- Planet Sport writer
- 17 July 2024
Lamine Yamal to wear Lionel Messi's old jersey number at Barcelona
Barcelona and Spain superstar Lamine Yamal will wear Lionel Messi's old jersey number - number '19' - for the 2024/25 campaign.
Lionel Messi is an Argentine football player who lifted the 2022 World Cup with his national side and currently plays for Inter Miami.
He is regarded as one of the greatest football players to have ever graced the game and is the only eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or and the six-time winner of the European Golden Shoe.
Messi had spent all of his professional career at Barcelona prior to his move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.
He won 34 major trophies with the Catalan club, including four UEFA Champions League titles. He is the all-time top goalscorer in La Liga, with his nearest rival being Cristiano Ronaldo in second place with 311 goals - more than 160 behind Messi. The Argentine is also the record-holder for most hat-tricks in La Liga history with 36.
With the national side, Messi is Argentina's all-time top goalscorer. He began his international career in 2005 and in doing so became the youngest player to represent the South American country at the age of 17.
Messi led Argentina to three consecutive finals from 2014 to 2016, suffering defeats in the 2014 FIFA World Cup to Germany and back-to-back losses in the Copa America. However, he broke his trophy drought in 2021 when Argentina beat host nation Brazil 1-0 to lift the Copa America.
Messi celebrated a dream, career-defining World Cup triumph as Argentina won the most dramatic final in history on penalties after Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick had kept holders France alive in 2022.
The 35-year-old's fifth and final appearance at this stage ended in glory as he captained them to their first World Cup triumph since the late, great Diego Maradona did so in 1986.
His opener in the final against France and extra-time strike took him to seven goals for the tournament and he was also the top assist provider. He also won the tournament's Golden Ball.
He also became the first man to score in the last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of the same edition and won the individual accolade for a second time.
In March 2023, he Messi netted his 800th professional goal as Argentina beat Panama 2-0 in their first match since winning the World Cup.
Messi confirmed he would leave PSG at the end of the 2022/23 season, and a few weeks later announced he would be joining MLS side Inter Miami.
He capped his US debut with a stunning free-kick winner against Cruz Azul and then inspired Inter Miami to their first major trophy win when they lifted the 2023 Leagues Cup.
Being one of the most famous faces in world football, Messi has been sponsored by Adidas during most of his career. From 2009 to 2014, he was the highest paid player in the world according to France Football before ranking top in Forbes' 2019 Highest Paid Athlete of the Year list.
In 2020, Messi followed in the footsteps of Ronaldo by becoming the second football player to pass $1billion earnings in his career.
A Barcelona legend
Having progressed quickly through the ranks in the academy, Messi was handed his debut as a substitute during a pre-season friendly against Jose Mourinho's Porto in 2003.
After playing in the Barcelona B and C teams, Messi made his competitive debut for Barcelona in October 2004 after senior players such as Ronaldinho pleaded with manager Frank Rijkaard to get him involved in the first-team set-up.
The Brazilian assisted Messi's first goal in May 2005 against Albacete, which made him the youngest-ever scorer for Barca at the age of 17. That record has since been broken by Ansu Fati.
Following the decline of Ronaldinho and several other key players, at the age of 20, Messi became Barcelona's new star after standout performances domestically, including a hat-trick against Real Madrid.
In 2007, he finished third in the Ballon d'Or, with Ronaldo runner-up to AC Milan’s Kaka. In 2008/09, Messi enjoyed a fine partnership with Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, with the trio scoring 100 goals between them in all competitions. It was a record number of goals scored for Barcelona at the time and Messi contributed with 38 goals from 51 appearances.
In Pep Guardiola's debut season as Barcelona manager, Messi helped guide the club to a historic treble by winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League. Messi also scored the second goal in the Champions League final against Manchester United.
The Argentine out-jumped Rio Ferdinand before famously running off with one of his boots in his hand after it had come off while heading the ball. Messi ended up the top goalscorer in the European competition that season. His performances were rewarded with a contract extension until 2016 with a €250million buyout clause.
Things continued to go from strength to strength in a side which saw Xavi and Andres Iniesta's link-up play compliment the style of Messi in attacking midfield. Pedro Rodriguez and David Villa replaced departing duo Henry and Eto'o while Sergio Busquets completed one of soccer’s greatest sides of all-time.
The team were triumphant in Europe two years later with a 3-1 victory over Manchester United and Messi was once again the tournament's top goalscorer with 12 goals.
In 2012, Messi became the club's all-time leading goalscorer at the age of 24 and would finish the campaign with 73 goals in all competitions - a record which surpassed the previous highest tally of 67 in a single season by Gerd Muller in the 1972/73 Bundesliga. Barcelona would also match the 100-point La Liga record of Real Madrid in 2013.
Another historic treble followed in 2014/15 under Luis Enrique. This was the season of 'MSN' - Messi, Suarez and Neymar. The trio's chemistry was as strong on the pitch as it was off the pitch, with the forward's scoring guiding Barcelona to La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League triumphs. This was Messi's fourth European crown.
In 2018/19, Messi won his 10th league title at the Camp Nou but the team's performances started to decline, especially in Europe, where they had surrendered a 3-0 lead against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-final.
Things went from bad to worse the following year with an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. The tie was a one-leg affair due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which had extended the competition into the late summer.
During the summer of 2020, Messi handed in a transfer request after sharing his dissatisfaction of Barcelona's progress on the pitch and behind the scenes. Despite his intentions, Catalonia president Quim Torra revealed he would only leave the club if his $825million clause was triggered.
There were therefore two options for Messi, who still wanted to be released from his contract: go to court or remain a Barcelona player. He chose the latter.
Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
Things changed in the summer of 2021 when Messi became a free agent. On August 6, Barcelona announced he would be leaving the club "because of financial and structural obstacles". Messi and Barcelona had agreed a new deal on reduced wages in mid-July, but this was based on the club selling players to afford his salary.
Four days later, on August 10, Messi signed a two-year deal with French side Paris Saint-Germain. His contract has the option of an additional year.
He scored 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona.
Messi picked up his seventh Ballon d'Or in 2021 after scoring 40 goals during the calendar year and helping Argentina win the 2021 Copa America.
His first season at PSG wasn't up to his usual standards, despite lifting the Ligue 1 title. He only scored six goals in the league, the first time he hadn't hit double figures since 2005/06. Overall he ended up with 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitons.
Messi helped the Parisians to another Ligue 1 title in the 2022/23 season but, despite netting 24 goals and 21 assists in 43 games, his relationship with the club soured.
In May, he was suspended for two weeks after making an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.
He ended his Paris St Germain career with a 3-2 defeat to Clermont, and PSG manager Christophe Galtier confirmed Messi would be leaving a few days later.
New adventure at Inter Miami
On July 15, 2023, Messi completed his move to Inter Miami on a deal running to 2025. He reunited with boss Gerardo Martino, who he previously worked under with Barca and Argentina.
Messi began his Inter Miami career with a bang as the Argentinian magician capped his debut with a stunning free-kick winner against Cruz Azul deep in stoppage time during a Leagues Cup match.
Messi top scored with 10 goals as Inter Miami went on to lift the 2023 Leagues Cup in dramatic style.
The winning goal against Cruz Azul came from a Messi free-kick in the 94th minute, while he scored a brace inside 22 minutes against Atlanta United in game two, with two more braces coming against Orlando City in a 3-1 win and their 4-4 draw with FC Dallas.
The quarter-final saw Messi netting the last of Inter's four goals, while he scored what turned out to be the winning goal against Philadelphia in a 4-1 win.
Finally, the Argentine managed to fire a stunning effort from outside of the box into the top corner against Nashville in the final. Miami went on to win the match on penalties.
In October 2023, Messi was crowned Ballon d’Or winner for a record eighth time after leading Argentina to World Cup glory, beating Erling Haaland into second place and Kylian Mbappe into third.
Messi was presented with the award by David Beckham, owner of Inter Miami and runner-up in the 1999 Ballon d’Or, and was in a reflective mood.
“I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had,” he said.
“Everything that I’ve achieved. The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies. To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing.”
Head-to-head: Messi vs Ronaldo
Messi's biggest rival from the same generation is Cristiano Ronaldo. The pair are well-known for their battle for dominance while Ronaldo was at Real Madrid. They have won over 60 major trophies combined and have both scored more than 750 goals during their careers.
Messi has the upper hand when it comes to Ballon d'Ors, having won a record-breaking eight compared to Ronaldo's five. When it comes to continental success, Ronaldo has five Champions League titles with three successive triumphs under Zinedine Zidane in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Messi, meanwhile, has lifted Europe's ultimate prize on four occasions.
The pair have faced off 35 times, with Messi being on the winning side on 16 occasions with 22 goals scored to Ronaldo's 10 victories and 19 goals. Former Barcelona striker Gary Lineker is one of many to prefer Messi's natural talent over the athleticism of Ronaldo when it comes to deciding who the 'GOAT' [Greatest of All Time] is.
Speaking about the debate, he said: "I am a huge fan of Ronaldo too, but if you're talking about the best player ever, there shouldn't even be a debate that it is Messi. That's just my opinion, but it's not even close for me."
Ronaldo has led Portugal to UEFA European Championship glory in 2018 and UEFA Nations League triumph 12 months later while Messi finally ended his international trophy drought in 2021 when Argentina won the Copa America and then the World Cup in 2022.
When it comes to social media, there is no dispute, with Ronaldo having more than 600 million followers on Instagram compared to Messi's 489 million. The Portuguese forward is the most followed person on Instagram, ahead of Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Dwayne Johnson.
Performances with his national side
What seems laughable now is Messi was long derided for been unable to lead his nation to glory in the FIFA World Cup or Copa America - something which saw him compared less favourably to Diego Maradona, who guided his country to World Cup glory in 1986. Before 2021, Messi had led Argentina to three consecutive finals which all ended in defeat.
After yet another penalty shootout defeat to Chile in the 2016 Copa America final, Messi announced his international retirement. Following words from Argentina's president Mauricio Macri and a national call for him to return, Messi's retirement lasted just a week.
In 2018, Argentina were eliminated by eventual champions France in the World Cup round of 16, while they finished third in Copa America's 2019 installment. Messi received a $50,000 fine by CONMEBOL for commenting on the performance of the referee during their semi-final defeat to Brazil, which saw the Argentine sent off.
Messi finally got his hands on an international trophy in 2021 when Argentina beat host nation Brazil 1-0 in the final of the Copa America.
Angel Di Maria scored the match-winner, while Messi was named player of the tournament having bagged four goals.
Messi at the World Cup
While it has been neither confirmed nor denied by the player himself, the Qatar World Cup is likely to be the last for Messi in an Argentina shirt. He will be turning 39 during the next tournament in four years, so even if he was keen to still play there is no guarantee the body would be able.
Despite being one of the best footballers ever, the little maestro has not had the best of luck with Argentina at World Cups, especially against Germany. Die Mannschaft knocked Messi's Argentina out of the quarter-final of both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups before beating them again, this time in the final, in 2014.
The tournament in 2018 was one to forget for Argentina and Messi after they only won one game, against Nigeria, and were knocked out in the round of 16 by France.
Messi lifts 2022 World Cup
Messi's apparent World Cup curse struck again in their first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Things appeared to get off to the perfect start when he opened the scoring from the penalty spot, only for Saudi Aradi to fight back with two goals and secure one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Argentina bounced back to beat Mexico and Poland in the following group games, with Messi scoring a screamer against El Tri.
To mark his 1,000th senior appearance, Messi scored his first goal in the World Cup knockout stages as Argentina beat Australia 2-1 in the last 16, to set up a quarter-final clash with Netherlands.
He added a goal and an assist in the quarter-final against the Netherlands, where he also scored in the penalty shootout in an ill-tempered game.
Messi equalled the record for the most appearances at the World Cup during Argentina's semi-final win over Croatia, where he scored from the spot again and assisted for Julian Alvarez after a mesmeric run.
The magician went level with Lothar Mattheus on 25 and broke the record in the final.
The 35-year-old made winning the World Cup his solo mission, at what is almost certainly his last tournament, and he succeeded in truly scintillating style.
His opener in the final against France and extra-time strike took him to seven goals for the tournament and he was also the top assist provider.
This was Messi's World Cup - and that was rubber-stamped as he was named the player of the tournament.
The 35-year-old also became the first man to score in the last 16, quarter-final, semi-final and final of the same edition and wins the individual accolade for a second time.
Personal life
Messi has been in a relationship with Antonella Roccuzzo since 2008 and the couple got married in 2017. Together they have three sons: Thiago, Mateo and Ciro, and Messi has Thiago's name and handprints tattooed on his left leg.
His father Jorge has a big influence in helping him make business decisions while his eldest brother is in charge of the public relations aspect and arranges his day-to-day schedule. His mother, meanwhile, fronts the Leo Messi Foundation with his other brother Matias.
The soccer star came under fire in 2013 after being investigated for tax fraud. Lionel and his father were found guilty and handed a 21-month suspended sentence. Messi voluntarily paid €5.1million and the pair were later forced to pay €1.7million €1.4million in fines, respectively.
Appearing at court, Messi blamed his father for the dealings, stating that he leaves Jorge and his lawyers to look after his finances while he focuses his efforts on the soccer pitch.
Lionel Messi's net worth
Messi was the highest-earning soccer player in the world when on his previous contract at Barcelona. His deal saw him pick up an annual salary of $80million.
In 2020, he ranked at No. 6 for the Celebrity Top 100 earners and No. 3 in the World’s Highest Paid Athletes List by Forbes, sitting behind Roger Federer and Ronaldo.
In the previous 12 months, Messi generated an estimated $33million through endorsement deals with long-term sponsor Adidas as well as Pepsi, Mastercard and Huawei.
His PSG deal will see him earn €25million after tax, with €10million in potential bonuses on top of that. This is higher than he would have got at Barcelona after he had accepted a 50 percent paycut in the hope of the Catalan club being able to retain him.
Ahead of the 2021/22 season, Forbes announced the highest-paid players for the upcoming season. Messi ranks second on the list as he will earn $110million from his contract with PSG and his endorsement deals. His salary is $75million which makes his contract the highest across the globe alongside PSG teammate Neymar.
Lionel Messi's boots
Lionel Messi wears the adidas X Speedflow 1, a boot that is reported to be very comfortable and assists with dribbling.
They are primarily available in red at around £126. Adidas have also launched a special collection with Messi with boots available in gold with a black sole.
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