Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is among the greatest players ever to grace the sport. He started out as a humble kid in Rosario, Argentina, and has gone on to become a Barcelona icon, a world champion and a captain for Inter Miami.

We follow his performances closely on Tipsgoal, since his statistics can become a valuable asset in understanding the match.

Who Is Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. 

He was born in Rosario, Argentina on 24 June 1987. By August 2026 he will be aged 39.

He is listed at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 metres) by Inter Miami, and he sports their iconic number 10.

His full name is Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini. Messi is left-footed, and he is renowned for his control, passing, dribbling, finishing and chance creation for his teammates. 

It’s not just the sheer volume of goals he has netted that makes his story so remarkable though. He has been one of the most dominant figures in world football for over 20 years.

Lionel Messi Profile

Lionel Messi's Early Football Career

It all started growing up in Rosario where football began playing a major role in his young life.

Since he was a little boy, he was really interested in playing football with tremendous passion. 

But while his ability was evident from his first few games, he was not entirely fortunate through his childhood.

As a boy growing up, Messi suffered from a growth hormone deficiency, and his parents struggled to pay for his medical fees until football offered him a ray of hope when Barcelona, seeing him on their watch, spotted his skills.

When he was as young as 13 years old, he moved from Argentina to Spain and went on to sign for Barcelona's acclaimed La Masia academy.

Think about that for just a minute,

A teenager moving country as a boy and traveling across continents all for the sake of playing football doesn't come with out its difficulties, yet that single decision would become a defining chapter in the history of modern football.

Lionel Messi Stats

But Messi’s talents are about more than just his goal-scoring ability, he’s a brilliant creator too. 

And it appears he carried that on at Inter Miami following his departure from Europe. 

He fired 29 league goals in 28 games on the way to an MLS Golden Boot in 2025 as Inter Miami lifted the MLS Cup in their first title triumph in club history.

The MLS website announced on March 4 that he had posted 89 regular-season combined goal tallies (52 goals and 37 assists) in 55 regular-season contests.

Those stats clearly illustrates how focusing solely on goals can paint a deceptive picture. 

When our analysts at Tipsgoal examine Messi we don't factor in whether or not he scored the game before, that would be an unsafe betting strategy, which does not account for playing time, assist metrics, strength of opposition, home and away performance, form of teammates, and likelihood of him starting.

How many goals has Messi scored?

He then went on to score his 900th official career goal for club and country in a match against Nashville SC in the Concacaf Champions Cup, held on March 18th, 2026. The tally at that achievement as per MLS:

Messi at Barcelona

But it was Barcelona that made people get to know Messi, where he made his senior club debut at the age of just 17 in 2004 and has become Barca's record all-time scorer.

That was his record with the club, when he hit the 900-goal mark in 2026, 672 of them were for Barcelona in 778 games, the MLS official breakdown for the milestone reads.

They're numbers that have seen him help them secure a raft of titles, from La Liga titles, Champions Leagues, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Most, if not all, fans remember that Barcelona stint for making him distinct.

He'd receive the ball midway down the pitch, weave through half a team and curl it home into the bottom left with his favored left foot before any opposing player realized what had even occurred.

Lionel Messi at Inter Miami

Messi has arrived at the club, in the summer of 2023, after his release from Paris Saint-Germain and dramatically, has changed the focus at Inter Miami almost overnight. as Inter Miami have gone on to become the 2025 MLS Cup champion with Messi providing two assists in the final to earn himself the MLS Cup MVP and has agreed to an extension on Messi's deal taking it through the 2028 MLS season. 

This gives a rather definitive answer to whether Messi would retire immediately after moving to play for club football… He remains tied to Inter Miami through to the end of the 2028 MLS season!

Naturally, contracts do not mean a player always plays every available match, age, fitness and individual choices could play roles as regards availabilities.

Who Is the Best Between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Messi and Ronaldo have ruled football for a generation

Messi tops the Ballon d'Or awards stakes with 8. Ronaldo has 5.

Ronaldo tops the official career goal charts with 294 More, Messi offers a differing profile based around goals and assists plus passing, dribbling and chance creation.

So the question of who is the greatest cannot be properly answered.

A simple answer no person will agree with cannot be given.

If your style is all about dribbling, imagination, and playmaking pick Messi.

If your preferred option is strength, aerial prowess and finishing purely for goals pick Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi Net Worth

According to Forbes estimation, Messi's net worth, as of August 2026 is $1.1 billion in real-time. 

Similarly, they predicted that over the past 12 months, Messi accumulated about $140 million in earnings-with around $70 million coming from activity on the field and another $70 million from various endorsement and business ventures. 

Remember, net worth is a projection of value and not what could currently be in the bank.

Is Lionel Messi Retiring?

Messi currently has a contract at Inter Miami until the end of the 2028 MLS season.

While that is clear in terms of a contractual sense, it does not indicate the date of his final day as a professional footballer, with the 39-year-old naturally under pressure to remain healthy enough to do the job, even for the last couple of years. 

However, for Tipsgoal users, the best way to approach such situations, is to stick to what is announced directly by the clubs and players.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lionel Messi

Who is Lionel Messi?

Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987; he is 37 as of August 2024.

What is Lionel Messi’s full name?

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini.

How tall is Lionel Messi?

Inter Miami listed Messi at 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) tall, though multiple sources report that he is closer to 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m).

Who is Lionel Messi’s wife?

Messi’s wife is Antonela Roccuzzo; the two have been married since 2017, have three sons, and their fourth son was born in 2023.

How many goals has Lionel Messi scored?

Messi became the first player in history to score 900 senior career goals on March 18, 2026.

How many goals does Messi have for Barcelona?

Messi set Barcelona records with 672 goals in 778 matches.

How many goals does Messi have for Argentina?

When Messi broke 900 career goals on Mar. 18, 2026, he’d registered 115 goals for Argentina. He has registered more goals for Argentina since then.

What is Lionel Messi’s net worth?

Forbes estimates Messi’s net worth at $1.1 billion as of August 2026.

Is Messi now a billionaire?

In 2026, Messi became one of the highest-earning athletes, with Forbes reporting he amassed $1.1 billion. Messi also achieved billionaire status in 2026.

Does Lionel Messi still play football?

He currently plays as a forward for Inter Miami CF.

Lionel Messi signed a deal with Inter Miami CF that runs through the 2028 season.

Has Messi won the World Cup?

Yes. He led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

How many Ballon d’Or awards has Messi won?

He has eight Ballon d’Ors, more than any other player.