
  
Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left 
Rosario-based 
Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his 
growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 
2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal. Major honours soon followed as Barcelona won La Liga in Messi's debut season, and won 
a double of the league and 
Champions League in 2006. His breakthrough season was in the 
2006–07 season; he became a 
first teamregular, scoring a 
hat-trick in 
El Clásico and finishing with 14 goals in 26 league games. Messi then had the most successful season of his playing career, the 
2008–09 season, in which he scored 38 goals to play an integral part in a 
treble-winning campaign. This record breaking season was then eclipsed in the following 
2009–10 campaign, where Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling 
Ronaldo's record total for Barcelona. He surpassed this record in the 
2010–11 season.
Career statistics
Club
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals | Assists | 
|---|
| Argentina | 2005 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 
| 2006 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 
| 2007 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 
| 2008 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 
| 2009 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 
| 2010 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 
| 2011 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 
| Total | 55 | 16 | 11 | 
|---|
International goals
Under–20
- Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first.[196][197]
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | 
|---|
| 1 | 14 June 2005 | Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands |  Egypt | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2005 World Youth Championship | 
| 2 | 22 June 2005 | Univé Stadion, Emmen, Netherlands |  Colombia | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2005 World Youth Championship | 
| 3 | 24 June 2005 | Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands |  Spain | 3–1 | 3–1 | 2005 World Youth Championship | 
| 4 | 28 June 2005 | Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands |  Brazil | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2005 World Youth Championship | 
| 5 | 2 July 2005 | Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands |  Nigeria | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2005 World Youth Championship | 
| 6 | 2 July 2005 | Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands |  Nigeria | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2005 World Youth Championship | 
Under–23
Senior team
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | 
|---|
| 1 | 1 March 2006 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland |  Croatia | 2–1 | 2–3 | Friendly | 
| 2 | 16 June 2006 | WM-Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany |  Serbia and Montenegro | 6–0 | 6–0 | 2006 World Cup | 
| 3 | 5 June 2007 | Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain |  Algeria | 2–2 | 4–3 | Friendly | 
| 4 | 5 June 2007 | Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain |  Algeria | 4–2 | 4–3 | Friendly | 
| 5 | 8 July 2007 | Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela |  Peru | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2007 Copa América | 
| 6 | 11 July 2007 | Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela |  Mexico | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2007 Copa América | 
| 7 | 16 October 2007 | José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela |  Venezuela | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification | 
| 8 | 20 November 2007 | Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia |  Colombia | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2010 World Cup qualification | 
| 9 | 4 June 2008 | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States |  Mexico | 2–0 | 4–1 | Friendly | 
| 10 | 11 October 2008 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Uruguay | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification | 
| 11 | 11 February 2009 | Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France |  France | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | 
| 12 | 28 March 2009 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Venezuela | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification | 
| 13 | 14 November 2009 | Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid, Spain |  Spain | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly | 
| 14 | 7 September 2010 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Spain | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly | 
| 15 | 17 November 2010 | Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar |  Brazil | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | 
| 16 | 9 February 2011 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland |  Portugal | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | 
Awards and honours
Club
- Barcelona :
- La Liga: 4       2005, 2006, 2009, 2010       Copa del Rey: 1       2009       Supercopa de España: 4       2005, 2006, 2009, 2010       UEFA Champions League: 2       2006, 2009       UEFA Super Cup: 1       2009       FIFA Club World Cup: 1       2009       Argentina       FIFA U-20 World Cup: 1       2005       Olympic Gold Medal: 1       2008  
Individual
Ballon   d'Or: 2       2009, 2010       FIFA World Player of the Year:   1       2009       FIFA Team of the Year: 3       2008, 2009, 2010       U-21 European Footballer of   the Year: 1       2007       La Liga Player of the Year: 2       2009, 2010       La Liga top goalscorer: 1       2010       Copa del Rey top goalscorer: 1       2011       La Liga Foreign Player of the   Year: 3       2007, 2009, 2010       La Liga Ibero-American Player   of the Year: 3       2007, 2009, 2010       European Golden Shoe: 1       2010       UEFA Champions League top   goalscorer: 2       2009, 2010       UEFA Champions League Player   of the Year: 1       2009       UEFA Champions League Forward   of the Year: 1       2009       UEFA Team of the Year: 3       2008, 2009, 2010       Footballer of the Year of   Argentina: 5       2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 201       FIFPro World Player of the   Year: 2       2009, 2010       FIFPro World Young Player of   the Year: 3       2006, 2007, 2008       FIFPro Special Young Player of   the Year: 2       2007, 2008       FIFPro World XI: 4       2007, 2008, 2009, 2010       FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of   the Tournament: 1       2005       FIFA U-20 World Cup top   goalscorer: 1       2005       Copa América Young Player of   the Tournament: 1       2007       World Soccer Player of the   Year: 1       2009       World Soccer Young Player of   the Year: 3       2006, 2007, 2008       FIFA Club World Cup Golden   Ball: 1       2009       ESM Team of the Year: 4       2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09,   2009-10       Marca Leyenda: 1       2009       Tuttosport Golden Boy: 1       2005       UEFA best goal of the year: 1       2007         
 
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