Lionel Messi Bio Send To Friend  

Messi, due to his nationality, has drawn comparisons with Argentine legend Diego Maradona and is viewed as one of the best players in the world despite his tender age.

An attacking midfielder, most comfortable on the flanks of an attacking trio, Messi has incredible dribbling skills that see him ghost past opponents with consummate ease. Highly creative and versatile, his low centre of gravity has helped his development and he has proved to have great strength and balance despite his diminutive size.

Still only young, the Barcelona striker has the world at his feet and is expected to dominate the global game for years to come.

Beginning his career at Newell's Old Boys in 1995, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at age 11, but had his medical bills paid for by Barcelona on the condition that he join the club in 2000. Arriving in Spain at 13, he blossomed and made leaps through the different Barcelona youth teams, before graduating to the first-team at age 16.

In the 2003-04 season he made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium and picked up his first official cap in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium in October 2004.

The following season, Messi became more of a fixture in the side and became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for the club - against Albacete when he was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. He began to gain international plaudits as he was voted best player at the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, also finishing as Argentina's top scorer. And he would go on to make his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary soon after.

He shone in Barcelona's 3-0 'El Clasico' win at the Bernabeu and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. His season was ended prematurely due to a muscle tear, but Barcelona still finished as champions of both Europe and Spain and Messi picked up the FIFPro World Young Player of the Year award (the first of three he would win.)

Despite suffering a broken metatarsal early into the following season, Messi returned to find his best form for the club. Finishing the season with 14 goals from 23 starts, the Argentine also proved he could live up to the "new Maradona" tag, by near-replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of a single season.

In April 2007, he ran past six players and the goalkeeper to score against Getafe, as Maradona had famously done against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Then he recreated the 'Hand of God' against Espanyol, by punching the ball into the net.

With his reputation rising, Messi was nominated for the FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward, with many of his peers calling for him to win the Ballon D'Or. He scored 10 goals in 23 starts in the 2007-08 La Liga and, at the end of the season, was given a place in both the UEFA and FIFA Team of the Year.

He was second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Cristiano Ronaldo and with Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi made the #10 jersey his own.

In the summer, Messi picked up Olympic Gold with Argentina and an incredible scoring run at the start of the 2008-09 season saw him cement his reputation as one of the world's best. The good thing? There may be even more to come.