10 Things You Need To Know About Lionel Messi

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#1- Lionel Messi, born on June 24, 1987. His real name is "Luis Lionel Andres Messi." He belongs to Rosario, Argentina.

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#2- Messi started playing football at the age of 5. His father used to coach at the club where he first started playing football. The club was "Grandoli."

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#3- When Messi was 11, he was diagnosed with Harmon deficiency, a growth disorder that caused his height to stop growing at a normal rate.

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#4- Messi signed his first professional contract with Barcelona, When he was just 13. Interesting thing is that the contract he signed was written on a napkin.

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#5- Lionel Messi made his professional debut for Barcelona at the age of 17 & also became the youngest debut player for FC Barcelona.

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#6- Lionel Messi is also the only Barcelona player to score 300 goals in the La Liga football league. He played 347 games for Barcelona & scored 312 goals.

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#7- Messi is the only player in football history to have won the Golden Boot three times in a row. He has won the Golden Boot Award six times in total.

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#8- In 2016, Messi announced his retirement from international football, but later he reversed his decision & helped his team qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

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#9- Lionel Messi has also won the "Ballon d'Or" award 7 times. He also won a gold medal in 2008 Olympics for Argentina's national team.

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#10- Messi is the second-richest football player in the world. His net worth is more than $620 million.

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