Top 10 Facts About Lionel Messi

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These Messi facts will have you screaming "goooooooal!" Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down fun and interesting facts about Argentinian soccer phenom Lionel Messi.

Transcript

00:00 playing like Messi comes once in 100 years probably.

00:03 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down fun and interesting facts about Argentinian

00:08 soccer phenom Lionel Messi.

00:10 They call him the flea because he was so little, but I think he's the flea because you can't

00:15 catch him.

00:18 Number 10.

00:19 Early childhood and career.

00:20 Lionel Andres Messi was born in Rosario, Argentina on June 24, 1987.

00:36 He began playing soccer at a very young age and started turning heads almost instantly

00:40 during his tenure in the Newell Old Boys Club youth program.

00:43 Many took notice of his play, including FC Barcelona, who subsequently offered him to

00:47 play in their youth academy, La Masia.

01:02 He relocated to Barcelona and immediately made an impact.

01:05 Playing for the club's under-14 team, he scored 21 goals in 14 games.

01:09 In just a few years, he would move up the ranks and went on to join the main club at

01:12 the mere age of 16.

01:24 Number 9.

01:25 His first contract.

01:26 What's also notable about Messi's early career is the story of how he was recruited.

01:30 During a tryout with FC Barcelona, team executive Carles Reschach couldn't help but notice the

01:35 extraordinary play of the then 12-year-old.

01:37 According to Reschach, it only took him a few minutes to realize that what he had before

01:41 him was a special player.

01:42 Fearing Messi might move quickly and other clubs may take him, Reschach decided to take

01:46 matters into his own hands.

01:48 He approached the youth and made him sign a paper napkin, which he had in his possession

01:51 after a waiter had given it to him.

02:18 Messi signed right then and there, and thus a legend began.

02:21 The agent who secured the deal still has the napkin and had it framed.

02:24 Number 8.

02:25 His growth hormone deficiency.

02:31 At the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.

02:35 This meant his body wasn't producing enough hormones for normal growth.

02:50 Many clubs expressed concern over both this and his height and as a result passed on him.

02:54 The condition also required expensive treatment that his family couldn't afford.

02:58 Upon joining FC Barcelona, the club agreed that they would cover the expenses for the

03:02 medication required to treat his condition.

03:04 Now proudly standing at approximately 5'7", Messi has shown that his height has done nothing

03:09 to slow him down or hamper his playing ability.

03:25 Number 7.

03:26 Off the pitch and personal life.

03:28 Although Messi leads a very private life, there's still a fair bit to know.

03:43 He's married to fellow Argentine Antonella Rucuzzo, and together they have three children.

03:48 One of his most noted hobbies outside of soccer is to play video games.

03:51 He's a big fan of FIFA, which he has been on the cover of a number of times.

03:55 Messi is also noted for his taste in music, with reggaeton and Latin music being cited

03:59 among some of his favorite genres.

04:01 Although he remains somewhat of an enigma off the pitch, Messi has shown to carry himself

04:04 with grace and character.

04:06 Number 6.

04:07 His business portfolio.

04:13 To accumulate an estimated $600 million net worth, one must evidently be successful not

04:18 only on but off the pitch.

04:20 And Messi has done just that.

04:21 His most notable move saw him ink a lifetime deal with sports brand Adidas, who pay him

04:26 approximately $12 million annually.

04:28 He's also partnered with several other noteworthy brands, including Pepsi, Huawei, and Gillette.

04:33 He's even collaborated with Tommy Hilfiger's sister Ginny Hilfiger to release his own clothing

04:52 line.

04:57 Also known for his penchant to wear nice watches, he collaborated with American watch manufacturer

05:01 Jacob & Co. and produced his very own line.

05:04 He's even opened a sports investment firm.

05:06 One thing's for certain, is that associating with Messi means good business.

05:10 Number 5.

05:11 Legacy and departure from FC Barcelona.

05:26 No ands, ifs, or buts about it, but along with being touted by many as the greatest

05:30 soccer player in history, he's also been deemed the best to ever don an FC Barcelona jersey,

05:35 period.

05:36 In addition to the astronomical and record numbers he's put up, more on that later, he's

05:39 also delivered in several unforgettable moments and defined what it meant to be a franchise

05:44 player and superstar not just in soccer, but all of sports.

05:47 Unfortunately, due to contract and salary complications, his tenure with the team came

05:51 to an end.

06:00 Although he's no longer with the club, his name will forever remain synonymous with FC

06:04 Barcelona.

06:18 Number 4.

06:19 Record breaker.

06:20 As previously mentioned, Messi's numbers are outmatched.

06:22 Having joined Barcelona aged 13 and started training with the first team while still barely

06:27 a teenager, Messi now holds their records for the most games, goals, assists, wins,

06:34 and titles.

06:35 In addition to holding all of FC Barcelona's main records as of the time of writing, Messi

06:39 holds the record for most goals scored in an entire season.

06:42 He holds the most goals and hat-tricks in La Liga history.

06:52 No La Liga player has even scored more goals than he has in a single season.

06:57 Even on the national stage, no Argentine player has scored more than Messi.

07:00 There have been legends of the game before him, and others will doubtless follow.

07:04 But for now, quite simply, has there ever been anyone better?

07:08 He's one of only two players to score over 100 goals in UEFA history, the other being

07:13 his most formidable rival.

07:15 Number 3.

07:16 The rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo.

07:29 The debate as to which one of these players is the all-time GOAT in soccer is so heavily

07:32 discussed, we even made a video about it.

07:35 Welcome to WatchMojo, and in this installment of Versus, we're pitting Lionel Messi against

07:39 Cristiano Ronaldo to hopefully settle the debate on just who's the best modern-day

07:44 soccer player.

07:45 But for those who are not aware, year after year, Messi's accomplishments are frequently

07:48 compared to those of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

07:52 Although they have somewhat different playing styles, they do one thing very well, and that's

07:56 score goals.

08:05 The rivalry was also further intensified when Ronaldo joined FC Barcelona's rival team

08:10 Real Madrid, in turn making the El Clásico matchups even more meaningful.

08:14 While both men are well aware of their rivalry and the attention which it brings, they have

08:18 always shown and expressed respect for one another.

08:30 Number 2.

08:31 Charity work

08:32 With the fame and fortune that he has achieved during his career, Messi has made it a point

08:35 to give back to those who are less fortunate.

08:37 In 2007, he created the Leo Messi Foundation to assist underprivileged youth.

08:42 The aim is to help children, and in a short time the foundation has grown a lot and achieved

08:46 important things.

08:47 We are happy for this and hope to keep doing a lot more.

08:51 Likely influenced by the challenges he faced with his growth hormone deficiency, the foundation

08:55 has put an emphasis on helping children who suffer from health issues.

08:58 While also collaborating with other foundations for charity work, he was also appointed a

09:03 Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 2010.

09:05 He's made several noteworthy donations while travelling around the world to help those

09:09 in need.

09:10 He also has acts of kindness towards those in need are plentiful, and it's clear that

09:13 Messi knows how to bring joy both on and off the pitch.

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09:39 Number 1.

09:40 Putting the MLS on Notice

09:59 Shortly after his stint with Paris Saint-Germain came to a close on July 5, 2023, it was announced

10:04 that Messi had agreed to terms with Inter Miami CF and MLS.

10:08 Although his tenure has been brief, his impact has been evident.

10:15 Not only has it brought more eyes to the MLS, but more dollars as well.

10:30 Inter Miami has understandably become the highest selling team in the league.

10:34 According to online ticket vendor StubHub, the average price of a single game ticket

10:37 to watch an Inter Miami home game has jumped from $152 to $329.

10:43 Not to mention the fact that the move has boosted subscribers for Apple TV, the official

10:47 streaming service for MLS, with an estimated 288,000 new subscriptions coming just one

10:52 month after Messi's arrival.

10:54 And this is only just the beginning.

10:56 What is it about Messi that you enjoy?

10:58 Let us know below!

11:15 --- End ---

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