Lionel Messi: Looking at each chapter of his career so far
It’s official: Lionel Messi will join MLS side Inter Miami CF on a free transfer in July.
Despite talks of re-joining FC Barcelona or signing an incredibly lucrative deal with a Saudi Pro League club, the 35-year-old World Cup winner will take his talents to MLS once his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires on June 30.
With arguably the biggest superstar in the history of the sport coming to the United States, FOX Sports Research decided to take a look at each chapter of his career, examining his performance as well as his accolades and honors. Since turning pro 19 years ago, there have only been two seasons in which he did not win a trophy (2013-14, 2019-20). Let’s take a look below.
Youth career: Grandoli, Newell’s Old Boys, Barcelona (1992-2003)
Messi’s football career actually started at the age of four, when he signed with Grandol, a local club that was coached by his father. Shortly after at the age of six, he joined Newell’s Old Boys, a team he had supported throughout his childhood. There, he’d score an absurd 500 goals over the course of six years before moving to Spain in 2000.
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FC Barcelona (2004-2021)
The Argentine phenom spent four years in Barcelona’s youth academy, with some time on the B and C senior teams. But the legend of Messi truly began once he was called up to the senior squad at Barcelona. At 17 years old, he made his debut with the first team in 2004, which started what would ultimately be the most storied career in the club’s history.
In 17 seasons, he won 35 major trophies with Barcelona, more than any player in the club's 123-year history. That Includes 10 La Liga titles, eight Spanish Supercopas, seven Copa del Reys and four Champions Leagues. Below is a breakdown of his dominance in the Spanish league during that time.
- Barcelona's all-time goalscorer (672) and appearance-maker (778)
- Led Barcelona to two trebles (2008-09 and 2014-15)
- Won six of his seven Ballon d’Or trophies with Barcelona
- Holds record for most goals in El Clasico with 26 goals in 45 games
- Holds La Liga league records for career goals (474), most goals scored in a season (50), career assists (192), most assists in a single season (21), career hat-tricks (36), most hat-tricks in a single season (8- tied with Cristiano Ronaldo)
- Holds record for most La Liga appearances by a foreign-born (player (520), as well as record for most top-flight league titles in Spain than any other non-Spanish born player (10)
- Led La Liga in scoring in seven different seasons with Barcelona
- Led Champions League in scoring in six different seasons with Barcelona
- Holds the record for most goals in a single calendar year (men's) with 91 goals in 2012 (79 for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina)
- First player to score five goals in a Champions League match, doing so with Barcelona in 2012
- Youngest South American player ever to score 15 goals in Champions League, doing so at 21 years and 288 days old in 2009
PSG (2021-2023)
The world’s greatest player was forced to make a change in 2021 and left the only European club he had played for in order to team up with the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain. In his short time there, Messi won three trophies, hoisting the Ligue 1 championship twice in addition to the Trophée des Champions.
- 32 goals and 35 assists in 75 total appearances for the club
- 16 goals (10th most) and 16 assists (most) in Ligue 1 play this season
- 15 assists (second most) in Ligue 1 play last season
- Scored 6 goals in Ligue 1 play and 5 goals in Champions League play last season
- Won his seventh Ballon d’Or in 2021 with PSG
Argentina (2005-present)
Oftentimes, superstars in the soccer world are dominant in club play but fail to replicate the same success on the international scene. Many pundits had criticized Messi for failing to claim a World Cup title for Argentina, especially after a 1-0 loss to Germany in the 2014 final. However, Messi layered the icing on the cake of his career with a World Cup trophy in Qatar last year. Below is an overview of his absolute dominance for Argentina since his senior debut at 18 years old in 2005.
- 2022 FIFA World Cup champion
- 2022 Finalissima champion (CONMEBOL vs UEFA championship)
- 2021 Copa América champion
- 2008 Olympic Gold medalist
- 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup champion
- 2-time World Cup Golden Ball winner (2022, 2014), only player to have won it twice
- Argentina’s all-time leader in appearances (174) and in goals scored (102)
- 19 consecutive senior seasons scoring a goal (first goal in 2024 will make it 20 straight), record is currently 22 straight by Cristiano Ronaldo
- First man to score in the final, semifinals, quarterfinals and round of 16 at a single World Cup
- Second-oldest goalscorer in a World Cup final at 35 years and 177 days old
- Oldest men’s player to ever score five goals at a single World Cup
- Most World Cup appearances by any man, with 26 matches played
- One of five men to score 13 goals in World Cup play, and Argentina’s all-time leading scorer in the tournament
- Only Argentina player to score in three different knockout stages of the World Cup
- Only man to score in the World Cup in his teens, 20s and 30s
- Only man to register an assist in five different World Cups
- One of five men (and first Argentina player) to score at four World Cups; Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record, having scored in five different World Cups; Pelé, Uwe Seeler, Miroslave Klose each scored in four different World Cups
- One of six men to play in five World Cups; Rafa Márquez (Mexico), Antonio Carbajal (Mexico), Lothar Matthäus (Germany), Andrés Guardado (Mexico), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
- Six assists in knockout stage games, tied with Pelé for the most of any men’s player all-time
Inter Miami (July, 2023-present)
While Messi is the ultimate game-changer, Inter Miami has struggled since its first season in MLS. Below is a quick look on what Messi will be up against when he joins the club.
- Fired manager Phil Neville on June 1
- Currently in last place in the Eastern Conference at 5-11-0 (W-L-D)
- Have never finished above .500 in any of its three seasons, going a combined 33-44-14 (W-L-D) in that span
- Recorded a goal differential of -36 in three seasons prior to 2022-23