Lionel Andres Messi - Argentine footballer who plays for the Spanish «Barcelona»in the summer of 2011 - the captain of the Argentinian united team. Messi is the Olympic champion of 2008 world champion among youth of 2005 (the best player and top scorer of the tournament).
Playing for «Barcelona» he became the champion of Spain 6 times (2004/05, 2005/06, the 2008/09 2009/10, 2010/11, 2012/13).In 2007, 2009 and 2010 was recognized as the best player of the championship of Spain.
In 2005 and 2007-2011 was voted player of the year in Argentina, the last four of them he was awarded as the best Argentine abroad (with the 2008 prize was divided into two categories: best footballer, who plays in the championship of Argentina and the best Argentinian abroad).
He is also a three-time winner of the Champions League (2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11) and the best scorer of La Liga in 2010, 2012, the best scorer of the Champions League (2008/2009, 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012) as well as the best scorer in official matches for «Barcelona» in history. In 2007/08 came with Barcelona in the semi-finals of the Champions League and in the next season, won the final in Manchester United 2:0.
In 2009, Lionel Messi was recognized the best player of the year in the club's European football UEFA and the best striker in the Champions League.Messi is the winner of the Golden ball 2009 as the best footballer in the world.
On December 19th, 2009 in Abu Dhabi Messi became the world champion among clubs, scoring the winning goal in the final match.
On 10 January 2011, Lionel Messi was named the best player of the world of 2010. Messi was ahead of his team-mates at Barcelona, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. In August 25, Messi was awarded the MVP award in Europe by UEFA. Lionel Messi was ahead of his teammate Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. On 9 January 2012 Messi again received the «Golden ball FIFA», ahead of Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo.
On March 20, 2012 Lionel Messi in the match with the Spanish La Liga club «Granada» at the Camp Nou stadium scored 3 goals, thus setting a record performance in all official matches of «Barcelona» - 234 scored goals. The previous record belonged to Сесару Rodriguez (232 goals), were for the «Barcelona» in the 50-ies of the 20 century.
On 10 December 2012 Lionel Messi scored 86 th ball in the calendar year 2012, thus breaking the record for Gerd Muller, who in 1972 spent 85 goals in the gate rivals. Muller had to do 60 matches, while Messi - 66.
On 7th January 2013 Lionel Messi became the first player in history who has received «The Gold ball» four times. By results of voting the coaches and captains of national teams of the world, as well as journalists of leading sports magazines, 25-year-old Argentinian, ahead of his teammate Spaniard Andres Iniesta, and of the leader of Real Madrid and the national team of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the end of season 2012-2013 he got his 4th in a row Golden Ball, 3rd in a row Golden Boots and in year 2012 he scored 94 goals. These all are world records.
