messi biography

messi biography
Profile:

Full name: Luis Lionel Andrés Messi
Date of Birth: June 24, 1987
Place of birth: Rosario, Argentina
Country: Argentina
Other nationalities: Spanish
EU Passport: Yes
Height: 169 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Forward
Debut: November 17, 2003


Lionel Andrés Messi (24 June 1987 in Rosario) is an Argentine football (soccer) player.

Lionel Messi started playing football at a very early age in his hometown of Newell's Old Boys. From the age of 11 years, suffered from a hormone deficiency and as Lionel parents could not pay for treatment in Argentina, have decided to move to Barcelona, ​​Spain.

In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following season champion of the world, Messi made his first appearance in an official game October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).

With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On 1 May 2005, he became the youngest player to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days.

He was offered the chance to play for the national football team in Spain, but he refused, preferring to wait for the opportunity to play for the country of his birth. In June 2004 he had his chance, playing in an Under-20 friendly match against Paraguay.
Lionel Messi wearing FC Barcelona colorsIn June 2005 he starred for the Argentina U-20 team that won the World Youth Championship played in The Football Netherlands.Messi picked up the Golden Boot as top scorer with six goals, andGolden Ball for best player of the tournament. Despite his youth, Lionel has already drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona, arguably the best football player of all time.

On September 25, 2005 Messi obtained a Spanish citizenship and was finally able to make his debut in this season's Spanish First Division. He had previously been able to play because FC Barcelona had filled their entire share of non-EU players.

Messi's first outing in the UEFA Champions League at the Nou Camp was on September 28 against Italian club Udinese. He hit with some 'great passing and a seemingly telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho that earned him a standing ovation from 70,000 odd Nou Camp faithful. In December of that year, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for best player under 21 in Europe, more than Wayne Rooney and Lukas Podolski