Rise to Fame
Barcelona signed a 13-year-old from Rosario because he had a growth hormone deficiency and nobody else would pay for his injections. The club covered the $900-a-month treatment, and Messi showed up at La Masia and turned their investment into 672 goals over 17 seasons. His first professional contract in 2004 started with a 30 million euro buyout clause. The napkin Carles Rexach scribbled the deal on fetched nearly $1 million at auction in 2024, which feels about right.
In the Spotlight
Moving to Miami in 2023 looked like a retirement tour. It wasn't. He won back-to-back MLS MVP awards in 2024 and 2025, the first player in league history to do that, and led Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup title in 2025. His 2025 regular season finished with 48 goal contributions across 28 games. He signed an extension through 2028 and reportedly earns between $70 and $80 million a year from the club. He's 38 and still the best player in the league by a distance.
Side Notes
His mother named him after Lionel Richie, her favorite singer. He got sent off about 40 seconds into his Argentina debut in 2005 for elbowing, which is a peculiar way to announce yourself internationally. He's the godfather of Sergio Aguero's son Benjamin, who is also the grandson of Diego Maradona. The three biggest names in Argentine football history are linked through one kid's baptism.