Lionel Messi Birthday Special: A Lookback At His Illustrious Career

Lionel Messi, who is widely known as the GOAT of football, has had an outstanding career. Messi was born on 24 June 1987, and today marks his 38 birthday. 

Lionel Messi began his football journey at Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina before moving to Barcelona’s youth academy at the age of 13. He quickly rose through the ranks, making his first-team debut at 16. His breakthrough moment came in the 2004-05 season when he helped Barcelona win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. 

A Career To Remember

Over the years, Lionel Messi has become synonymous with football. He became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer and set multiple records, such as most goals in La Liga history and most assists in official football history.

His 2011-12 career specifically was historic. He broke a 38-year-old record for most goals in a single European league season. Messi won six European Golden Shoes, a record still unmatched by any other player and earned eight Ballon d’Or awards, which is again unmatched. 

Lionel Messi has been the key player for Argentina. He won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005, the Olympic gold medal in 2008, the Copa America in 2021 and 2024, and the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Throughout his career, Messi has won an unmatched number of trophies, which is 45 collective titles, including 10 La Liga championships, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, multiple Copa del Rey wins, and domestic cups with Barcelona. 

After leaving Barcelona in 2021 due to financial constraints at the club, he continued his success with Paris Saint-Germain, winning Ligue 1 titles, and later with Inter Miami, securing the Leagues Cup and the MLS Supporters’ Shield.

Individually, Lionel Messi holds numerous records: most goals in La Liga, most hat-tricks (36), most FIFA FIFPRO World XI appearances (17), and the Guinness World Record for most official goals in a calendar year (91 in 2012). He has been recognised repeatedly as the best player globally with awards including three The Best FIFA Men’s Player honours and multiple Laureus World Sports Awards. As the world celebrates a legend’s birthday, let’s take a look at his career stats. 

Lionel Messi’s Career Stats

Club Football

Club	Matches	Goals	Assists
FC Barcelona	778	672	303
Paris Saint-Germain	75	32	35
Inter Miami	62	50	24

For Argentina

Competition	Matches	Goals	Assists
World Cup qualification	71	34	14
International Friendlies	56	51	19
Copa América	39	14	18
FIFA World Cup	26	13	8
CONMEBOL-UEFA Cup of Champions League	1	0	2
Total	193	112	61

Club Football Competitions

Competition	Matches	Goals	Assists
La Liga	520	474	216
UEFA Champions League	163	129	45
Copa del Rey	80	56	36
Ligue 1	58	22	31
Major League Soccer	38	31	17
Supercopa de Espana	20	14	6
CONCACAF Champions Cup	10	7	3
FIFA Club World Cup	8	6	1
Leagues Cup	7	10	1
UEFA Super Cup	4	3	3
MLS Cup Playoffs	3	1	1
Coupe de France	2	0	0
US Open Cup	1	0	2
Trophée des Champions	1	1	0

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