At the end of 2012, Messi turned down a very lucrative offer to play for an unnamed Russian side. It would have given Messi a salary of €20 million a year and made Messi the most expensive player in the world (Barcelona would have been paid €250 million). He turned down the offer because he was unsure if he would be playing in major European championships and the difficulties in moving to Russia. Instead, he signed a contract with Barcelona until the end of 2018. When asked about moving to the English Premier League, Messi revealed his sense of commitment to Barcelona.

In conclusion, another name for this book would be The Life Changer, and the author wrote this book to teach people not to give up. At the start of 2013, in club football, Messi has scored 292 goals from a total of 359 appearances, and in international football, 31 goals from 76 appearances.Lionel Messi was born, 24 June 1987, in Rosario, Argentina to a working-class family. His father was a factory steel worker, and his mother a cleaner. Messi acts as an ambassador for Unicef, and also runs his own charitable foundation – supporting access to education and sport for children. Because of his own expensive medical treatment, he has also helped Argentinian hospitals with paying for similar treatment to his own. Lionel Messi, seen here in a September 2023 game, has played for Inter Miami since July. Getty Images Whether it’s a friendly match, or for points, or a final, or any game—I play the same. I’m always trying to be my best, first for my team, for myself, for the fans and to try and win. Although famously private off the field, Messi has quietly helped others in need. In 2007, he formed the Leo Messi Foundation to provide opportunities for disadvantaged youths. In early 2010, UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador, with a focus on fighting for children’s rights across the globe. Quotes

Fascinating. What an interesting man. (Don’t read the Rooney straight after, or you’ll realise Rooney has no character or interesting elements to him at all). My son loved it and my wife listened to me reading it to him.” Something deep in my character allows me to take the hits and get on with trying to win. I’ve always had this ability to get up and get on with it. Messi progressed through the ranks and was given his first appearance in the 2004/05 season becoming the youngest player to score a league goal. In 2006, Messi was part of the double winning team which won both La Liga (Spanish League) and Champions League. By next season, (2006-07) aged just 20, Messi was the first choice striker and an essential part of the Barcelona team – scoring 14 goals in 26 league games. Messi has won FIFA’s World Player Trophy a record seven times, including four consecutive wins between 2009 and 2011, and Europe’s Ballon d’Or a record eight times. He’s also won the European Golden Shoe for top scorer six times, two more than his nearest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo. Tax Fraud Scandal After helping Barcelona achieve a historic second treble in 2015, he was honored with his fifth Ballon d’Or trophy. Four years later, following another La Liga title, Messi again established a new standard for excellence by claiming his sixth Ballon d’Or.

In the 2009-10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo’s record total for Barcelona. As the seasons have progressed, Messi kept improving and breaking his own records. In the calendar year of 2012, he broke the all-time world record for most goals scored in a calendar year. His final total of goals in 2012 was 91 – beating the previous record of 85 by German Gerd Muller, and Pele’s milestone of 75 in 1958. For all his success with Barcelona, Messi repeatedly came under fire for his inability to help Argentina’s national team win a major title. In the 2014 World Cup, Argentina lost to Germany in the final, though Messi was named player of the tournament that year. In 2016, following Argentina’s second consecutive loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America tournament, Messi announced he was ending his run with the national team. I am competitive, and I feel bad when we lose. You can see it in me when we’ve lost. I’m in a bad way. I don’t like to talk to anyone. I’ve never stopped being Argentine, and I’ve never wanted to. I feel very proud of being Argentine, even though I left there. I’ve been clear about this since I was very young, and I never wanted to change.

To tell you the truth this is really quite unbelievable. The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words. ” ( BBC) Messi and Ronaldo I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius, and he can become an even better player.” Messi became the first Argentinian player to win the Ballon d’Or. Even the great Maradona gushed about his fellow countryman. “I see him as very similar to me,” the retired player told the BBC. “He’s a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different than any other player in the world.” Lionel Messi faced a major problem with reaching his goal of becoming a professional soccer player. At an early age Messi otherwise known as “La Pulga”, small fly, was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. Seen by many as a weakness was later made into a strength by Messi. Not giving up Messi at the age of 13 found himself getting a contract by a professional soccer club called Fc Barcelona. Treating a growth hormone deficiency takes a lot of money which Messi’s parents didn’t have at the time. Looking pass Messi’s disability the club fully paid for the treatment and brought him and his family to Barcelona, Spain to begin their new life.

Messi has often been compared to prolific Real Madrid goalscorer Christiano Ronaldo, but both have been keen to downplay the rivalry. Messi has his personality and I have mine. He has his game and I have mine. I also play in a big club like him. We are different in every aspect. But right now, he is the best.” Messi: A Biography is a well-written novel by Leonardo Faccio. This novel is about Lionel Messi and how he went pro from being the smallest kid on the team to being the best player in the world. Lionel By any standards, Messi’s goal scoring record is exceptional. By June 2019, he has scored 419 goals in 445 official matches for Barcelona FC.

Messi was very small for his age and had a growing disease and he played for his team Argentina called the “ Newell’s young boys.” He immediately was the best player on the team and also the smallest player on the team. Messi: The must-read biography of the World Cup champion, now fully updated (Guillem Balague's Books) I do not care about the Golden Ball. I am just upset by the wasted chances. We had the best chances. We knew we could not dominate the game but we knew what we wanted to do. Right now I do not care about my prize. I just wanted to lift the cup and bring it to Argentina. The pain is very great.” The amazing biography written by Leonardo Faccio on the best player in the world gives the reader an overview of how Messi became the best player in the world. Lionel Andress Messi was born on June 24th,1987 in Rosario, Argentina. At the age of only 13 years old, young Lionel Messi was moved to Spain after that Fc Barcelona agreed to pay hormone deficiency treatments. Hormone deficiency restricted Messi’s grown and could not grow as tall as the kids his age. Messi was an amazing player for his age, so Fc Barcelona offered a chance to Messi to train at La Masia and help his parents pay the meditation bills. Messi was an amazing player at the age of 13, he got to the Barcelona Junior team at the age of 16 while that people get there at the age of 18. Messi made several achievements that year, he broke the record of being the first youngest player at Barcelona to score for the first team and also let his national team to the under 20 World Cup. In 2009, Messi led Barcelona to win The UEFA Champions League, The League, and the Spanish Cup. Messi also took home with him his first Ballon d'Or. Messi broke all the records and scored more goals than legends who have played at the club. Today, Messi is the best player in the world, holding five Ballon D’ors, four Champions League, three UEFA best player of Europe, eight leagues, and four Spanish cup winners. Messi was also named a player of the year three times, top scorer fifteen times, one-time Olympic gold medalist and much more wins with the amazing Fc Barcelona team. Finally, one would describe Messi in three words: God of Soccer. Amazingly, the soccer wizard continued to improve, discovering new ways to elude defenders while leading Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as the ’11 Champions League title.Lionel Messi added to his already impressive list of soccer accomplishments on October 30, winning the Ballon d’Or as the world’s top male player for a record eighth time. The Argentinian beat out Manchester city striker Erling Haaland for the award. Bought this for my 11-year-old grand-daughter as she really likes football, but not much of a reader. To be honest her dad read it to her, he said it was good to read about where it all started for Messi.” Spanish La Liga title (*10) : 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16 Messi and Roccuzzo have three children together: Thiago, born in November 2012; Mateo, born in September 2015; and Ciro, born in March 2018. At last, in 2021 and 2022, Argentina and Messi found enough traction to bring home trophies that had long evaded them. First, the team won the Copa America—Argentina’s first major title in 28 years—in August 2021, besting Brazil in the final. Captain Messi tied for top goal scorer, alongside Colombia’s Luis Diaz, and was named player of the tournament. The next year, greater glory awaited at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Argentina captured the trophy after a thrilling game against France that ended in a penalty shootout. Messi was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player for a second time and broke the record for most World Cup appearances with 26 games. Stats