a hat-trick as Argentina came from behind to defeat Ecuador 3–1 away; Argentina had not defeated Ecuador in Quito since 2001.[485] Messi's three goals saw him become the joint all-time leading scorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers with 21 goals, alongside Uruguay's Luis Suárez, overtaking the previous record which was held by compatriot Hernán Crespo.[485] Overall, Argentina struggled without Messi in the qualifiers, earning just 7 points from the 8 games when Messi did not play, while taking 21 points from 10 games when he did. Furthermore, Messi scored more than a third of Argentina's 19 goals throughout the campaign, whereas no other teammate scored more than 2 goals.[486]
2018 FIFA World Cup
"The squad is the worst in their history. Even having the best player in the world was not capable of creating a competitive team. All the decline of recent times was hidden by this unrivalled genius [Messi]"
– Former Argentine player Osvaldo Ardiles on the decline in quality of Argentina being masked by Messi.[487]
Following on from their poor qualification campaign, expectations were not high going into the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with the team, without an injured Messi, losing 6–1 to Spain in March 2018.[488][489] Messi would score a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory against Haiti when returned to the team in May for a friendly.[490] Prior to Argentina's opener, there was speculation in the media over whether this would be Messi's final World Cup.[491] In the team's opening group match against Iceland on 16 June, Messi missed a potential match-winning penalty in an eventual 1–1 draw.[492] In Argentina's second game on 21 June, the team lost 3–0 to Croatia in a huge upset. Post-match the Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli spoke of the lack of quality in the team surrounding Messi, saying "we quite simply couldn't pass to him to help him generate the situations he is used to. We worked to give him the ball but the opponent also worked hard to prevent him from getting the ball. We lost that battle".[493] Croatia captain and midfielder Luka Modrić also stated post match, "Messi is an incredible player but he can't do everything alone."[494]
In Argentina's final group match against Nigeria at the Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg on 26 June, Messi scored the opening goal in an eventual 2–1 victory, becoming the third Argentine after Diego Maradona and Gabriel Batistuta to score in three different World Cups; he also became the first player to score in the World Cup in his teens, twenties, and his thirties.[495] A goal of the tournament contender, Messi received a long pass from midfield and controlled the ball on the run with two touches before striking it across goal into the net with his weaker right foot.[496][497] He was named man of the match.[498] Argentina progressed to the knockout round as group runners-up behind Croatia.[499] In the round of 16 match against eventual champions France on 30 June, Messi set up Gabriel Mercado's and Sergio Agüero's goals in a 3–4 defeat, which saw Argentina eliminated from the World Cup.[500] With his two assists in his team's second round fixture, Messi became the first player to provide an assist in the last four World Cups, and also became the first player to provide two assists in a match for Argentina since Maradona had managed the same feat against South Korea in 1986. The tournament ended with Messi only having one goal and two assists throughout.[501][502]
Following the World Cup exit, Messi stated that he would not participate in Argentina's friendlies against Guatemala and Colombia in September, and commented that it would be unlikely that he would represent his nation for the remainder of the calendar year. Messi's absence from the national team and his continued failure to win a title with Argentina prompted speculation in the media that Messi might retire from international football once again.[503]
2019 Copa América and suspension
A conversation with his idol Pablo Aimar and new Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni convinced Messi to return to the national team.[504] Messi would be called up to the Argentina squad once again for the team's friendlies in March 2019, and made his international return on 22 March, in a 3–1 friendly defeat to Venezuela, in Madrid.[505][506]
On 21 May, Messi was included in Scaloni's final 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América.[507] In Argentina's second group match on 19 June, Messi scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot in a 1–1 draw against Paraguay.[508] After coming under criticism in the media over his performance following Argentina's 2–0 quarter-final in knockout stage victory over Venezuela on 28 June, Messi commented that it had not been his best Copa América, while also criticising the poor quality of the pitches.[509] Following Argentina's 2–0 semi-final defeat to hosts Brazil on 2 July, Messi was critical of the refereeing,[510][511] and alleged the competition was "set up" for Brazil to win.[512]
In the third-place match against Chile on 6 July, Messi assisted Agüero's opening goal from a free kick in an eventual 2–1 win, to help Argentina win the bronze medal; however, he was sent off along with Gary Medel in the 37th minute of play, after being involved in an altercation with the Chilean defender.[513] It would be only the second straight red card he received on the national team, after the one he received during his debut.[514] Following the match, Messi refused to collect his medal, and implied in a post-match interview that his comments following the semi-final led to his sending off.[515] Messi later issued an apology for his comments, but was fined $1,500 and was handed a one-match ban by CONMEBOL, which ruled him out of Argentina's first game in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.[516]
On 2 August, Messi was banned for three months from international football and was fined $50,000 by CONMEBOL for his comments against the referee's decisions; this ban meant he would miss Argentina's friendly matches against Chile, Mexico and Germany in September and October.[517] On 15 November, Messi played in the 2019 Superclásico de las Américas versus Brazil, scoring the winning goal by a rebound of his saved penalty.[518] His suspension in the qualifiers would later be overturned, and Messi would begin Argentina's campaign to the World Cup by scoring a penalty in a 1–0 victory against Ecuador on 8 October 2020.[519][520]
2021–2023: Ending Argentina's trophy drought
2021 Copa América
"It was clear to me that I had to try until the last tournament and that I couldn't withdraw from the national team without winning something."
– Messi on winning the 2021 Copa América in an interview with Diario Sport.[521]
On 14 June 2021, Messi scored from a free kick in a 1–1 draw against Chile in Argentina's opening group match of the 2021 Copa América in Brazil.[522] On 21 June, Messi played in his 147th match as he equalled Javier Mascherano's record for most appearances for Argentina in a 1–0 win over Paraguay in their third game of the tournament.[523] A week later, he broke the record when he featured in a 4–1 win against Bolivia in his team's final group match, assisting Papu Gómez's opening goal and later scoring two.[524]
On 3 July, Messi assisted twice and scored from a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Ecuador in the quarter-finals of the competition's knockout rounds.[525] On 6 July, in a 1–1 draw in the semi-finals against Colombia, Messi made his 150th appearance for his country and registered his fifth assist of the tournament, a cut-back for Lautaro Martínez, matching his record of nine goal contributions in a single tournament from five years earlier; he later scored his spot kick in Argentina's eventual 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory to progress to his fifth international final.[526][527]
On 10 July, Argentina defeated hosts and defending champions Brazil 1–0 in the final, thanks to the winning goal scored by Ángel Di María.[528] This gave Messi his first major international title as well as Argentina's joint record 15th Copa América overall, and ended his nation's 28-year trophy drought as it gave them their first international title since 1993.[529] Messi was directly involved in nine out of the 12 goals scored by Argentina, scoring four and assisting five; he was named the player of the tournament for his performances, an honour he shared with Neymar. He also finished as top scorer with four goals tied with Colombia's Luis Díaz, with the Golden Boot awarded to Messi as he had more assists.[530][531]
2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
Following the tournament, Messi scored a hat-trick on 9 September in a 3–0 home win over Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier, moving him above Pelé as South America's top male international scorer with 79 goals.[532] Recovering from a knee injury, he played only 15 minutes against Uruguay on 12 November during a 1–0 away win so that he could be rested enough to play the next game. Argentina would draw 0–0 against Brazil that match on 16 November, but it would be enough to secure a spot in the World Cup with five matches remaining in the qualifiers.[533]
2022 Finalissima
In the 2022 Finalissima, the third edition of the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions, at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on 1 June 2022, Messi assisted twice in a 3–0 victory against UEFA Euro 2020 winners Italy and was named player of the match, securing his second trophy for Argentina at the senior level.[534]
On 5 June, Messi scored all five Argentina goals in a 5–0 victory in a friendly win over Estonia, overtaking Ferenc Puskás among the all-time international men's top scorers.[535]
2022 FIFA World Cup
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Messi scored a penalty in Argentina's opening group stage game against Saudi Arabia, but second-half goals by Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari resulted in a 2–1 defeat for Argentina, in what was considered one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.[536] In the next must-win match against Mexico on 26 November, Messi scored with a low 20-yard strike and also recorded an assist on Enzo Fernández's goal in their 2–0 victory.[537] During the first half of the last group stage match against Poland 30 November, Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny attempted to clear the ball from the box but collided with Messi, drawing a penalty for Argentina that Messi would miss. However, goals from Julián Álvarez and Alexis Mac Allister in the second half ensured a 2–0 victory for Argentina, topping their group in the process and advancing to the knockout stage.[538]
In the round of 16 game against Australia on 3 December, Messi scored the opening goal in Argentina's 2–1 win in what was his 1,000th senior career appearance,[539] and became the most-capped male South American (CONMEBOL member) footballer of all time, surpassing the previous record set by Ecuador's Iván Hurtado, as well as equalling and surpassing several other FIFA World Cup and national team records.[540][541] In the quarter-final against the Netherlands on 9 December, Messi assisted Argentina's first goal for Nahuel Molina with a reverse pass and then scored a penalty as the game finished 2–2 after extra time. Argentina won 4–3 in the penalty shootout, with Messi scoring the first penalty.[542] In the semi-final against Croatia on 13 December, Messi made a record-equalling 25th World Cup finals appearance, drawing level with Germany's Lothar Matthäus, and scored the opening goal with a penalty before he assisted Argentina's third goal scored by Álvarez in a 3–0 win;[543] with his 11th World Cup goal, Messi overtook Batistuta to become Argentina's all-time top-scorer at the World Cup.[544] Argentina advanced to the final against France, with Messi stating that it would be his final World Cup appearance.[545][546]
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on 18 December, Messi made his record 26th World Cup match appearance at Lusail Stadium. He scored Argentina's opening goal with a penalty, becoming in the process the first player since the last-16 round was introduced in 1986 to score a goal in every round of a single World Cup edition.[547][548] After Argentina's eventual two-goal lead was erased by France forward Kylian Mbappé, who scored twice inside two minutes, Messi would score again in extra-time to restore Argentina's lead, before Mbappé again drew France level. Tied 3–3 after extra-time, the match went to a penalty shoot-out. Messi scored Argentina's first goal in the shoot-out, with Argentina eventually winning 4–2, ending the nation's 36-year wait for the trophy.[549]
Messi received the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, becoming the first player to win it twice. He finished second in the Golden Boot race with seven goals in seven games, one behind Mbappé, as well as three assists.[548] With his appearance and two goals in the final, Messi overtook Matthäus as the player with the most appearances at the World Cup (26), and Pelé as the player with the most direct goal contributions at the World Cup (21 – 13 goals and 8 assists).[550] Additionally, Messi scored a total of 18 goals during the 2022 calendar year, an Argentina record.[551] The championship game was widely acclaimed as one of the best of all time, with media coverage heavily framing it as a duel between Messi and Mbappé.[552][553][554][555] With this World Cup triumph, he had won every top tier trophy at both club and country levels available to him. In December 2023, a set of jerseys he had worn during the World Cup was sold at auction for 7.8 million dollars.[556]
Following the game, Messi confirmed that he had no plans to retire from the national team, saying "I want to continue playing as a champion".[557] He and the national team returned to Argentina two days later on 20 December in the early hours, where they were greeted by thousands of fans that were waiting with banners, flags and flares to greet their homecoming champions. The government declared it a national holiday to celebrate the win, and a parade was planned later that day. However, the parade was unable to proceed as planned; originally meant to an eight-hour journey that would end at the Obelisco de Buenos Aires, the parade route was blocked due to the sheer volume of people in attendance, which the media estimated to be 4 million. The players were then transferred from their parade bus to a helicopter, where they were able to complete their route.[558]
Messi and the national team returned to the pitch as world champions three months later for two friendlies in Argentina. These matches were scheduled to allow the team to celebrate their World Cup victory with their fans and compatriots.[559] Messi scored his 99th international goal in the first friendly, on 23 March 2023 at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires, with a free-kick in Argentina's 2–0 win over Panama. This also marked his 800th senior career goal for club and country.[560] After the match, Messi gave a speech where he thanked the fans for their adoration and told them to enjoy this World Cup victory. Scaloni followed by expressing his gratitude to the team. All of the members of the Argentina team were then joined by their families on the pitch and given replica World Cup trophies that they lifted in celebration. The players continued the festivities by waving to fans in the stands as fireworks were set off in the sky.[561]
In the second friendly against Curaçao on 28 March at Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero, Messi scored a hat-trick, his ninth for Argentina, and recorded an assist in a 7–0 win. The first of his three goals saw him reach 100 international goals, making Messi the third player in history to reach the milestone, and the first South American.[559][562] The Argentine Football Association honored Messi for reaching this milestone after the match, and Messi would hoist the World Cup trophy in front of the fans one final time to celebrate the achievement.[559]
On 17 October, Messi scored both goals in a 2–0 away win over Peru in a World Cup qualifier, the first of which saw Messi surpass Luis Suárez as the outright all-time top goalscorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.[563]
2024–present: Later years
2024 Copa América
Messi would miss Argentina's first two friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica in March 2024 due to a hamstring injury he sustained against Nashville SC in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.[564] He would return in the two subsequent friendlies in June against Ecuador and Guatemala; a brace scored by Messi in the latter game on 14 June saw him go level with Ali Daei of Iran as the second-highest international goalscorer of all time.[565][566] The next day, Messi was included in the 26-man squad of Argentina for the 2024 Copa América.[567]
In the opening match of the tournament on 21 June 2024, Messi assisted Lautaro Martínez's goal in a 2–0 win over Canada.[568] It would be his 35th Copa América match, which broke the tournament record.[569] During the 1–0 victory in the next match against Chile on 25 June, Messi received a slight injury to his right hamstring during the first half.[570] The win ensuring that Argentina would top their group and advance to the knockout stages. As a result, Messi would be rested in the next match against Peru on 29 June, citing discomfort in his hamstring.[571] Argentina would win the game without Messi in a 2–0 victory.[572]
On 4 July, in the quarter-finals against Ecuador, following a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes, Messi missed his side's first penalty in the ensuing shoot-out, but Argentina advanced following a 4–2 victory.[573] In the semi-finals against Canada on 9 July, Messi scored the second goal in his team's 2–0 win; this marked Messi's first goal of the tournament while also making him the second-highest international goalscorer outright with 109 total goals.[574] On 14 July, Messi started the final against Colombia, his 39th and likely final Copa América appearance, but was substituted in the 66th minute after suffering a severe ankle injury, later revealed to be on his right ankle's ligament.[388][575] Argentina eventually won in extra time courtesy of a Lautaro Martínez strike.[576]
With the victory, Messi lifted his third major international tournament title as captain.[576] The triumph also brought Messi's team trophy total to 44, making him the most decorated player of all time.[9][11] Messi would not return to Argentina to celebrate the tournament victory with his teammates, as he would remain in Miami to receive treatment for his injured ankle.[577]
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
Due to the injury he suffered in the Copa América final, Messi would not be called up for the Argentina squad in the World Cup qualifiers during September that year.[578] After recovering from the injury, he was called up again in October to play the qualifiers.[579] In his second game back after his return from injury on 15 October, which was also his first game that he played in his home country in nearly a year, Messi scored a hat-trick and provided two assists in a 6–0 victory against Bolivia.[580]
Notes
- ^ According to FC Barcelona,[1] FIFA,[2] Major League Soccer,[3] the Royal Spanish Football Federation,[4] and multiple media outlets,[5][6][7] Messi also won the 2005 Supercopa de España, bringing his Barcelona trophy total to 35—and his career total to 46.[8] However, this particular trophy is not credited here since Messi was out of the squad and did not feature in any of the two games against Real Betis.[9][10]
- ^ Assist statistics began in 1990.
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