Lionel Messi: Age, Net Worth, Biography and Facts

Lionel Messi (born June 24, 1987) is an Argentine footballer, the 2022 World Cup champion, a record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and captain of Inter Miami. This profile covers his biography, goals and stats, Barcelona, PSG and Inter Miami years, the 2026 World Cup, his retirement from Argentina, jersey numbers, wife Antonela Roccuzzo and family, as of October 2026.

Age and net worth

Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987 and is 39 years old.

Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion in October 2026 (Forbes). Figures like this are published estimates, not official statements of wealth.

Who is Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi, known as Leo Messi, was born in Rosario, Argentina, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. He spent 17 seasons in Barcelona's first team after joining the club at 13, won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards and led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles. According to Major League Soccer, his 2025 MLS Cup win brought his total to 47 trophies for club and country, extending his own world record.

On March 18, 2026, he became only the second man, after Cristiano Ronaldo, to score 900 official goals. He played his last World Cup in North America in 2026, reaching the final, and on October 6, 2026, he said farewell to the Argentina national team with his 126th goal in his 208th match. He continues to play club football for Inter Miami, where his contract runs through the 2028 MLS season.

Lionel Messi stats

Metric	Value (as of October 2026)
Ballon d'Or	8 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023) – record
Team trophies	47 – record (after MLS Cup 2025)
Career goals	More than 900 (900th on March 18, 2026)
Goals for Barcelona	672, including 474 in La Liga (both club and league records)
Argentina	208 matches, 126 goals (both national records)
World Cups	6 (2006–2026), 34 matches, 21 goals; champion in 2022
World Cup Golden Ball	2 (2014, 2022) – the only player to win it twice
European Golden Shoe	6
Club	Inter Miami (since July 2023, contract through 2028)

Childhood in Rosario and move to Barcelona

Messi was born in Rosario, in Santa Fe province, the third of four children of Jorge Messi, a steel factory manager, and Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. The family has Italian and Spanish ancestry. He began playing at the local club Grandoli, coached by his father, and joined the academy of Newell's Old Boys at six, where he starred in the youth side known as "The Machine of '87."

At around ten he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. The nightly injections were expensive, and Argentine clubs hesitated to pay for them. In 2000 Barcelona's sporting director, Carles Rexach, agreed to sign the 13-year-old, famously writing the commitment on a paper napkin, and the club paid for his treatment. Messi moved to Spain with his family and came through the club's La Masia academy alongside future stars Gerard Piqué and Cesc Fàbregas.

Barcelona (2004–2021)

Messi made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on October 16, 2004, at 17, and in May 2005 scored his first goal, assisted by Ronaldinho. Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona won Spain's first treble in 2008–09 (La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League), and Messi won the first of four consecutive Ballon d'Or awards. Moved to a central "false nine" role, he became the focal point of one of the greatest club sides in history.

In 2011–12 he scored 73 goals in all competitions, a single-season record in European football, and in calendar year 2012 he scored 91 goals, recognized by Guinness World Records as the most in a calendar year. In 2014–15 he formed the "MSN" attack with Luis Suárez and Neymar and won a second treble. In total he won 35 trophies with Barcelona, including 10 La Liga titles, seven Copas del Rey and four Champions League titles (2006, 2009, 2011 and 2015), and became the club's all-time leading scorer with 672 goals.

In August 2021, with Barcelona in financial crisis and unable to register a new contract under La Liga's spending rules, Messi left the club after 21 years, giving a tearful farewell press conference.

Paris Saint-Germain (2021–2023)

At Paris Saint-Germain Messi played alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, winning Ligue 1 in 2022 and 2023 and the Trophée des Champions in 2022. PSG did not win the Champions League during his two seasons. He won his seventh Ballon d'Or in November 2021 and his eighth in October 2023, the latter recognizing his World Cup triumph.

Messi and Inter Miami (since 2023)

In July 2023 Messi joined Inter Miami, the MLS club co-owned by David Beckham, under a deal that included revenue sharing with Apple and Adidas. His arrival sparked "Messi-mania" across the United States, with sold-out stadiums and record shirt sales. In his first weeks the club won the 2023 Leagues Cup, its first trophy. In 2024 Inter Miami won the Supporters' Shield with a then-record points total, and Messi was named MLS Most Valuable Player.

In 2025 he led Inter Miami to the knockout rounds of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup, won the MLS Golden Boot with 29 league goals and captained the club to its first MLS Cup, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 in the December final; he was named MLS Cup MVP after two assists. In October 2025 he signed an extension through the 2028 season, and in 2026 the club moved into its new stadium, Miami Freedom Park. On March 18, 2026, he scored his 900th career goal in a Concacaf Champions Cup match against Nashville SC.

Argentina national team

Messi, who also held Spanish citizenship, chose to represent Argentina. He won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship as top scorer and best player and Olympic gold at Beijing 2008. Senior success proved elusive for years: Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany, where Messi won the Golden Ball, and the Copa América finals of 2015 and 2016, after which he briefly retired from international football.

The breakthrough came at the 2021 Copa América, when Argentina beat Brazil 1–0 at the Maracanã to end a 28-year wait for a major trophy. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar he scored seven goals, including two in the final against France, which Argentina won on penalties after a 3–3 draw, and he became the first player to win the Golden Ball twice. Argentina won the Copa América again in 2024.

Messi at the 2026 World Cup

At the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, Messi played in a record sixth tournament. He equaled Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals with a hat-trick in Argentina's opening 3–0 win and went on to score eight goals at the tournament, taking his career total to 21 in a record 34 World Cup matches, according to FIFA. Kylian Mbappé finished the tournament one goal ahead of him, with 22, as the all-time leader. Argentina reached a second consecutive final but lost 1–0 to Spain after extra time on July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, to a goal by Ferran Torres.

Lionel Messi retirement from Argentina

On August 31, 2026, Messi announced his retirement from international football. His farewell came on October 6, 2026, in a friendly against Benin at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. The match was stopped in the 10th minute for a standing ovation; he set up two goals and scored the third in a 3–0 win, his 126th goal in his 208th appearance for Argentina, as ESPN and The Guardian reported. He has not announced a retirement from club football and remains under contract with Inter Miami through 2028.

Messi's Ballon d'Or wins

Year	Club	Highlight of the season
2009	Barcelona	First Spanish treble
2010	Barcelona	European Golden Shoe
2011	Barcelona	Champions League final goal at Wembley
2012	Barcelona	91 goals in a calendar year
2015	Barcelona	Second treble with the "MSN" attack
2019	Barcelona	La Liga title and sixth Golden Shoe
2021	Barcelona / PSG	Copa América winner with Argentina
2023	PSG / Inter Miami	World Cup winner and Golden Ball

Major trophies

Competition	Times won	Years
World Cup	1	2022
Copa América	2	2021, 2024
Olympic Games	1	2008
UEFA Champions League	4	2006, 2009, 2011, 2015
La Liga	10	2005–2019
Ligue 1	2	2022, 2023
MLS Cup	1	2025
Leagues Cup	1	2023
FIFA Club World Cup	3	2009, 2011, 2015
Ballon d'Or	8	2009–2023
European Golden Shoe	6	2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019
World Cup Golden Ball	2	2014, 2022

Lionel Messi jersey number

Messi's number 10 is one of the best-selling shirts in the world. At Barcelona he started with 30, then wore 19 before inheriting the 10 from Ronaldinho in 2008. At PSG, where Neymar wore 10, he took number 30, the shirt of his Barcelona debut. He wears 10 for Inter Miami and wore it for Argentina, where it carries the legacy of Diego Maradona.

Playing style

Messi is a left-footed attacker with a low center of gravity, extraordinary close control and the ability to change direction at full speed, dribbling past several defenders at a time. He started as a right winger, flourished as a false nine under Guardiola and later became a deep-lying playmaker. He is equally dangerous as a scorer and a creator, and is often compared with Diego Maradona, especially for solo goals such as his run against Getafe in 2007.

Rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo

For 15 years Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo shared football's biggest individual awards, winning 13 of the 15 Ballon d'Ors handed out between 2008 and 2023. Their meetings in El Clásico, Messi for Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid, made it one of the great rivalries in sport.

Legal issues and charity

On July 6, 2016, a Barcelona court found Messi and his father guilty of three counts of tax fraud over image-rights income between 2007 and 2009, giving each a 21-month suspended sentence; they had already paid the outstanding tax in 2013. Under Spanish law, first sentences of under two years for non-violent crimes are usually suspended. Messi set up the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007 to support children's health and education, and has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2010.

Lionel Messi wife and family

Messi's wife is Antonela Roccuzzo, whom he has known since childhood in Rosario; she is the cousin of his best friend, Lucas Scaglia. They became a couple publicly in 2008 and married in Rosario on June 30, 2017. They have three sons: Thiago (born 2012), Mateo (2015) and Ciro (2018), and Thiago plays in Inter Miami's youth academy. His family has long managed his affairs: his father, Jorge, was his agent from childhood, his brother Rodrigo handles his schedule, and his mother and brother Matías have been involved with his foundation.

Jorge Messi died on August 8, 2026, at a clinic in Rosario after a long illness, at the age of 68, as Reuters and the BBC reported. Messi missed an Inter Miami match that weekend, and the club and fans paid tribute to his father. Messi is Catholic and holds Argentine, Spanish and Italian citizenship.

Quick facts

Full name	Lionel Andrés Messi
Born	June 24, 1987
Birthplace	Rosario, Argentina
Club	Inter Miami, USA (since 2023, contract through 2028)
Position	Forward
Previous clubs	Barcelona (2004–2021), Paris Saint-Germain (2021–2023)
National team	Argentina 2005–2026: 208 matches, 126 goals; 2022 World Cup champion; Copa América 2021 and 2024
Awards	8 Ballon d'Ors, 2 World Cup Golden Balls, 6 European Golden Shoes
Family	Wife Antonela Roccuzzo (married 2017), sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro

Timeline

• June 24, 1987: Born in Rosario, Argentina
• 2000: Moved to Barcelona and joined La Masia
• October 16, 2004: La Liga debut for Barcelona
• 2005: World Youth Championship winner with Argentina
• August 23, 2008: Olympic gold in Beijing
• May 27, 2009: First Champions League final win as part of the treble
• December 1, 2009: First Ballon d'Or
• 2012: 91 goals in a calendar year
• June 6, 2015: Fourth Champions League title
• July 6, 2016: Suspended sentence in a Spanish tax case
• June 30, 2017: Married Antonela Roccuzzo
• July 10, 2021: Won the Copa América
• August 2021: Left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain
• December 18, 2022: World Cup champion
• July 2023: Joined Inter Miami
• October 30, 2023: Eighth Ballon d'Or
• December 2025: Won the MLS Cup with Inter Miami
• March 18, 2026: Scored his 900th career goal
• July 19, 2026: Lost the World Cup final to Spain after extra time
• August 8, 2026: His father, Jorge Messi, died
• August 31, 2026: Announced retirement from the national team
• October 6, 2026: Farewell match against Benin, scoring his 126th international goal

Photo: Kirilas Venediktovas, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons