114-395: Argentine professional footballer Eponyms and public art Media Family Related Lionel Andrés Messi ( Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] ; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi , is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and
228-563: A club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues, among others. He signed for French club Paris Saint-Germain in August 2021, where he would win the Ligue 1 title during both of his seasons there. Messi joined American club Inter Miami in July 2023, and set a new mark for most goals scored for the club by his second season. An Argentine international, Messi
342-599: A 2019 interview, Messi revealed that the club had offered to pay for his medical treatment despite ultimately rejecting him. As the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000. First team director Charly Rexach immediately wanted to sign him, but the board of directors hesitated; at the time it was highly unusual for European clubs to sign foreign players of such
456-673: A C2 category regarding proficiency in the English language, there's a large number of people who are at least able to hold a conversation and make themselves understood. Religion in Argentina (2022) A majority of the population of Argentina is Christian . According to CONICET survey on creeds, about 76.5% of Argentines are Roman Catholic , 11.3% religiously indifferent, 9% Protestant (with 7.9% in Pentecostal denominations), 1.2% Jehovah's Witnesses , and 0.9% Mormons . Argentina
570-566: A South American male, and the second-most in the latter category outright. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi has scored over 850 senior career goals for club and country. Born in Rosario , Argentina, Messi relocated to Spain to join Barcelona at age 13, and made his competitive debut at age 17 in October 2004. He established himself as an integral player for the club within
684-525: A brace in a 3–2 win over Columbus Crew , clinching the Supporters' Shield , his 46th trophy. In the final game of the regular season on 19 October against New England Revolution , Messi scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 6–2 victory. Inter Miami's victory over the Revolution also allowed the club to finish with 74 points throughout the regular season, a league record for MLS. He would finish
798-455: A citizen or resident of Argentina. Asian Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century, West Asian immigrants, primarily from Lebanon and Syria came as a result of the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war . In the early 20th century, a small wave of East Asian immigrants, particularly from Japan came to the country. The first Argentines of East Asian descent were
912-684: A dialect called Patagonian Welsh , which has developed since the start of the Welsh settlement in Argentina in 1865. A high percentage of Argentines are proficient in the English language since its teaching is included in educational establishments as early as kindergarten. According to the 2023 edition of the English Proficiency Index, Argentines have the highest level of English proficiency in Latin America , ranking 28th worldwide. While of course not everybody falls under
1026-514: A dwarf, he's too fragile, too small. But immediately you'd realise that he was born different, that he was a phenomenon and that he was going to be something impressive." – Newell's Old Boys youth coach Adrián Coria shares his first impression of the 12-year-old Messi. A lifelong supporter of Newell's Old Boys , Messi joined the Rosario club when he was six years old. During the six years he played for Newell's, he scored almost 500 goals as
1140-464: A foreigner, he could only be fielded in friendlies and the Catalan league. Without football, he struggled to integrate into the team; already reserved by nature, he was so quiet that his teammates initially believed he was mute. At home, he suffered from homesickness after his mother moved back to Rosario with his brothers and little sister, María Sol, while he stayed in Barcelona with his father. After
1254-405: A further 20% state they do not know whether or not they have any black ancestors. Genetic studies carried out in 2005 showed that the average level of African genetic contribution in the population of Buenos Aires is 2.2%, but that this component is concentrated in 10% of the population who display notably higher levels of African ancestry. Today there is still a notable Afro-Argentine community in
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#17327797579551368-530: A hat-trick from Messi secured their entry. They would go on to lose to France in the Round of 16 during the World Cup, with Messi having one goal and two assists in the tournament. The next year, under new head coach Lionel Scaloni , Messi would again represent Argentina in the 2019 Copa América , where he registered only a single goal and assist. They would lose to hosts Brazil in the semi-final but ended with
1482-531: A hat-trick in eight minutes during a Copa del Rey match while man-marked by Sevilla 's Sergio Ramos . His progress was reflected in his first professional contract, signed on 4 February 2004, which lasted until 2012 and contained an initial buyout clause of €30 million. A month later, on 6 March, he made his debut for Barcelona B in the Segunda División B , and his buyout clause automatically increased to €80 million. He played five games with
1596-483: A lesser extent from French, Germans, Arabs, Slavs, Irish, Sub-Saharan Africans, East Asians, and others. Immigration of recent decades includes mainly Paraguayans , Bolivians , Peruvians , and Brazilians , among other Latin Americans , Eastern Europeans, Africans, Arabs, and Asians. Genetic ancestry of the average Argentine gene pool according to Caputo et al. (2021) using X-DIPs (matrilineal). The average
1710-474: A low profile, and is accepted by greater Argentine society. Primarily living in their own neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, many currently own their own businesses of varying sizes – largely textiles, grocery stores, and buffet-style restaurants. Arabs and Argentines with partial Arab ancestry represent about 3.2 million people, whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely from
1824-410: A member of "The Machine of '87", the near-unbeatable youth side named for the year of their birth, and regularly entertained crowds by performing ball tricks during half-time of the first team's home games. His goalscoring idol growing up was Brazilian striker Ronaldo , with Messi calling him "the best forward I've ever seen". However, his future as a professional player was threatened when, aged 10, he
1938-477: A new contract committing himself to the club through 2018, and wore the captain's armband for the first time in a league match against Rayo Vallecano . 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. These statistics, as well as lopsided losses in the Champions League where Messi was unfit, gave credence to
2052-515: A new deal complicated due to Barcelona's financial issues. Barcelona would eventually announce that Messi would not be staying at the club, citing financial and structural obstacles posed by La Liga regulations as a reason for Messi's departure. In a tearful press conference held at the Camp Nou, Messi confirmed that he would be leaving Barcelona. On 10 August 2021, Messi joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), reuniting him with Neymar, for
2166-471: A plastic protector; soon hindered by the mask, he took it off and scored two goals in 10 minutes before his substitution. At the close of the season, he received an offer to join Arsenal , his first from a foreign club, but while Fàbregas and Piqué soon left for England , he chose to remain in Barcelona. Messi continued to progress through the club's ranks at a rapid pace, debuting for four youth teams during
2280-518: A record fifth time in his career. He would end the season by winning La Liga as well as the Copa del Rey again. In total, Messi scored 41 goals, and Barcelona's attacking trio of him, Neymar and Suárez managed a Spanish record of 131 combined goals throughout the season, breaking the record they had set the previous season. The 2016–17 season would end with Messi winning the Supercopa de España and
2394-450: A record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 . A second Copa América victory with Messi as captain came in 2024 . Messi has endorsed sportswear company Adidas since 2006. According to France Football , he was the world's highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014, and was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2019 and 2022. Messi was among Time ' s 100 most influential people in
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#17327797579552508-440: A result. During that season, Messi scored 38 total goals, and alongside Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry , contributed to a total of 100 goals in all competitions, a record at the time for the club. Messi played as a false nine for the first time in a Clásico against Real Madrid, setting up his side's first goal and scoring twice in the team's greatest-ever score at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium . He played his first final , winning
2622-527: A second time, with 50 goals, a La Liga record, while his 73 goals in all competitions made him the single-season top scorer in the history of European club football excluding regional and local competitions. The team would also win the Copa Del Rey that season, their 14th trophy under Guardiola, who resigned following the season after a four-year cycle of success. For the start of the 2012–13 season , Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by
2736-413: A secured place in the knockout rounds, Messi would wear the captain's armband for the first time. Argentina were ultimately eliminated in the quarterfinals against Germany during that tournament, but Messi was identified as one of the tournament's 10 best players due to his pace and creativity, despite failing to register a single goal and only having one assist. The appointment of Sergio Batista ahead of
2850-400: A significantly higher estimate of European ancestry at 78.5% of the average Argentine's autosomal DNA. Argentina has 35 officially recognized indigenous people groups. As of the 2010 census [ INDEC ] , some 955,032 Argentines (2.38% of the country's population) self-identify as indigenous or first-generation descendants of indigenous peoples. The most populous indigenous groups were
2964-563: A small group of Japanese immigrants, mainly from the Okinawa prefecture , which came in the period between the early and mid 20th century. In the 1960s, Koreans began to arrive, and in the 1980s, Taiwanese immigrants. The 1990s brought the largest wave of Asian immigration so far to Argentina, from mainland Chinese immigrants, eventually becoming the fourth largest immigrant community in 2013, after Paraguayans, Bolivians, and Peruvians. The small East Asian Argentine population has generally kept
3078-597: A steel factory manager, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. On his father's side, he is of Italian and Spanish descent, the great-grandson of immigrants from the north-central Adriatic Marche region of Italy, and on his mother's side, he has primarily Italian ancestry. Growing up in a tight-knit, football-loving family, "Leo" developed a passion for the sport from an early age, playing constantly with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel Biancucchi , both of whom became professional footballers. At
3192-417: A third-place finish after defeating Chile. Messi would finally end Argentina's 28-year trophy drought in the 2021 Copa América , as they had not won an international tournament since 1993 . In the process, he surpassed Javier Mascherano to become Argentina's most-capped player during a group stage match against Bolivia . Argentina defeated Brazil in the final ; Messi was directly involved in nine out of
3306-638: A total of 122 goals in all competitions that season, a record in Spanish football. Messi opened the 2015–16 season by helping Barcelona's win over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup . Messi capped off the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final over River Plate in Yokohama , collecting his fifth club trophy of the calendar year. On 11 January 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for
3420-515: A total of 36 goals in all official competitions. Messi would begin the 2004–05 season as a guaranteed starter for the Barcelona B team, but after some lobbying by the senior players, he would be promoted to the first team by manager Frank Rijkaard . He made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on 16 October 2004 against Espanyol , and scored his first senior goal on 1 May 2005 against Albacete , from an assist by Ronaldinho , becoming at that time
3534-591: A year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia , Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002. Now playing in all competitions, he befriended his teammates, among whom were Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué . After completing his growth hormone therapy aged 14, Messi became an integral part of the "Baby Dream Team", Barcelona's greatest-ever youth side. During his first full season (2002–03), he
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3648-528: A young age. On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered a contract on a paper napkin . In February 2001, the family relocated to Barcelona, where they moved into an apartment near the club's stadium, Camp Nou . During his first year in Spain, Messi rarely played with the Infantiles due to a transfer conflict with Newell's; as
3762-412: Is Castizo (with Spanish and Italian ancestry): Large comprehensive studies across Argentina's many regions in order to characterize the genetic admixture have been lacking. Small sample size studies give the following composition. A team led by Daniel Corach conducted a study in 2010, analyzing 246 samples from eight provinces and three different regions of the country. The results were as follows:
3876-440: Is home to people of many different ethnic, racial, religious, and denominational backgrounds. Argentina is a melting pot of different peoples. In the mid-19th century a large wave of immigration started to arrive in Argentina due to new Constitutional policies that encouraged immigration, and issues in the countries the immigrants came from, such as wars, poverty, hunger, and famines. The main immigration sources were from Europe,
3990-556: Is home to the largest Jewish population in Latin America and 6th in the world, numbering 182,300 individuals or 0.45% of the population. On a city level, Buenos Aires has the second largest population of Jews in the Americas, second only to New York City. Argentina is also home to the largest Muslim minority in Latin America (see Islam in Argentina ). Although accurate statistics on religion are not available (because
4104-400: Is the national team's all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player . His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew career-long comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona , who described Messi as his successor . At the youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship and gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics . After his senior debut in 2005, Messi became
4218-668: Is unique." – Pep Guardiola after Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer at the age of 24 in March 2012 Messi began the 2011–12 season winning both the Spanish and European Super Cups trophies. At the close of the year, he won the FIFA Club World Cup and earned the Golden Ball for a second time. For his efforts in 2011, he received the FIFA Ballon d'Or , becoming only the fourth player in history to win
4332-536: The 2005–06 season by winning the Supercopa de España without Messi, who was not selected to participate in the competition. By the end of the season, the team would win La Liga again as well as the UEFA Champions League , although Messi would not play in the final for the latter due to injury. During the 2006–07 season , Messi scored his first hat-trick in a Clásico against Real Madrid ,
4446-495: The 2010–11 campaign , Messi won the Supercopa de España , Champions League , and a third consecutive La Liga title . His club performances in 2010 earned him his second consecutive Ballon d'Or . Messi was the top scorer in the Champions League, for the third consecutive year, and the league's top scorer and assist provider. He became Barcelona's all-time single-season top scorer with 53 goals. "I feel sorry for those who want to compete for Messi's throne – it's impossible, this kid
4560-530: The 2011 Copa America resulted in Argentina now building their team around Messi. However, Messi would again be goalless during the tournament but had three assists. The team would ultimately lose to Uruguay in penalties during the quarter-finals. Following their unsuccessful performance, Batista was replaced by Alejandro Sabella , who awarded 24-year-old Messi the captaincy of the squad. The next several years saw many frustrations for Messi due to his inability to captain Argentina to an international trophy. During
4674-400: The 2014 FIFA World Cup , Messi and Argentina lost to Germany in the final , though Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament regardless due to his overall performance with four goals and an assist. Argentina would lose to Chile on penalties in the 2015 Copa América final the next year. At the close of the tournament, Messi, was reportedly selected to receive
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4788-442: The 2018 FIFA World Cup , which they would again exit early. Messi and the national team finally broke Argentina's 28-year trophy drought with a victory in the 2021 Copa América , where he was named the tournament's best player and which later helped him win his seventh Ballon d'Or that year . He then led Argentina to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup , his country's third overall world championship and first in 36 years. This followed with
4902-419: The 2021–22 season on a two-year deal until June 2023 with an option for an extra year. Messi chose 30 as his squad number, the same he wore as a teenager when he made his senior debut for Barcelona. He would make his debut with the club against Reims , made his first start and Champions League debut for the club against Club Brugge , and made his home debut in a match against Lyon He scored his first goal for
5016-541: The 2022–23 season , Messi would win his second trophy with PSG in the Trophée des Champions . A goal against Nice resulted in him surpassing 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. By the end of the season, he had 21 goals across all competitors and the highest number of assists in
5130-575: The Aonikenk , Kolla , Qom , Wichí , Diaguita , Mocoví , Huarpe peoples , Mapuche and Guarani Many Argentines also identify as having at least one indigenous ancestor; a genetic study conducted by the University of Buenos Aires in 2011 showed that 56% of the 320 Argentines sampled were shown to have at least one indigenous ancestor in one parental lineage and around 11% had indigenous ancestors in both parental lineages. Jujuy Province , in
5244-589: The Argentina national team . Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career such as eight Ballon d'Or awards and eight times being named the world's best player by FIFA . He is the most decorated player in the history of professional football having won 45 team trophies , including twelve Big Five league titles, four UEFA Champions Leagues , two Copa Américas , and one FIFA World Cup . Messi holds
5358-605: The Argentine Northwest , is home to the highest percentage of households (15%) with at least one indigenous resident or a direct descendant of an indigenous person; Chubut and Neuquén Provinces , in Patagonia , have upwards of 12%. According to the Argentine national census of 2010, 149,493 (0.37% of the country's overall population) identified as Afro-Argentine , although according to gene pools studies,
5472-517: The Buenos Aires districts of San Telmo and La Boca . There are also quite a few African-descended Argentines in Merlo and Ciudad Evita , in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Immigration from Cape Verde was one of the earliest African migratory flows in the post-colonial era, beginning as early as the late 19th century and well into the 20th century. Today, Cape Verdeans constitute one of
5586-702: The Champions League top scorer , the youngest in the tournament's history. For his efforts in 2009, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Messi scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions, equaling Ronaldo 's club record from the 1996–97 campaign . He finished the season as top scorer in the Champions League , and La Liga, winning his second consecutive league trophy and earned his first European Golden Shoe . In
5700-572: The Copa del Rey . He would finish the 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. Messi, Neymar and Suárez would combine for 110 goals by season's end. Neymar would depart for Paris Saint Germain the next year, leaving the attacking trio with a combined total of 363 goals over the course of three seasons. Luis Enrique would also leave Barcelona at
5814-399: The Copa del Rey . In addition, Barcelona won the La Liga title and later won the Champions League , thus achieving the first treble in the history of Spanish football. During the first half of the 2009–10 season , Barcelona would also win the Supercopa de España , UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup , resulting in becoming the first club to achieve the sextuple. Messi finished as
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#17327797579555928-676: The French (including francophone Basques ), the Irish , Portuguese , the Dutch , among others in smaller number. There are approximately 300,000 Romani descendants in Argentina. They belong to the Romani subgroups Greek, Moldavian and Russian Kalderash , some Lovari and some Chilean Xoraxane. There are also Spanish Kalé and Boyash living in Argentina. Within the population totals, there may be an imprecise amount of mixed population. In one of
6042-502: The Golden Ball award, having scored one goal and provided three assists, but rejected the honour. In the 2016 Copa América Centenario semi-final against the United States , a goal from Messi would put him ahead of Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's all-time leading goalscorer in international matches. However, Argentina would again fall to Chile on penalties in the final . Messi would have five goals and four assists throughout
6156-418: The Golden Ball . Messi would make his debut with the senior national team in 2005, at age 18, coming off the bench in a friendly against Hungary . Messi would have his first start in 2006 against Peru , and would score his first international goal in a friendly against Croatia . His World Cup debut came in the 2006 FIFA World Cup as a substitute in the 74th minute against Serbia and Montenegro , scoring
6270-578: The International Organization for Migration there have been about 806,369 since 2001. The first wave of emigration occurred during the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, principally to Spain, the United States, Mexico and Venezuela. During the 1990s, due to the abolition of visas between Argentina and the United States, thousands of Argentines emigrated to North America. The last major wave of emigration occurred during
6384-631: The Levantine region of Western Asia, from what is now Syria and Lebanon ; and from Cilicia and Palestine in a lesser extent. Due to the fact that many Arab countries were under control of the Ottoman Empire by the time the large immigration wave took place, most Arabs entered the country with Turkish passports, and so they are colloquially referred to as los turcos . There are also 80,000 to 135,000 descendants of Armenians in Argentina, most of them in Buenos Aires , representing one of
6498-457: The Olympic gold medal over Nigeria . Messi registered two goals and three assists throughout, and was singled out by FIFA as the stand-out player from the tournament's best team. With the international retirement of Juan Román Riquelme , Messi was given Argentina's number 10 shirt. During a 2010 FIFA World Cup group stage match against Greece , where a majority of the starters rested due to
6612-608: The United Kingdom and Germany . The most popular immigration destinations in the Americas are: the United States and Brazil , and to a lesser degree, mostly to ( Uruguay and Canada ): Chile , Paraguay and Bolivia , while other communities settled in Venezuela , Peru , Colombia , Ecuador and Costa Rica . Israel is home to the largest Argentine diaspora in the Middle East. In Oceania, Australia has
6726-468: The final . He became the first player to score in every stage of the World Cup, having scored seven total with three assists, and also the first to win the Golden Ball for the tournament twice. With his appearance in the final, Messi set new records as the player with the most appearances at the World Cup (26) and most direct goal contributions at the World Cup (21 – 13 goals and 8 assists). He also set
6840-483: The records for most European Golden Shoes (6), most goals for a single club (672, with Barcelona ), most goals (474), hat-tricks (36) and assists (192) in La Liga , most matches played (39), assists (18) and goal contributions (34) in the Copa América, most matches played (26) and goal contributions (21) in the World Cup, most international appearances (191) and international goals ( 112 ) by
6954-425: The 12 goals scored by Argentina, scoring four and assisting five, and was named the player of the tournament. He captained Argentina to win another international trophy in the 2022 Finalissima against UEFA Euro 2020 winners Italy , where he was named player of the match after providing three assists. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup , Messi led Argentina to its first World Cup victory in 36 years, defeating France during
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#17327797579557068-575: The 16-year-old would become an even better player than himself. Ronaldinho soon befriended Messi, whom he called "little brother", which greatly eased his transition into the first team. To gain further match experience, Messi joined Barcelona C in addition to the Juvenil A , playing his first game for the third team on 29 November. He helped save them from the relegation zone of the Tercera División , scoring five goals in ten games, including
7182-467: The 19th and 20th century immigrants from Europe . The most common ethnic groups are Caucasians (mostly Spanish and Italian descent) and/or Mestizos (mixed European and Native American ancestry). According to Argentine government websites, it is estimated that more than 20 million Argentines, more than 46% of the total population, have Italian ancestry, wholly or in part. Argentines descend mostly from Spaniards, Italians, Native Americans and to
7296-542: The 2001 crisis, mainly to Europe, especially Spain, although there was also an increase in emigration to neighboring countries, particularly Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. The rate of Argentine emigration to Europe (especially to Spain and Italy ) peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s and is noteworthy. Spain and Italy have the largest Argentine communities in Europe, however, there are also important communities in France ,
7410-499: The 2003–04 season. After being named player of the tournament in four international pre-season competitions with the Juvenil B , he played only one official match with the team before being promoted to the Juvenil A , where he scored 18 goals in 11 league games. Messi was then one of several youth players called up to strengthen a depleted first team during the international break. French winger Ludovic Giuly explained how Messi caught
7524-433: The 75th minute during a friendly against José Mourinho 's Porto on 16 November 2003. His performance, creating two chances and a shot on goal, impressed the technical staff, and he subsequently began training daily with the club's reserve side, Barcelona B , as well as weekly with the first team. After his first training session with the senior squad, Barça's new star player, Ronaldinho , told his teammates that he believed
7638-440: The Argentine descendants of colonists from Spain during the colonial period prior to 1810, and mainly of immigrants from Europe in the great immigratory wave from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. No recent Argentine census has included comprehensive questions on ethnicity, although numerous studies have determined that European Argentines have been a majority in the country since 1914. Some international sources claim
7752-503: The Argentine population with some degree of Sub-Saharan African descent would be around 7.5%. World Bank and Argentine government estimates have suggested the Argentine population with at least some African ancestry could number over 2 million, or between 4% and 6% of the population. Despite the fact that in the 1960s it was calculated that Argentina owed two thirds of the volume of its population to European immigration, over 5% of Argentines state they have at least one black ancestor, and
7866-420: The B team that season but did not score. Physically he was weaker than his opponents, who were often much older and taller, and in training he worked on increasing his muscle mass and overall strength in order to be able to shake off defenders. Towards the end of the season, he returned to both youth teams, helping the Juvenil B win the league. He finished the campaign having scored for four of his five teams with
7980-464: The Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo , his perceived career rival , before regaining his best form during the 2014–15 campaign , where he became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, led Barcelona to a historic second treble, and won a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2015 . Messi assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2018, and won a record sixth Ballon d'Or in 2019 . During his overall tenure at Barcelona, Messi won
8094-490: The Ballon d'Or three times, and the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award . During the year 2012, Messi became the second player to be top scorer in four Champions League campaigns. 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 . He finished the season as league top scorer in Spain and Europe for
8208-604: The European ancestry in Argentina comes mainly from the Iberian Peninsula and Italy with a much lower contribution from Central and Northern Europe . The Italian component appears strongest in the East and Center-West, while the Spanish influence dominates in the North East and North West. Argentines of total or partial European descent constitute the majority of Argentina's population. Ethnic Europeans include
8322-433: The European component of the population to be at around 97%. The most numerous immigrant European communities are: Spaniards (including Basques , Asturians and Galicians ), Italians (62.5% of the population have some degree of Italian descent), Germans , Scandinavians (mainly Danes and Swedes ), Slavs (including Russians , Ukrainians , Poles , Czechs , Bulgarians , Slovenes , Serbs and Croats ), Finns ,
8436-489: The age of four he joined local club Grandoli, where he was coached by his father, though his earliest influence as a player came from his maternal grandmother, Celia, who accompanied him to training and matches. He was greatly affected by her death, shortly before his eleventh birthday; since then, as a devout Catholic , he has celebrated his goals by looking up and pointing to the sky in tribute to his grandmother. "When you saw him you would think: this kid can't play ball. He's
8550-526: The analysis of Y-Chromosome DNA revealed a 94.1% of European contribution, and only 4.9% and 0.9% of Native American and Black African contribution, respectively. Mitochondrial DNA analysis again showed a great Amerindian contribution by maternal lineage, at 53.7%, with 44.3% of European contribution, and a 2% African contribution. The study of 24 autosomal markers also proved a large European contribution of 78.5%, against 17.3% of Amerindian and 4.2% Black African contributions. Several studies found out that
8664-672: The club in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul , scoring with a free-kick in stoppage time for a victory. After scoring nine goals in his first six games for Miami, Messi led the team to the club's first-ever trophy by winning the Leagues Cup against Nashville SC . Messi made his MLS debut against New York Red Bulls . Miami would miss the playoffs, finish 14th in the Eastern Conference, having gone winless in their last seven games. On 30 October 2023, following his World Cup win with Argentina and Ligue 1 trophy with PSG, Messi
8778-442: The club in a Champions League group stage win over former manager Pep Guardiola's Manchester City . Having scored 40 goals at club and international level for the calendar year in addition to captaining Argentina to the 2021 Copa América , Messi received a record seventh Ballon d'Or . He finished his debut season with PSG with 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions, helping the club win their 10th Ligue 1 title . Beginning
8892-506: The countries from the Near and the Middle East, Russia, and Japan. Eventually, Argentina became the country with the second-largest number of immigrants in the period, with 6.6 million, second only to the United States with 27 million. Therefore, most Argentines are of full or partial European descent (with a significant indigenous component, and a less prominent black component), and are either descendants of colonial-era settlers and/or of
9006-542: The departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta in May 2018, Messi was named the team's new captain for the 2018–19 season . He lifted his first trophy as Barcelona's captain, the Supercopa de España , following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla. He helped Barcelona clinch the La Liga title , his tenth but first as captain. With 36 goals in 34 appearances that season, he won his sixth league Golden Boot trophy, equalling Zarra as
9120-469: The end of the season after managing the club to a total of nine trophies during his three-year tenure. Messi would sign a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November 2017, keeping him with the club through 2021. The 2017–18 season saw Messi achieving the domestic double, winning La Liga and the Copa Del Rey once again. He once again finished the season as the top scorer in La Liga, with 34 goals, which also saw him win his fifth European Golden Shoe award. With
9234-571: The eye in a training session with Frank Rijkaard 's first team: "He destroyed us all... They were kicking him all over the place to avoid being ridiculed by this kid, he just got up and kept on playing. He would dribble past four players and score a goal. Even the team's starting centre-backs were nervous. He was an alien." "It seemed as if he had been playing with us all his life." – Barcelona's then assistant coach Henk ten Cate on Messi's first-team debut. At 16 years, four months, and 23 days old, Messi made his first team debut when he came on in
9348-464: The final goal in their victory. This made him the youngest player to represent and score for Argentina in the World Cup. He would represent Argentina again for the 2007 Copa América , where they would ultimately lose in the final . Messi was named the best young player of the tournament, having scored two goals and provided one assist. The 2008 Summer Olympics would mark another major achievement with his country, as he led Argentina's U23 team to claim
9462-411: The final year of his contract. The 2020–21 season saw Messi surpass Xavi 's record to reach a club record of 768 appearances. He would lead the club to victory in the 2021 Copa del Rey final . His last two seasons with Barcelona saw him lead La Liga in goal scoring, giving him a record-breaking total of eight Pichichi trophies. Messi became a free agent after his contract expired, with negotiations on
9576-478: The first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times. To offset the load on Messi, Barcelona would sign Brazilian forward Neymar from Santos before the 2013–14 season . The team would win the Supercopa de España at the beginning of the season. Messi finished the campaign with his worst output in five seasons, though he still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions. For
9690-401: The first player to do so in 12 years. An incredibly finesse goal from Messi against Getafe and another goal scored by a handball against Espanyol gained notice for their similarities to the two famous goals scored by fellow Argentine Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup match against England , drawing comparisons between the two that Messi would face throughout his career. The team finished
9804-652: The first time in five years, Barcelona ended the season without a major trophy. Barcelona hired coach Luis Enrique before the 2014–15 season , and would continue to aid Messi in the attack by signing Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez , who had won the European Golden Shoe the year before at Liverpool . Luis Enrique's system would feature quick transitions from defense to attack, led by the front three of Messi, Suárez and Neymar. The attacking trio, which colloquially became known as 'MSN', would break goalscoring records. A hat-trick scored against Sevilla earlier in
9918-416: The indigenous population, nearly all Argentines or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries. Among countries in the world that have received the most immigrants in modern history, Argentina, with 6.6 million, ranks second to the United States (27 million), and ahead of other immigrant destinations such as Canada, Brazil and Australia. Argentina is a multiethnic society , which means that it
10032-598: The languages (such as Vilela , Puelche , Tehuelche and Selknam ). There are also other communities of immigrants that speak their native languages, such as the Chinese language spoken by at least half of the over 60,000 Chinese immigrants (mostly in Buenos Aires ) and an Occitan-speaking community in Pigüé, Buenos Aires Province . Welsh is also spoken by over 35,000 people in the Chubut Province . This includes
10146-573: The largest Armenian diasporas in the world. Although Spanish is dominant, being the national language spoken by virtually all Argentines, at least 40 languages are spoken in Argentina. Languages spoken by at least 100,000 Argentines include Amerindian languages such as Southern Quechua , Guaraní and Mapudungun , and immigrant languages such as German , Italian, English, French or Levantine Arabic . Two native languages are extinct ( Abipón and Chané ), while some others are endangered , spoken by elderly people whose descendants do not speak
10260-514: The largest African immigrant communities, numbering over 15,000; they mainly live in port cities in Buenos Aires Province , such as Ensenada and Dock Sud . Immigration from Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Angola and other African countries in recent decades has caused a surge in the country's black population as well. Argentines of Asian ancestry are defined as either born within Argentina , or born elsewhere and later to become
10374-548: The largest Argentine community, followed by New Zealand . 2015 FIFA Ballon d%27Or The 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala was the sixth year for FIFA 's awards for the top football players and coaches of the year. The awards were given out in Zürich, Switzerland on 11 January 2016. Lionel Messi won the award as the World Player of the Year for the fifth time, extending his own record of five wins. Carli Lloyd
10488-433: The league with 16, which helped PSG clinch their 11th Ligue 1 title and his second in a row. Following the last game of the season, manager Christophe Galtier confirmed that it would be Messi's last for PSG, with the club confirming his departure two days later. Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami CF announced the signing of Messi on a two-and-a-half-year contract on 15 July 2023. Messi made his 2023 debut for
10602-399: The most comprehensive genetic studies involving the population of Argentina, 441 Argentines from across the North East, North West, Southern, and Central provinces (especially the urban conglomeration of Buenos Aires) of the country, it was observed that the sample population comprised on average of 65% European, followed by 31% Amerindian, and finally 4% of African ancestry; however, this study
10716-717: The national census does not solicit religious data), the actual size of Argentina 's Muslim community is estimated to be around 1% of the total population (400,000 to 500,000 members), according to the International Religious Freedom Report in 2015. Buenos Aires hosts the largest mosque in Latin America . Buenos Aires also features notable Greek , Armenian and Russian Orthodox churches, Presbyterian Korean and Anglican churches, as well as Buddhist temples, among other minority religions. According to official estimates there are 600,000 Argentines worldwide, and according to estimates by
10830-462: The next three years, and in his first uninterrupted season in 2008–09 helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, aged 22, Messi won the first of his four consecutive Ballons d'Or, the first player to win it four times. During the 2011–12 season , he set La Liga and European records for most goals in a season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer . The following two seasons, he finished second for
10944-415: The notion of Messidependencia , Barcelona's perceived tactical and psychological dependence on their star player. The team would win La Liga again that year, Messi's sixth, equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season. 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
11058-468: The player with the most top-scorer awards in La Liga. He also captured his sixth Golden Shoe award, and a record third consecutive award since the 2016–17 season. Messi would win his sixth Ballon d'Or , but the subsequent 2019–20 season saw Barcelona go trophyless for the first time since 2007–08. Following a disappointing season, Barcelona announced that Messi sent the club "a document expressing his desire to leave", but Messi ultimately decided to fulfill
11172-407: The record for most goals for Argentina in a calendar year with 18. Argentines Argentines are the people identified with the country of Argentina . This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Argentine . In the past the demonym for citizens of Argentina
11286-412: The regular season with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches. In doing so, he became Inter Miami's all-time leading goalscorer . Miami made its first postseason appearance in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs but were eliminated in the first round after losing two games against Atlanta United . Messi would have his first postseason goal in the third game, a 3–2 loss. As a dual Argentine-Spanish national, Messi
11400-510: The season with only one trophy – the 2006 Supercopa de España . Barcelona would finish the next 2007–08 season trophyless, leading to Rijkaard's departure. At the beginning of the 2008–09 season , his first under Barcelona's new manager, former captain Pep Guardiola , Messi was given the number 10 shirt. Over time, he effectively became the tactical focal point of Guardiola's possession-based system, increasing his goalscoring rate as
11514-411: The season would also make him the all-time top scorer in La Liga , as he surpassed the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra . After securing the La Liga title , the Copa Del Rey , and the Champions League that year, Messi helped Barcelona become the first club to win the continental treble twice. He would record 58 goals, but combined with Neymar and Suárez, the attacking trio scored
11628-419: The start of 2013. A double scored against Real Betis saw Messi becoming Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga, and surpassed Gerd Müller 's record of most goals scored in a calendar year; Messi would score a record 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina throughout 2012. Messi again won the FIFA Ballon d'Or , becoming the first player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times. He signed
11742-406: The tournament. Losing three consecutive finals in three consecutive years caused Messi to briefly retire from international football, but a fan campaign in Argentina helped convince him to reverse his decision. He would return to the national team to lead them to the 2018 FIFA World Cup . Argentina were in jeopardy of missing the tournament on the last game of the qualifiers against Ecuador , but
11856-477: The women's awards were revealed on 19 October and the men's on 20 October. The results for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or were: The following twenty players were also in contention for the award: The winner of the FIFA Puskás Award was: The other nominees were: [REDACTED] The results for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year were: The following seven players were also named to
11970-502: The world in 2011, 2012, and 2023. In 2020 and 2023, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year , the first team-sport athlete to win it. In 2020, Messi was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team and became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $ 1 billion in career earnings. Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario , Santa Fe Province , the third of four children of Jorge Messi,
12084-477: The youngest Argentine to play and score in a World Cup in 2006 . He assumed the national team's captaincy in 2011, and then led Argentina to three consecutive finals: the 2014 FIFA World Cup , the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario , all of which they would lose. After initially announcing his international retirement in 2016, he returned to help his country narrowly qualify for
12198-416: The youngest-ever scorer for the club. At 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, he was at the time the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition, and the club would win the league title during that season. On his 18th birthday, he would sign his first contract as a senior team player, which would be updated three months later to keep him at the club until 2014. Barcelona would begin
12312-476: Was awarded a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or . He was also named Time Athlete of the Year , the first footballer to ever win the award. During the 2024 season , 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. On 2 October, Messi scored
12426-434: Was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency . As his father's health insurance covered only two years of growth hormone therapy , which cost at least $ 1,000 per month, Newell's agreed to contribute, but later reneged on their promise. He was scouted by Buenos Aires club River Plate , whose playmaker Pablo Aimar he idolised. It was speculated that he failed to be signed into River Plate due to his ill health, however in
12540-460: Was eligible to play for the national team of both countries. He debuted for Argentina in 2004 for Argentina's U20 team against Paraguay , and was subsequently included in the squad for the 2005 South American U-20 Championship , where they would finish third. Messi would then lead the team to victory in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship , his first success with Argentina. Finishing the tournament with six goals and two assists, he would also win
12654-459: Was mistakenly translated as Argentinians , a term that is no longer considered accurate. Argentina is a multiethnic society, home to people of various ethnic , racial , religious , denomination , and national origins, with the majority of the population made up of Old World immigrants and their descendants. As a result, Argentines do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance to Argentina. Aside from
12768-598: Was named as the Women's World Player of the Year, while Luis Enrique received the World Coach of the Year for Men's Football and Jill Ellis the World Coach of the Year for Women's Football. The ceremony was hosted by Kate Abdo and James Nesbitt . In late October 2015, FIFA revealed shortlist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, FIFA Women's World Player of the Year and FIFA World Coaches of the Year. The shortlists for
12882-469: Was top scorer with 36 goals in 30 games for the Cadetes A, who won an unprecedented treble of the league and both the Spanish and Catalan cups. The Copa Catalunya final, a 4–1 victory over Espanyol , became known in club lore as the partido de la máscara , the final of the mask. A week after suffering a broken cheekbone during a league match, Messi was allowed to start the game on the condition that he wear
12996-407: Was unweighted and meant to be a representation of the diversity of Argentine DNA rather than a demonstration of the average ethnic composition of the country. It was also found there were great differences in the ancestry amongst Argentines as one traveled across the country. A study by Daniel Corach that attempted to find the average Argentine ancestry by weighing the population of various regions gave
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