Lionel Andrés 'Leo' Messi kissing the World Cup trophy Qatar 2022.
Here are some of Messi's important years since his birth:
1987 - June 24. Born in Rosario, Argentina.
1998 - Joined the youth academy of Newell's Old Boys, his hometown club in Rosario, Argentina.
2000 - At the age of 13, was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, which threatened his footballing future. However, FC Barcelona offered to pay for his medical treatment and bring him to Spain to join their youth academy.
2004 - made his debut for Barcelona's first team, at the age of 17, and scored his first goal for the club later that year.
2009 - Won his first Ballon d'Or and helped Barcelona win an unprecedented treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League.
2012 - Broke Gerd Muller's record for most goals in a calendar year, scoring 91 goals in total.
2015 - Won his fifth Ballon d'Or, becoming the first player in history to win the award five times.
2019 - Won his sixth Ballon d'Or, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's record of five Ballon d'Or wins.
2021 - Won his first major international trophy with Argentina, leading them to victory in the Copa America in Brazil and being named the tournament's best player.
2022 - Won the Finalissima and the FIFA World Cup 2022 for Argentina.
If you have time, you should read more about this incredible human being
on his
Wikipedia entry.
