by Luca Caioli
At thirteen years old, scouted by Barcelona
Barcelona
First team debut: 16 November 2003 v FC Porto (away)
La Liga debut: 16 October 2004 v RCD Espanyol (away)
First goal: 1 May 2005 v Albacete (home)
Appearances (until 29 May 2011)
Liga 177 Goals 119
Copa del Rey 26 Goals 17
Europe 61 Goals 41
Argentina
Debut: 17 August 2005 v Hungary (away)
First goal: 1 March 2006 v Croatia (away)
Caps 60 Goals 18 (up to 29 May 2011)
Appearances
Under 20 World Cup 2005
World Cup 2006
World Cup 2010
Copa América 2007
Copa América 2011
Summer Olympics 2008
Honours won
Barcelona
Liga: 5
2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
Copa del Rey: 1
2008–09
Supercopa de España: 5
2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
UEFA Champions League: 3
2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
UEFA Super Cup: 2
2009, 2011
FIFA Club World Cup: 1
2009
Argentina national team
Under 20 World Cup 2005
Olympic gold medal, Beijing 2008
Individual honours
FIFA Ballon d’Or (European Player of the Year) 2010
Golden Boot 2010
Ballon d’Or (European Player of the Year) 2009
FIFA World Player of the Year 2009
Onze d’Or 2009
Alfredo Di Stéfano trophy 2008–09
UEFA Champions League Top Scorer 2008–09
UEFA Club Forward of the Year 2008–09
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year 2008–09
LFP Best Player 2008–09
European Player of the Year (second place) 2008
FIFA World Player of the Year (second place) 2008
Under 21 European Footballer of the Year 2007
European Player of the Year (third place) 2007
FIFA World Player (second place) 2007
European FIFA Under 20 World Cup Top Scorer 2005
FIFA Under 20 World Cup Player of the Tournament 2005
Copa América Young Player of the Tournament 2007
Player of the Year, Argentina 2005, 2007
FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year 2006–07, 2007–08
FIFPro World Young Player of the Year 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
World Soccer Young Player of the Year 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
Premio Don Balón (Best Foreign Player in La Liga) 2006–07, 2008–09
EFE Trophy (Best Ibero-American Player in La Liga) 2006–07, 2008–09
FIFPro World XI 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
Bibliography
Apo, Alejandro, Y el fútbol contó un cuento (Buenos Aires: Alfaguara, 2007)
Beha, Oliviero and Di Caro, Andrea, Indagine sul calcio (Milan: Bur, 2006)
Brera, Gianni, Incontri e invettive (Milan: Longanesi, 1974)
Fontanarrosa, Roberto, Puro fútbol (Buenos Aires: Ediciones de la Flor, 2000)
Frieros, Toni, Leo Messi, el tesoro del Barça (Barcelona: Edecasa, 2006)
Galdeano, Arnau, Estimat Messi (Barcelona: Empúries, 2007)
Galeano, Eduardo, El fútbol a sol y sombra (Madrid: Siglo XXI de España Editores, 1995)
Grosso, Cristian, Futbolistas con historia(s) (Buenos Aires: Ediciones Al Arco, 2007)
Hugo, Víctor and Perfumo, Roberto, Hablemos de fútbol (Buenos Aires: Planeta, 2006)
Luque, Xavier and Finestres, Jordi, El caso Di Stéfano (Barcelona: Península, 2006)
Maradona, Diego Armando, Yo soy el Diego (Barcelona: Planeta, 2001)
Sebreli, Juan José, La era del fútbol (Buenos Aires: Debolsillo, 2005)
Toro, Carlos, Anécdotas del fútbol (Madrid: La Esfera de los Libros, 2004)
Valdano, Jorge, El miedo escénico y otras hierbas (Madrid: Aguilar, 2002)
Vargas, Walter, Fútbol Delivery (Buenos Aires: Ediciones Al Arco, 2007)
Magazines
El Gráfico, Buenos Aires
Don Balón, Barcelona
Newspapers
Spain
El País
El Mundo
La Vanguardia
El Periódico de Catalunya
Marca
As
Sport
Mundo Deportivo
Argentina
La Nación
Clarín
Época
Olé
La Capital
UK
The Times
Guardian
Italy
Corriere della Sera
Gazzetta dello Sport
Corriere dello Sport
Yearbooks
Guía de la Liga 2005 (Marca Magazines)
Guía de la Liga 2006 (Marca Magazines)
Guía de la Liga 2007 (Marca Magazines)
Guía de la Liga 2008 (Marca Magazines)
Guía de la Liga 2009 (Marca Magazines)
Guía de la Liga 2010 (Marca Magazines)
TV channels
Canal +
TyC
Fox TV
TV3
Websites
www.fifa.com
www.uefa.com
www.afa.com.ar
www.gloriosonewells.com.ar
www.nob.com.ar
www.rosariocentral.com
www.fcbarcelona.com
www.youtube.com
www.lionelmessi.org
www.liomessi.wordpress.com
www.messiadictos.com
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Leo Messi and to his family: Jorge, Celia, Rodrigo and Marcela.
And, in order of appearance, thanks to Laure Merle d’Aubigné, Bernat Puigtobella, Fèlix Riera, Montserrat Molons, Marcela Martínez, Claudio Martínez, Julio Lagos, Diego Torres, Fernando Solanas, Asier del Horno, Pablo Zabaleta, Hugo Tocalli, Pancho Ferraro, Carlos Garaycochea, Carlos Bilardo, Manuel Giménez, Dolores García, Fernando Niembro, Claudio Codina, Mariano Bereznicki, Diego Schwarzstein, Cintia Arellano, Salvador Aparicio, Ernesto Vecchio, Adrián Coria, Horacio del Prado, Roberto Perfumo, Alfio Basile, Santiago Segurola, Cristina Cubero, José Miguel Terés, Gianluca Zambrotta, Alex García, Charly Rexach, Josep Maria Minguella, Horacio Gaggioli, Frank Rijkaard, Jorge Valdano, Ton Vilalta Seco, Albert Torrescasana, Ignacio Iraola, Analía Romano, Oliver Pugh, Simon Flynn, Andrew Furlow, Nick Sidwell, Sarah Higgins, Najma Finlay and Sheli Rodney.
Dedicated to Elvira, for everything she has done and continues to do. To Lorenzo, Olmo, Alda and Tullio.