Lionel Messi, an Argentine professional footballer widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, was born on June 24, 1987.

At the age of six, Messi joined the Rosario club, Newell's Old Boys, where he played for six years and scored almost 500 goals as a member of 'The Machine of '87'.

On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment to signing Lionel Messi. In response, Carles Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered a contract on a paper napkin, marking the beginning of Messi's official association with the club.

In February 2001, Messi and his family relocated to Barcelona, Spain, and he enrolled in Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia.

Messi was enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after a year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia.

Lionel Messi made his first appearance in a match against FC Porto on October 17, 2003.

On 16 November 2003, Lionel Messi made his first team debut for Barcelona as a 75th-minute substitute during a friendly against Porto. His impressive performance led to daily training with the club's reserve side and weekly training with the first team.

On 4 February 2004, Lionel Messi signed his first professional contract with Barcelona, which contained an initial buyout clause of €30 million. This marked an important milestone in his career as a professional footballer.

At 17 years, three months, and 22 days, Lionel Messi made his senior team debut in a LaLiga game against Espanyol on October 16, 2004, becoming the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition.

On December 7, 2004, at the age of 17 years, 5 months, and 14 days, Lionel Messi made his UEFA Champions League debut.

On 1 May 2005, Lionel Messi scored his first senior goal for Barcelona against Albacete, becoming the youngest-ever scorer for the club at that time. This was a significant achievement in his early career.

At 17 years, 10 months, and 24 days, Lionel Messi achieved his first UEFA Champions League win on May 17, 2005.

On June 24, 2005, his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player with Barcelona, increasing his buyout clause to €150 million.

On his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player with the Barcelona football club until 2010, with a buyout clause of €150 million.

Messi made his senior debut for Argentina in a friendly against Hungary at the Ferenc Puskás Stadium. He was sent off after two minutes for a perceived foul, which was a contentious decision.

Messi acquired Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005, making him eligible to play for Barcelona in the La Liga.

Messi scored his first Champions League goal in his 4th appearance, against Panathinaikos in a 5-0 win at Camp Nou.

In his sixth appearance with the national team, Messi scored his first international goal in a friendly game against Croatia.

Messi suffered a torn hamstring against Chelsea on 7 March 2006, ruling him out of the Champions League final on that day.

Messi won his first Champions League trophy at the age of 18. He played 6 games, having 1 goal and 1 assist, but didn't play in the final due to an injury.

Lionel Messi achieved his first Champions League title on May 17, 2006.

Messi sustained a metatarsal fracture on 12 November 2006, which led to a three-month injury period.

On March 10, in El Clasico against Real Madrid, Messi scored his first hat-trick in a 3-3 draw, becoming the first player to achieve this feat in El Clasico since Ivan Zamorano in the 94–95 season.

During a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe on 18 April 2007, Messi scored a goal remarkably similar to Maradona's Goal of the Century.

During a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe on 18 April, Messi scored one of the best goals in football history, collecting the ball on the right side near the halfway line, running 60 meters, and beating five defenders before scoring with an angled finish.

Against Espanyol on 9 June 2007, Messi scored with his hand in a similar fashion to Maradona's Hand of God goal.

On 27 May 2008, Barcelona won the first treble by a Spanish team, with Messi scoring once in the final against Manchester United.

Messi played at the Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics and Argentina won the tournament.

On March 28, 2009, Messi wore Argentina's number 10 shirt for the first time, following the international retirement of Riquelme.

Barcelona, with Messi as a key player, won the 2009 UEFA Champions League by defeating Manchester United 2-0, with Messi scoring the final goal.

On 18 September 2009, Messi signed a new contract which increased his salary to €12 million and committed him to the club through 2016.

Lionel Messi won his first Ballon d'Or on November 30, 2009, at the age of 22 years, 5 months, and 7 days.

At the age of 22, Messi won his first Ballon d’Or and FIFA Award for Best Player of the Year with the largest voting margin in the history of each trophy at that time.

On December 1, 2009, Lionel Messi was awarded his very first Ballon d’Or.

At 22 years old, Messi scored the winning goal to claim the FIFA Club World Cup on 19 December 2009.

Messi became Barcelona's all-time Champions League top scorer by scoring all four of his side's goals in the quarter-final against Arsenal on 6 April 2010.

Messi won his first Golden Shoe as the top scorer of season 2009/10 with 34 goals. He helped Barcelona win La Liga trophy for the second year in a row, with just one loss.

Argentina won 1-0 against Nigeria at the World Cup in South Africa, with Messi making at least four attempts on goal but being repeatedly denied by Nigeria's goalkeeper.

Argentina secured a 4-1 victory against South Korea at the World Cup, with Messi excelling in his playmaking role and participating in all four goals of his side's victory.

Argentina won 2-0 against Greece at the World Cup, with Messi wearing the captain's armband for the first time and helping create their second goal to see Argentina finish as group winners.

Argentina was eliminated in the quarter-final against Germany at the World Cup in South Africa, with a 4–0 loss, their worst margin of defeat at a World Cup since 1974.

Messi scored a hat-trick in Barcelona's 4–0 victory over Sevilla, securing the Supercopa de España for his team.

Barcelona defeated their rivals 5–0 with Messi playing an instrumental role in the match.

Messi helped Barcelona achieve a record in Spanish football with 16 consecutive league victories, concluding with a hat-trick against Atlético Madrid.

Barcelona, with Messi, won the 2011 UEFA Champions League by defeating Manchester United, with the final match held at Wembley Stadium in London.

Alejandro Sabella awarded the 24-year-old Messi the captaincy of the Argentina squad, leading to an improvement in Messi's goal-scoring rate and his relationship with his compatriots.

Messi scored twice in the FIFA Club World Cup final, contributing to Barcelona's 4–0 victory over Santos.

Lionel Messi received his third consecutive Ballon d’Or on January 10, 2011.

On 7 March 2012, Lionel Messi scored five goals in a single Champions League last 16-round game against Bayer Leverkusen, making it an unprecedented achievement in the history of the competition at that time.

On 20 March 2012, at 24 years old, Lionel Messi became the top goalscorer in Barcelona's history by overtaking the 57-year record of Cesar Rodriguez's 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada.

Messi scored all four goals in Barcelona's last home league match before embracing Guardiola, who had announced his resignation as manager.

Under manager Tito Vilanova, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga with 191 goals.

On 7 January 2013, Lionel Messi became the first and only player in football history to win the Ballon d'Or four times in a row, easily outpacing Cristiano Ronaldo and teammate Andres Iniesta in voting.

Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, committing himself to the club through 2018 with annual wages of €13 million.

Messi wore the captain's armband for the first time in a league match against Rayo Vallecano.

Messi sustained a hamstring injury on 12 May, ending his 21 consecutive league games goalscoring streak, during which he netted 33 goals. He also became the first player to score consecutively against all 19 opposition teams in La Liga, and finished the campaign as the league top scorer in Spain and Europe for the second consecutive year, winning the European Golden Shoe three times.

Argentina secured their place in the 2014 World Cup with a 5–2 victory over Paraguay, with Messi scoring twice from penalty kicks, taking his international tally to 37 goals to become Argentina's second-highest goalscorer behind Batistuta.

Messi tore his hamstring on 10 November, marking his fifth injury of 2013 and leaving him sidelined for two months.

Messi signed a new contract on 19 May 2014, with his salary increased to €20 million, or €36 million before taxes, making it the highest wage in the sport.

In his first World Cup match as captain, Messi led Argentina to a 2–1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, helping create a goal and scoring their second strike.

Substitute Mario Götze scored in the 113th minute and Germany won the game 1-0 to win the FIFA World Cup. At the conclusion of the final, Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player with 4 goals and 1 assist.

Argentina was defeated by Germany in the 2014 World Cup finals, with Germany clinching a 1-0 victory.

Messi scored a hat-trick against Sevilla on 22 November, making him the all-time top scorer in La Liga by surpassing the 59-year record of 251 league goals held by Telmo Zarra.

On November 22, Messi scored a hat-trick against Sevilla, breaking the 59-year record of 251 goals held by Telmo Zarra and becoming the top scorer in La Liga.

Lionel Messi, the renowned footballer, has had a remarkable career filled with numerous achievements and records in the world of football.

Messi scored in a 1–0 away win over Atlético Madrid on 17 May, securing the La Liga title for Barcelona.

Barcelona defeated Juventus 3–1 to win their second treble, with Messi finishing the competition as the joint top scorer and receiving the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for a second time.

In the 2015 Copa America final, Chile defeated Argentina 4-1 on penalties after a 0-0 final score. Messi, who scored the only penalty for Argentina, won the player of the tournament award with 1 goal and 3 assists.

Argentina, led by Messi, reached the final of the 2015 Copa América but was defeated by Chile in a penalty shootout. Despite criticism, Messi's performance was notable, and he earned his 100th cap for Argentina during the tournament.

Argentina lost the Copa America 2015 to Chile in a penalty shootout, with Chile defeating Argentina 4-1.

Messi scored twice from free kicks in Barcelona's 5–4 victory over Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup, marking the opening of the 2015–16 season.

Messi won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final, collecting his fifth club trophy of 2015 as Barcelona defeated River Plate 3–0 in Yokohama.

Messi won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for a record fifth time in his career on January 11, 2016.

Lionel Messi received his fifth Ballon d’Or award.

Messi scored a hat-trick in Barcelona's 7–0 win against Valencia in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at the Camp Nou on February 3, 2016.

Messi scored his 500th senior career goal for club and country in Barcelona's 2–1 home loss to Valencia on April 17, 2016.

Messi finished the 2015–16 season by setting up both goals in Barcelona's 2–0 extra time win over Sevilla in the 2016 Copa del Rey final, at the Vicente Calderón Stadium, on May 22, 2016.

On June 7, 2016, Messi won a libel case against La Razón newspaper and was awarded €65,000 in damages, which he donated to the charity Médecins Sans Frontières.

During the quarter-final match against Venezuela at Copa America 2016, Lionel Messi assisted two goals and scored another, equaling the 54-goal record held by Gabriel Batistuta. This record was then broken three days later, when Messi scored a free-kick in a 4-0 win against USA in the semifinals.

On August 12, 2016, Messi reversed his decision to retire from international football and was included in the squad for the national team's upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers.

Messi lifted the 2016 Supercopa de España as Barcelona's captain in the absence of the injured Andrés Iniesta, setting up Munir's goal in a 2–0 away win over Sevilla in the first leg on August 14, 2016.

Messi scored his first hat-trick of the season in the opening game of the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League campaign against Celtic in a 7–0 victory on September 13, 2016.

Messi scored his 54th Champions League group stage goal in Barcelona's 3–1 away loss to Manchester City on November 1, 2016.

Messi was suspended for four international games and fined CHF 10,000 for insulting an assistant referee in a game against Chile. The suspension was later lifted by FIFA after Argentina Football Association appealed against it.

On April 23, 2017, Lionel Messi scored his 500th goal for Barcelona in a 3-2 win over Real Madrid. His decisive goal in overtime secured the victory, and he celebrated by displaying his jersey to the fans at Santiago Bernabeu.

Messi scored a goal and set up another for Paco Alcácer in the 2017 Copa del Rey final, helping Barcelona to a 3–1 victory over Alavés on May 27, 2017, and was named Man of the Match.

Messi opened the 2017–18 season by converting a penalty in Barcelona's 1–3 first leg home defeat to Real Madrid in Supercopa de España on August 13, 2017.

On 9 September, Messi scored his first hat-trick of the 2017–18 league campaign, against Espanyol in Derbi barceloní, thus helping to secure a 5–0 home victory for Blaugrana over local rivals.

On 12 September, Messi netted twice against Gianluigi Buffon, as Barça defeated the last season's Italian champions Juventus 3–0 at home in the UEFA Champions League.

On 19 September, Messi found the net four times in a 6–1 trashing of Eibar at the Camp Nou in La Liga.

Three weeks later, on 1 October, Messi surpassed his former teammate Carles Puyol to become the third highest appearance maker in the club's history, as he helped Barça defeat Las Palmas 3–0.

Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina came from behind to defeat Ecuador 3–1 away, securing their World Cup qualification and becoming the joint all-time leading scorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.

On 18 October, in his 122nd European club appearance, Messi scored his 97th UEFA Champions League goal, and his 100th in all UEFA club competitions, in a 3–1 home victory over Olympiacos.

On 4 November, he made his 600th appearance for Barcelona in a 2–1 home win over Sevilla in La Liga.

Following the reception of his fourth Golden Boot, Messi signed a new deal with Barcelona on 25 November, keeping him with the club through the 2020–21 season. His buyout clause was set at €700 million.

On 7 January 2018, Messi made his 400th La Liga appearance with Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Levante, marking the occasion with his 144th league assist and 365th league goal for the club, the latter of which saw him equal Gerd Müller's record for the most league goals scored for the same club in one of Europe's top five divisions.

On 4 March, he scored his 600th senior career goal from a free kick in a 1–0 home win over Atlético Madrid, in La Liga.

On 14 March, Messi scored his 99th and 100th Champions League goals in a 3–0 home win over Chelsea, becoming only the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach this landmark, in fewer appearances, at a younger age and having taken fewer shots than his Portuguese counterpart.

On 21 April, Messi scored Barcelona's second goal – his 40th of the season – in a 5–0 win over Sevilla in the 2018 Copa del Rey final, later also setting up Suárez's second goal; this was Barcelona's fourth consecutive title and their 30th overall.

On 29 April, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 away win over Deportivo de La Coruña, which saw Barcelona claim their 25th league title.

On 9 May, Messi scored as Barcelona defeated Villarreal 5–1 to set the longest unbeaten streak (43 games) in La Liga history.

On 12 August 2018, Lionel Messi lifted his first title as Barcelona's captain, the Supercopa de España, following a 2–1 victory over Sevilla.

On 19 August 2018, Lionel Messi scored his 6000th goal for Barcelona in La Liga, helping them defeat Alavés 3–0 in their first match of the season.

On 18 September 2018, Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over PSV Eindhoven, setting a new record for most hat-tricks in the Champions League.

On 20 October 2018, Lionel Messi scored in a match against Sevilla but was later forced off due to a fractured radial bone, ruling him out for approximately three weeks.

On 8 December 2018, Lionel Messi scored two free kicks in a 4–0 away win over Espanyol, marking the first time he had managed such a feat in the league.

On 13 January 2019, Lionel Messi scored his 400th La Liga goal in a 3–0 home win over Eibar, becoming the first player ever to achieve this tally in just one of Europe's top five leagues.

On 16 April 2019, Lionel Messi scored twice in a 3–0 home victory over Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals, helping Barcelona progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 2015.

On 27 April 2019, Lionel Messi scored the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Levante, allowing Barcelona to clinch the league title. This was his 450th La Liga appearance and his first league title as Barcelona's captain.

On 1 May 2019, Lionel Messi scored his 600th senior club goal with Barcelona in a 3–0 home win over Liverpool in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

On 19 May 2019, Lionel Messi scored twice in a 2–2 away draw against Eibar, capturing his sixth Pichichi Trophy as the league's top scorer and his sixth Golden Shoe award.

On 25 May 2019, Lionel Messi scored his final goal of the season in a 2–1 defeat to Valencia in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.

Messi scored the equalising goal from the penalty spot in a match against Paraguay and helped Argentina win the bronze medal in the Copa América. However, he was also involved in a controversial altercation and faced a suspension.

On 5 August 2019, it was announced that Lionel Messi would miss Barcelona's US tour after sustaining a right calf injury.

On 19 August 2019, Lionel Messi's chipped goal from the edge of the box against Real Betis was nominated for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award.

On 23 September 2019, Lionel Messi won the 2019 Best FIFA Men's Player Award.

On 6 October, Messi scored his first goal of the season with a free kick in a 4–0 home win over Sevilla, marking his 420th goal in La Liga and breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 419 goals scored in Europe's top five leagues.

On 23 October, Messi scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–1 away win over Slavia Prague, becoming the first player to score in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons and equalled the record for the most sides scored against in the competition.

On 29 October, Messi scored in a 5–1 home win over Real Valladolid in La Liga; his first goal – a set piece from 35 yards – was the 50th free-kick of his career, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo's senior goal tally at club level.

On 9 November, Messi scored three goals (including two free kicks) in a 4–1 home win against Celta Vigo, equalling Cristiano Ronaldo's Spanish top-flight record for hat-tricks in La Liga.

On 27 November, in what was his 700th appearance for Barcelona, Messi scored one goal and assisted two more in a 3–1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League, breaking the record for the most teams scored against in the competition.

Leo Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the sixth time, setting a new record in the history of the competition. He outperformed top contenders Van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo, securing the most prestigious individual football trophy. Messi's exceptional performance included 50 goals and 18 assists in 59 games.

Lionel Messi was recognized as the best player in the world for 2019, marking the sixth time he has received this award in his career.

On 8 December, Messi scored his record-breaking 35th hat-trick in La Liga with three goals in Barcelona's 5–2 home win over Mallorca.

On 17 January 2021, Messi was shown a red card for violent conduct in the final minutes of Barcelona's 2–3 extra time defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España Final.

On 22 February 2020, Messi scored four goals in a 5–0 home win over Eibar in La Liga.

On 14 June, Messi scored in a 4–0 away win against Mallorca, becoming the first player ever in La Liga to score 20 goals or more in 12 consecutive seasons.

On 9 August, in the Champions League round of 16 second leg versus Napoli at the Camp Nou, Messi scored the second goal and earned a penalty which led to a third goal, marking his 700th goal in his senior career for Barcelona and Argentina.

On 25 August 2020, Messi expressed his desire to leave Barcelona due to growing dissatisfaction with the club's direction on and off the field.

On 30 August, La Liga issued a statement stating Messi's contract and buyout clause were still active.

On 18 September 2020, Messi was called up to the Argentina squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Bolivia in October.

On 27 September, Messi began the 2020–21 season by scoring a penalty in a 4–0 home win against Villarreal in La Liga.

Lionel Messi was declared the Most Marketable Athlete of 2020, surpassing his rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi scored a penalty in a 1–0 victory against Ecuador, giving Argentina a winning start to their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

On 20 October 2020, Messi scored a penalty in a 5–1 home victory against Ferencváros in the Champions League, becoming the first player in history to score in sixteen consecutive Champions League seasons.

On 29 November, Messi scored his side's fourth goal in their 4–0 victory over Osasuna, and unveiled a shirt of his former side Newell's Old Boys in tribute to Argentine compatriot Diego Maradona, who had died four days earlier.

On 17 December 2020, Messi finished third in The Best FIFA Men's Player award behind Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo and was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for the fourteenth consecutive year.

Messi surpassed Brazilian legend Pele's record for the most goals with a single club by scoring his 644th goal in all competitions for Barcelona. This achievement broke Pele's 46-year-old record of 643 goals with Santos in his native country.

On 17 January 2021, Messi was sent off for the first time in his club career for violent conduct in the final minutes of Barcelona's 2–3 extra-time defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the 2020–21 Supercopa de España Final.

On 17 April, Messi scored twice as Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4–0 in the 2021 Copa del Rey final. With his second goal, he broke Gerd Müller's record of 30 plus goals in 12 consecutive club seasons, setting a new record of 13.

On 16 May, Messi scored his 30th league goal of the campaign in a 1–2 home defeat against Celta Vigo, which later turned out to be his final goal and match in a Barcelona shirt.

On 14 June 2021, Messi scored from a free kick in a 1–1 draw against Chile in Argentina's opening group match of the 2021 Copa América in Brazil.

On 21 June, Messi played in his 147th match as he equalled Javier Mascherano's record for most appearances for Argentina in a 1–0 win over Paraguay in their third game of the tournament.

A week later, he broke the record when he featured in a 4–1 win against Bolivia in his team's final group match, assisting Papu Gómez's opening goal and later scoring two.

On 3 July, Messi assisted twice and scored from a free-kick in a 3–0 win over Ecuador in the quarter-finals of the competition.

On 6 July, in a 1–1 draw in the semi-finals against Colombia, Messi made his 150th appearance for his country and registered his fifth assist of the tournament, a cut-back for Lautaro Martínez, matching his record of nine goal contributions in a single tournament from five years earlier; he later scored his spot kick in Argentina's eventual 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory to progress to his fifth international final.

Messi continued to solidify his legacy by achieving the remarkable feat of scoring 644 goals for a single club, surpassing Pele's previous record. This historic moment occurred during Barcelona's 0-3 victory over Real Valladolid.

On August 5, 2021, at the age of 34 years, 1 month, and 13 days, Lionel Messi left Barcelona.

Following the expiration of his contract at Barcelona, Lionel Messi completed a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. He chose to wear the number 30, which was the same number he wore on his Barcelona debut in 2003.

Lionel Messi made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on August 29, 2021, at the age of 34 years, 2 months, and 6 days.

On 9 September 2021, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 home win over Bolivia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier which also moved him above Pelé as South America's top male international scorer with 79 goals.

On 28 September 2021, Messi scored his first goal for the club, a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box after playing a one-two with Kylian Mbappé, in a 2–0 Champions League group stage win over Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

On 21 November 2021, Messi scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 3–1 home victory over Nantes.

On 29 November 2021, Lionel Messi won his seventh Ballon d'Or after helping Argentina win the 2021 Copa America and scoring 40 goals for club and national team in all competitions.

Lionel Messi transferred from Barcelona to PSG and won his 7th Ballon d'Or. This marked a significant milestone in his career.

On 23 April, Messi helped PSG clinch their 10th Ligue 1 title after scoring from a strike outside the 18-yard box in a 1–1 draw against Lens at home.

Argentina won against Italy with a score of 3-0 in the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley. This final pitted the winner of the European championship against the winner of the Copa America, where Messi was once again decisive, providing two assists and being named player of the match.

In the 2022 Finalissima, Messi assisted twice in a 3–0 victory against Italy and was named player of the match, securing his second trophy for Argentina at the senior level.

Messi then followed this on 6 June with all five Argentina goals in a 5–0 victory in a friendly win over Estonia, overtaking Ferenc Puskás among the all-time international men's top scorers.

In the 2022 FIFA World Cup final on 18 December, Messi made his record 26th World Cup match appearance at Lusail Stadium. He scored Argentina's opening goal with a penalty, becoming in the process the first player since the last-16 round was introduced in 1986 to score a goal in every round of a single World Cup edition.

Messi scored PSG's first goal in a 4–0 victory over Nantes in the Trophée des Champions, marking his debut for PSG and winning his second trophy with the club.

Messi provided a long-range assist for Mbappé, and also scored a goal in a 7–1 away win over Lille, showcasing his skills and impact in the Ligue 1.

On 9 September, Messi scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 home win over Bolivia in a 2022 World Cup qualifier which also moved him above Pelé as South America's top male international scorer with 79 goals.

Messi scored in a 1–1 draw away to Benfica in the Champions League, becoming the only player in the competition's history to score against 40 different Champions League opponents, showcasing his remarkable achievement in the tournament.

Lionel Messi led Argentina to the world title, a significant achievement in his career, reminiscent of Diego Maradona's feat in 1986.

Messi scored and provided an assist in a 2–0 away win over Nice in Ligue 1, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time highest goalscorer in European club football, solidifying his status as one of the greatest goal scorers in the sport.

Galtier confirmed that PSG's home game against Clermont on 3 June would be Messi's last for the club, marking the end of his successful stint with PSG.

Lionel Messi joined Major League Soccer club Inter Miami after departing from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. He inked a two-and-a-half season deal with the option to extend for an additional year in the 2026 season.

Messi made his debut for Inter Miami in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, scoring a free-kick in stoppage time for a 2–1 victory.

Messi opened the scoring in the 2023 Leagues Cup final against Nashville SC before Nashville equalised in the second half. The game ended in a penalty shoot-out which Miami won, 10–9, with Messi scoring the first, giving the club their first ever trophy.

Messi made his MLS debut on 26 August, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute, scoring a late goal in a 2–0 away win against New York Red Bulls, which put an end to Inter's eleven-match league winless streak.

Following his World Cup win with Argentina and Ligue 1 trophy with PSG, Messi was awarded a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or.

Messi won The Best FIFA Men's Player for a record third time on 15 January 2024.