El Once Ideal de la Copa América"[The Ideal Eleven of the Copa América]. La República (in Spanish). 16 July 2007. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016 . Retrieved 16 February 2016. Lionel Messi with his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, and their three children Ciro, Mateo, and Thiago Getty Images

The Copa América 2011 Dream Team". Copa America Organisation. 8 June 2015. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015 . Retrieved 13 September 2015. Fiesta y equilibrio". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 25 May 2008. p.18. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022.

European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or")". The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . Retrieved 9 May 2017. On 26 June, Argentina once again lost to Chile on penalties 4-2 in the Copa América Centenario final after a 0–0 tie. Messi missed his penalty in the penalty shootout. This was Messi's third consecutive defeat in a major tournament final with Argentina, and his fourth overall. A day after the match, Messi announced his retirement from international football. In an emotional interview after the game, he said he was very sad that he missed the penalty and also sad that he wasn't able to win any trophies in four finals. [18] [19] [20] Return from Retirement [ change | change source ] By any standards, Messi’s goal scoring record is exceptional. By June 2019, he has scored 419 goals in 445 official matches for Barcelona FC. For all his success with Barcelona, Messi repeatedly came under fire for his inability to help Argentina’s national team win a major title. In the 2014 World Cup, Argentina lost to Germany in the final, though Messi was named player of the tournament that year. In 2016, following Argentina’s second consecutive loss to Chile in the final of the Copa America tournament, Messi announced he was ending his run with the national team. Premios Olimpia 2015: La Judoca Paula Pareto se Llevó el Oro y los de Plata Fueron Para Messi, Marco Ruben, Andrés Nocioni y Adolfo Cambiaso"[Olympia Awards 2015: The Judoca Paula Pareto Took the Gold and Silver Was for Messi, Marco Ruben, Andrés Nocioni and Adolfo Cambiaso] (in Spanish). LRA Radio Nacional. 23 December 2015 . Retrieved 8 January 2016.

Lionel moved to Spain when he was only 13, but he built his life with someone he knew from his childhood in Rosario: Antonella Roccuzzo, longtime partner and eventual wife. Having known each other since they were five, they got together as teenagers when Messi was already in Barcelona. One of the most favorable events for Messi was when he had the opportunity to work alongside a great player like Ronaldo. Messi's performance at the time blew Ronaldo away. He also mentioned Messi that One day, this youngster will exceed me. Together, they contributed to numerous victories for Barcelona. I made a lot of sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream. That’s why I didn’t go out partying, or do a lot of other things.”

Former Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Fabregas says his first impression of young Messi was that "he was a very small kid, didn't speak, he was very shy".

At the age of 4, Messi joined his first football team. Then, at 8, he began participating in football games for Newell's Old Boys in Rosario, his hometown. Football had already surpassed all the importance for Messi at this point. He once maintained an unbroken practice schedule day and night. BeIN Sports: Messi habría rechazado el MVP del torneo"[BeIN Sports: Messi reportedly rejects MVP award for tournament] (in Spanish). AS.com. 5 July 2015 . Retrieved 5 July 2015. But from then on, Messi became a regular starter in the national team. Following a painful defeat in the 2007 Copa America final, the rising Barcelona star led his country to an Olympic gold medal in Beijing 2008. After the Summer Olympics, Messi’s club career reached new heights. Leo Messi wins his seventh Pichichi, a LaLiga record". FC Barcelona. 19 July 2020 . Retrieved 19 July 2020.

Club career [ change | change source ] FC Barcelona [ change | change source ] Messi (left) with the Golden Ball award, shaking hands with future teammate Neymar (Bronze Ball winner) after the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final Lionel Messi is known to be an introvert as well as a reserved individual. Lionel Messi with his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo at the FIFA Football Awards 2017