INFO: 20 GREATEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD

20-Lillian Thuram
One of the best defenders of all time from France, he is famous for his 2 goals in the 1998 world cup semi final against Croatia when France came from behind to win 2-1. France eventually won the world cup beating Brazil 3-0. At club level, he has played in AS Monaco, Juventus and FC Barcelona.


19-Roberto Carlos
He has played for Spanish club Real Madrid for eleven years, winning four leagues, three UEFA Champions League trophies, and two Intercontinental Cups. He is also one of only six players to have played more than one hundred matches in the Champions League. He is especially famous for a free kick against France on June 3, 1997, where he shot from 35 m (110 ft) from the centre-right channel, and scored.


18-David Beckham
David Beckham is a leading English footballer whose popularity extends beyond the field and into international celebrity. Beckham was already a crowd-pleasing star for Manchester United when he married Spice Girls star Victoria Adams in July of 1999; the combination proved irresistible to the press and public, and they became one of Britain’s most famous couples. As a player Beckham is particularly known for his free kick expertise and spectacular long-range shots while his right foot is the national treasure of England.


17- Oliver Kahn
One of the most successful German players in recent history, having won eight German championships, six German cups, the UEFA Cup (1996), the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup (both 2001). His individual contributions have earned him four consecutive UEFA Best European Goalkeeper awards, three IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper of the Year awards and two German “Footballer of the Year” trophies.


16-Zico
Often called the White Pelé, he is commonly considered one of the most skilled dribblers and finishers ever and possibly the world’s best player of the early 80′s. He was also known as one of history’s greatest free kick specialists, able to bend the ball with pace and accuracy as well as having an extremely powerful shot.


15-Lev Yashin
A superb goalkeeper, perhaps the best in the history of the game, he was a Soviet sports hero. Yashin spent his playing career with the Moscow Dynamo club, and after retirement was a coach there. Dynamo won five league championships and three cups due in large part to Yashin’s domination of the goal. Yashin’s playing was an important element in the Soviet national team’s gold medal win at the 1956 Olympics, and he tended goal for the team in three World Cups. He became the only goalkeeper to be named European footballer of the year, and was awarded the title of world goalkeeper of the 20th cent. Fondly known as the black spider (after his Black Goal keeper uniform..


14-Ronald Koeman
Besides being a defender at the centre back position, Koeman was also known for his powerful right-footed free kicks and dead ball ability where he scored many vital goals for the team, and it was from a free-kick that he scored FC Barcelona’s winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final. Ronald Koeman scored 193 league goals in 503 matches (ahead of Daniel Passarella who netted 182 goals in 556 matches) during his career, more than any other defender in the history of football.


13-Luis Figo
Figo is a football hero who began his professional career in Portugal, his native land, then made his name in Spain playing for powerhouse teams FC Barcelona and Real Madrid before switching to Inter Milan in 2005. With his deft stop-and-go dribbling and aggressive style, the midfielder is known more as a playmaker than as a pure scorer. His breakthrough year was 2000, when he led Portugal to the semifinals of Euro 2000 and was named European Footballer of the Year. The same year he moved from FC Barcelona to rival Real Madrid for a then-record fee of $56 million.


12-Alvaro Recoba
Recoba’s strengths are his dribbling, technique, pace and a strong, accurate left-foot shot. He is a free-kick specialist, and has scored goals of great quality, examples of which were his two goals during his debut with Inter, and basically all the goals scored during his time at Venezia. It is said that few, if any, have been born with Recoba’s ability; however, his mentality continues to fail him at the most crucial moments.


11-Alfredo di Stefano
Nicknamed Saeta rubia (Blond arrow), was a powerful forward with great stamina and tactical versatility. He could also play anywhere on the pitch and despite being well-known as a forward, was great in defense. He is currently the 3rd highest scorer in the history of Spain’s top division, with 228 goals in 329 games. Di Stéfano is also Real Madrid’s highest league goalscorer of all time, with 216 goals in 282 league matches.



10-Raul Gonzalez
Called the ‘Angel of Madrid’ and simply known as Raúl, he is a Spanish football striker who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid. Also the three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League and is the second all-time leading scorer in official UEFA competitions after Filippo Inzaghi with 64 goals. He took over the captaincy of Real Madrid when Fernando Hierro departed in 2003, and has since shown himself to be a natural and respected leader.


9-Michael Platini
Platini was a member of the French national team that won the 1984 European Championship, a tournament in which he was voted the best player and top goalscorer. Platini, Alain Giresse, Luis Fernández and Jean Tigana together made up the “carré magique” (magic square), the group of midfield players that formed the heart of the French national team throughout the 1980s. He is also widely regarded as one the best passers in football history as well as one of history’s greatest free kick specialists and finishers. He holds the record for most goals scored in European Championship final.


8-Carlos Alberto Torres
is a former Brazilian footballer, one of the most highly regarded defenders of all time. He captained Brazil to victory in the 1970 World Cup and is a member of the World Team of the 20th Century, as well as the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame. Carlos Alberto’s goal against Italy in the final of the Football World Cup 1970 is considered one of the greatest goals ever scored in the history of the tournament.


7-Ronaldo
A brilliant and fluid forward, Ronaldo became one of international soccer’s great stars of the 1990s and Brazil’s biggest soccer hero since Pele. Nicknamed “The Phenomenon,” the talented forward has played for Cruzeiro, Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan, amassing numerous records, championships, and cups. An international superstar, Ronaldo has been on the Brazilian national team since 1994 and was part of World Cup–winning teams in 1998 and in 2002, when he was the tournament’s top scorer


6-Gerd Müller
Müller was short, squat, awkward-looking and not notably fast; he never fit the conventional idea of a great footballer, but he had lethal acceleration over short distances, a remarkable aerial game, and uncanny goalscoring instincts. He could turn quickly and with perfect balance in small spaces at speeds that would cause other players to fall over. He also had a knack of scoring in unlikely situations. With national records of 68 goals in 62 international appearances, 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga games and the international record of 66 goals in 74 European Club games, he was by far the most successful striker of his day.


5-Johann Cruyff
Cruyff is a former Dutch football player and manager/coach. He was named European Footballer of the Year three times. In 1999, Cruyff was voted European Player of the Century in an election held by the IFFHS, and came second, behind Pelé in their World Player of the Century poll. Cruyff was known for his technical ability, speed and acceleration, but his greatest quality was vision, based on an acute sense of his team-mates’ positions as an attack unfolded. He is believed Cruyff superior to any previous player in his ability to extract the most from others.


4-Franz Beckenbauer
German football (soccer) player. He is credited with inventing the modern attacking sweeper position. Nicknamed “Der Kaiser,” Beckenbauer is the only man to both captain and manage World Cup-winning teams (1974 and 1990, respectively). He spent most of his career with Bayern Munich, leading the team to three European Cup championships and four national titles. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1972 and 1976. He is generally regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and also as one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game.


3-Diego Maradona
Maradona is an icon in Argentina. As a soccer player, he took his team to new heights and became a hero to sports fans – many of whom referred to him as “San Diego.” He also took sports paychecks to new heights, claiming unheard of salaries in trade after trade. Maradona was plagued by cocaine addiction, though, and his career came to an early end. His performance included two memorable goals against England, one scored with his hand (the referee mistakenly thought the ball struck his head) and now remembered as the “Hand of God,” and another that saw him dribble through a pack of defenders.


2-Pele
Pele – called “the Black Pearl,” was the greatest soccer player in the history of the game. With a career total of 1280 goals, he may have been the world’s most popular athlete after he was named Athlete of the Century by the world’s combined National Olympic Committees in 1999, though he never played in the Olympics himself. In March of 2002, the jersey Pelé wore in the 1970 World Cup final sold at auction for $220,850. Pelé became Brazil’s minister of sports in 1995, serving until 1998.


THE WINNER IS..............Zinedine Zidane
Popularly nicknamed Zizou, he is a French former football midfielder. His career accomplishments include winning the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2000, in addition to the 2002 UEFA Champions League. He is also one of only two three-time FIFA World Player of the Year winners. Zidane won the Golden Ball as the MVP in the World Cups of 1998 and 2006. Zidane played his first professional First Division game for Cannes and quickly rose through the professional ranks. He sealed his reputation by scoring two goals in the World Cup finals of 1998, helping France defeat Brazil to claim its first-ever World Cup championship. Extremely passionate and a leader by example, he came first in an online poll conducted by UEFA.


BONUS - Claudio Gentile
Considered by many as football’s greatest ever man marker, Gentile’s finest hour came on 11 July 1982 when he produced an immaculate defensive display alongside fellow defender Gaetano Scirea, as Italy defeated West Germany 3-1 to lift the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. Gentile came to international acclaim in the 2nd phase match against the title-holders Argentina, when he man-marked Diego Maradona out of the game by kicking and flooring him constantly throughout the game. In Italy’s next match against the favorites, Brazil, he first performed a violent tackle from behind on Zico and later ripped the Brazilian’s shirt in half during a tussle

SOMETHING ABOUT ....

Lionel Messi


Personal information
Full name Lionel Andrés Messi

Date of birth 24 June 1987 (age 22)

Place of birth Rosario, Argentina

Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]

Playing position Second Striker / Winger / Striker

Club information
Current club Barcelona

Number 10
Youth career
1995–1999 Newell's Old Boys

1999–2004 Barcelona

Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2004–2005 Barcelona B
5 (0)
2004– Barcelona
144 (88)
National team‡
2005 Argentina U20
7 (6)
2008 Argentina U23
5 (2)
2005– Argentina
44 (13)


Lionel Andrés Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who currently plays for Barcelona and the Argentine national team. Considered as one of the best football players of his generation[3][4][5] and frequently cited as the world's best contemporary player,[6] Messi had received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22.[6][7][8][9] His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to football legend Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor."[10][11]
Lionel Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke the La Liga record for the youngest footballer to play a league game, and also the youngest to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won a double of the league and Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in 2006–07; he became a first team regular, scoring a hat-trick in El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Perhaps his most successful season was the 2008–09 season, in which Messi scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a treble-winning campaign.
Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals, including two in the final game. Shortly thereafter, he became an established member of Argentina's senior international team. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, in Beijing, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.
•
Early life
Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi (born 1958), a factory worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.[12][13][14] His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, where his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883.[15][16] He has two older brothers named Rodrigo and Matías as well as a sister named Maria Sol.[17] At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge.[18] In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario.[18] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[19] Primera División club River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment, as it cost $900 a month.[14] Carles Rexach, the sporting director of Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, Catalonia, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial.[14] Barcelona signed him after watching him play,[20] offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain.[18] His family moved to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams.[20]
Club career
Barcelona
Messi made his official debut for the first team in a friendly match against Porto on 16 November 2003 (at 16 years and 145 days).[21][22] Less than a year later, Frank Rijkaard let him make his league debut against Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga (a record broken by team mate Bojan Krkić in September 2007).[1][21] When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona[23] until 2007 when Bojan Krkić broke this record, scoring from a Messi assist.[24] Messi said about his ex-coach Rijkaard: "I never forget that Rijkaard has launched me. That he gave me confidence as I only sixteen, seventeen years was."[25]
2005–06 season
On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014.[18] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005[27] and was finally able to make his debut in the season's Spanish First Division. Messi's first home outing in the Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese.[21] Fans at Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon his substitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations with Ronaldinho had paid dividends for Barcelona.[28]
Messi netted six goals in seventeen league appearances, and scored one Champions League goal in six. His season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, however, when he suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.[29] Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.[30][31]
2006–07 season


Messi in a match against Rangers in 2007
In the 2006–07 season, Messi established himself as a regular first team player, scoring 14 times in 26 matches.[32] On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal, ruling him out for three months.[33][34] Messi recuperated from his injury in Argentina, and his return to action came against Racing Santander on 11 February,[35] where he came on as a second-half substitute. On 11 March, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3–3 draw, equalising three times, with the final equaliser coming in injury time.[36] In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994–95 season) to score a hat-trick in El Clásico.[37] Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. Towards the end of the season he began finding the net more often; 11 of his 14 league goals for the season came from the last 13 games.[38]


Messi shortly before scoring a goal against Getafe
Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by near-replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season.[39] On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century.[40] The world's sports press drew comparisons with Maradona, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona".[41] He ran about the same distance, 62 metres (203 ft), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before.[39] In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: "It was the best goal I have ever seen in my life."[42] Against Espanyol Messi also scored a goal which was remarkably similar to Maradona's goal against England in the World Cup quarter-finals. Messi launched himself at the ball and connected with his hand to guide the ball past the goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.[43] Despite protests by Espanyol players and replays showing it was clear handball, the goal stood.[43]
2007–08 season


Messi takes Barcelona to 2–0 against Sevilla at Camp Nou on 22 September 2007
During the 2007–08 season, Messi scored five goals in a week leading Barcelona to the top four in La Liga. On 19 September he scored once as Barcelona defeated Lyon 3–0 at home in a Champions League match.[44] He scored two goals against Sevilla on 22 September[45] and then on 26 September, Messi scored another two goals in a 4–1 victory over Real Zaragoza.[46] On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barça against Valencia.[47]
He was nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward.[48] A poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca had him as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote.[49] Columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport stated that the Ballon d'Or should be given to Messi, a view supported by Franz Beckenbauer.[50] Football personalities such as Francesco Totti have declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.[51]
Messi was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type of injury.[52]
2008–09 season


Messi in a match against Deportivo La Coruña
Upon Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey.[53] On 1 October 2008, during a Champions League match against Shakhtar Donetsk, Messi scored two goals during the last seven minutes, after coming on as a substitute for Thierry Henry, to turn the score from 1–0 to a 1–2 victory for Barcelona.[54] The next league game was versus Atlético Madrid, a match billed as a friendly battle between Messi and his good friend Sergio Agüero.[55] Messi scored a goal from a free kick and assisted another as Barça went on to win the match 6–1.[56] Messi netted another impressive brace against Sevilla scoring a volley from 23 metres (25 yd) and then dribbling round the goalkeeper and scoring from a tight angle for the other.[57] On 13 December 2008, during the first Clásico of the season, Messi scored the second goal in Barcelona's 2–0 win over Real Madrid.[58] He was also named second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards with 678 points.[8]
Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid which Barcelona won 3–1.[59] Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal.[60] In the 28th round of La Liga, Messi scored his 30th goal of the season in all competitions, helping his team to a 6–0 victory over Málaga in the process.[61] On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition.[62] On 18 April, Messi notched his 20th league goal of the season in a 1–0 win at Getafe, allowing Barcelona to maintain their six point advantage at the top of the league table over Real Madrid.[63]
As Barcelona's season was drawing to a close, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions) to cap a 6–2 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu[64] in what was Real's heaviest defeat since 1930.[65] After scoring each goal, he ran towards the fans and the cameras lifting up his Barcelona jersey and showing another T-shirt that read Síndrome X Fràgil, Catalan for Fragile X Syndrome, to show his support for children who suffer from the affliction.[66] Messi was involved in the build-up to Andrés Iniesta's injury time goal against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final to send Barcelona through to face Manchester United in the final. He won his first Copa del Rey on 13 May, scoring one goal and assisting another two, in a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao.[67] He helped his team win the double by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barcelona win the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final by scoring a second goal in the 70th minute giving Barcelona a two goal lead; he also became the top scorer in the Champions League, the youngest in the tournament's history, with nine goals.[68] Messi also won the UEFA Club Forward of the Year: and the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year rounding off a spectacular year in Europe.[69] This victory meant Barcelona had won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and UEFA Champions League in the one season,[70] and was the first time a Spanish club had ever won the treble.[71]
2009–10 season
"Once he's on the run, Messi is unstoppable. He's the only player who can change direction at such a pace."
"He is the best player in the world by some distance. He's (like) a PlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make."
Arsène Wenger after Barcelona won 4–1 against Arsenal.[72][73]


Messi in action during the Joan Gamper Trophy match between Barcelona and Manchester City at Camp Nou
After winning the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola asserted that Messi was probably the best player he had ever seen.[74]
On 18 September, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, running until 2016 and with a buy-out clause of €250 million included, making Messi, along with Zlatan Ibrahimović, the highest paid players in La Liga, with earnings of around €9.5 million yearly.[75][76] Four days later, on 22 September, Messi scored two goals and assisted another in Barça's 4–1 win over Racing Santander in La Liga.[77] He scored his first European goal of the season on 29 September in a 2–0 win over Dynamo Kyiv,[78] and then took his goal tally to six goals in seven games in La Liga with a strike during a 6–1 routing of Real Zaragoza at Camp Nou.[79][80]
Messi was named winner of the 2009 Ballon d'Or on 1 December 2009, beating runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo by largest ever margin of 473 to 233.[81][82][83] Afterwards, France Football magazine quoted Messi as saying: "I dedicate it to my family. They were always present when I needed them and sometimes felt even stronger emotions than me."[84]
On 19 December, Messi scored the winner in the final of the 2009 Club World Cup against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi, and thus giving the club their sixth title of the year.[85] Two days later, he was given the FIFA World Player of the Year award; beating Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Kaká and Andrés Iniesta to the award. This was the first time he had won the award, and he became the first Argentinean to ever receive this honour.[86] On 10 January 2010, Messi scored his first hat-trick in 2010 and his first hat-trick of the season against Tenerife in the 0–5 victory,[87] and on 17 January he scored his 100th goal for the club in the 4–0 victory over Sevilla.[88]
Messi then started an impressive run scoring 11 goals in five games. First he scored on the 84th minute against Málaga for a 2–1 win,[89] then he scored two goals against Almería in a 2–2 tie.[90] He continued his spree with an impressive week where he scored eight goals; he started by scoring a hat-trick against Valencia in a 3–0 home win,[91] then he scored two goals against Stuttgart, in a 4–0 win that secured Barcelona's qualification to the quarterfinals of the Champions League,[92] and finally he scored another hat-trick against Zaragoza in a 4–2 away win,[93] becoming the first Barcelona player to score back-to-back hat-tricks in La Liga.[94] He played his 200th official match for Barcelona against Osasuna on 24 March 2010.[95]
On 6 April 2010, for the first time in Messi's career he scored four goals in a single match, netting the lot in a 4–1 home win over Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.[96][97][98] This also saw him overtake Rivaldo as Barcelona's all time greatest scorer in the competition.[99] On 10 April, Messi scored his 40th goal of the season when he netted the first goal in a 2–0 away win against title-rivals Real Madrid in El Clásico.[100] On 1 May, Messi played his 50th game of the season and scored two goals on a 4–1 away win against Villarreal.[101] Just three days later, on 4 May, Messi scored two goals in another 4–1 win at home against Tenerife.[102] Messi scored his 32nd goal of the La Liga season on 8 May, during an away win against Sevilla,[103] and in the final match against Valladolid, he scored two goals in the second half to tie Ronaldo's club record of 34 goals in a single league season, set in 1996–97.[104][105], and to finish four goals behind the all-time record held by Telmo Zarra.[106]
International career
In June 2004, he debuted for Argentina, playing in an under-20 friendly match against Paraguay.[107] In 2005 he was part of a team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands. There, he won the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe,[108] scoring in the last four of Argentina's matches and netting a total of six for the tournament.
He made his full international debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary at the age of 18. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off on the 65th minute because the referee, Markus Merk, found he had head butted defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt. The decision was contentious and Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated.[109][110] Messi returned to the team on 3 September in Argentina's 1–0 World Cup qualifier away defeat to Paraguay. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-debut. The first one was a bit short."[111] He then started his first game for Argentina against Peru; after the match Pekerman described Messi as "a jewel".[112]
On 28 March 2009, in a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela, Messi wore the Argentine number 10 jersey for the first time. This match was the first official match for Diego Maradona as the Argentina manager. Argentina won the match 4–0 with Lionel Messi opening the scoring.[113]
2006 World Cup
The injury that kept Messi from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the 2006 World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the final match before the World Cup against the Argentine U-20 team for 15 minutes and a friendly match against Angola from the 64th minute.[114][115] He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the substitute's bench.[116] In the next match against Serbia, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup.[117] Messi started in Argentina's following 0–0 draw against the Netherlands.[118] In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was ruled offside with Argentina needing a late goal in extra time to proceed.[119][120] Coach José Pekerman left Messi on the bench during the quarter-final match against Germany, which they lost 4–2 on a penalty shootout.[121]
2007 Copa América


Messi taking a throw-in in the 2007 Copa América
Messi played his first game in the 2007 Copa América on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4–1 in the first game. In this game, he showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.[122]
His second game was against Colombia, in which he won a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1–1. He also played a part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3–1. The final score of the game was 4–2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.[123]
In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with the score at 0–0. In the 79th minute, he ssisted a goal for Javier Mascherano.[124] In the quarter-finals, as Argentina faced Peru, Messi scored the second goal of the game, from a Riquelme pass in a 4–0 win.[125] During the semi-final match against Mexico, Messi scored a lob over Oswaldo Sánchez to see Argentina through to the final with a 3–0 win.[126] Argentina went on to lose 3–0 to Brazil in the final.[127]
2008 Summer Olympics


Messi in the semi-final against Brazil at the 2008 Olympics
Having barred Messi from playing for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics,[128] Barcelona agreed to release him after he held talks with newly appointed coach Josep Guardiola.[129] He joined the Argentina squad and scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over Ivory Coast.[129] He then scored the opening goal and assisted Ángel Di María in the second to help his side to a 2–1 extra-time win against the Netherlands.[130] He also featured in Argentina's match against rivals Brazil, in which Argentina took a 3–0 victory, thus advancing to the final.[131] In the gold medal match, Messi again assisted Di María for the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Nigeria.[132]
Personal life
Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. He is said to have been introduced to her by the girl's father when he returned to Rosario to recover from his injury a few days before the start of the 2006 World Cup.[133][134] He has in the past also been linked to the Argentine model, Luciana Salazar.[135][136] In January 2009 he told "Hat Trick Barça", a programme on Canal 33: "I have a girlfriend and she is living in Argentina, I am relaxed and happy".[136] He was seen with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo,[137] at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario.[138] They plan to wed near the end of 2010.[137]
He is featured on the front cover of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and is also involved in promotional campaigns for the game.[139][140] Messi, along with Fernando Torres,[141] is the face of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, and was also involved in the motion capturing and the trailer.[142][143][144] Messi is sponsored by the German sportswear company Adidas and features in their television advertisements.[145]
He has two cousins in football; Maxi and Emanuel Biancucchi.[146][147]
Messi was announced as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF on 11 March 2010.[148]

Career totals 149 88 41 22 12 3 46 25 8 2 2 0 219 127 52
International goals
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 1 March 2006 St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland
Croatia
2 – 3 Loss Friendly

2 16 June 2006 WM-Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Serbia and Montenegro
6 – 0 Win 2006 World Cup

3 5 June 2007 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
Algeria
4 – 3 Win Friendly
4 5 June 2007 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain Algeria
4 – 3 Win Friendly
5 8 July 2007 Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Peru
4 – 0 Win 2007 Copa América

6 11 July 2007 Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
Mexico
0 – 3 Win 2007 Copa América
7 16 October 2007 José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela Venezuela
0 – 2 Win 2010 World Cup qualifying

8 20 November 2007 Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
Colombia
2 – 1 Loss 2010 World Cup qualifying
9 4 June 2008 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States
Mexico
1 – 4 Win Friendly
10 11 October 2008 Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Uruguay
2 – 1 Win 2010 World Cup qualifying
11 11 February 2009 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France
France
0 – 2 Win Friendly
12 28 March 2009 Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina Venezuela
4 – 0 Win 2010 World Cup qualifying
13 14 November 2009 Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid, Spain
Spain
1 – 2 Loss Friendly
Honours
Barcelona
• La Liga: 4
2005, 2006, 2009, 2010
• Copa del Rey: 1
2009
• Spanish Super Cup: 3
2005, 2006, 2009
• UEFA Champions League: 2
2006, 2009
• UEFA Super Cup: 1
2009
• FIFA Club World Cup: 1
2009
International
• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1
2005
• Olympic Gold Medal: 1
2008
Individual
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Goalscorer: 1
2005
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament: 1
2005
• Copa América Young Player of the Tournament: 1
2007
• U-21 European Footballer of the Year: 1
2007
• FIFA World Player of the Year: 1
2009
• FIFA Team of the Year: 2
2008, 2009
• European Footballer of the Year: 1
2009
• Onze d'Or: 1
2009
• European Golden Boot: 1
2010
• UEFA Champions League Player of the Year: 1
2009
• UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year: 1
2009
• UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer: 1
2009
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2
2008, 2009
• La Liga Player of the Year: 1
2009
• La Liga Top Goalscorer: 1
2010
• Best Foreign Player in La Liga: 2
2007, 2009
• Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga: 3
2007, 2009, 2010
• FIFPro World Player of the Year: 1
2009
• FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 3
2006, 2007, 2008
• FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2
2007, 2008
• FIFPro World XI: 3
2007, 2008, 2009
• World Soccer Player of the Year: 1
2009
• World Soccer Young Player of the Year: 3
2006, 2007, 2008
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 1
2009
• Player of the Year of Argentina: 3
2005, 2007, 2009

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