Player profile
Lionel Messi
Forward · Inter Miami CF
Lionel Messi is Argentina's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner who captained Argentina's World Cup title defense in 2026 and now anchors Inter Miami's attack in MLS.
Career
Messi's move to Inter Miami in July 2023 transformed both the club and MLS itself — he won the Leagues Cup within weeks of arriving, then the 2024 Supporters' Shield, then the 2025 MLS Cup, the club's first. By mid-2026 he had produced 90 goals and 51 assists in 104 matches across all competitions for Miami.
Internationally he already had the trophy that had eluded him: Argentina's 2022 World Cup win in Qatar. He added two Copa America titles either side of it (2021, 2024) and arrived at the 2026 World Cup, his sixth, as the competition's most-capped player ever with 26 appearances, leading Argentina's title defense against Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J.
How they play
Under Javier Mascherano, Inter Miami built a possession-based system around Messi as a false nine — he drops deep to combine with Sergio Busquets in midfield, drawing opposing defenders out of position to open space for wide attackers like Tadeo Allende and Mateo Silvetti to exploit.
Left-footed and built on close control and vision rather than pace, his signature is timing: a delayed run into the box arriving exactly as a teammate's pass does, rather than beating a defender in a straight line.
Where they are now
At 38, Messi remained Inter Miami's top scorer through the first half of the 2026 MLS season — 12 league goals, 13 in all competitions — playing out of the club's new home, Nu Stadium.
He became the first player to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award in back-to-back seasons (2024 and 2025), also taking the 2025 MLS Golden Boot, and passed 100 career goal contributions in MLS — a league record.
Bio
Club career
- Inter Miami CFSince 2023Current
- Paris Saint-Germain FC2021–2023
- FC Barcelona2004–2021
- FC Barcelona Atlètic2004–2005
- FC Barcelona C2003–2004
- FC Barcelona Juvenil A2003–2004
- Newell's Old Boys1995–2000
International career
- Argentina men's national football teamSince 2005Current
Youth caps: U23 (2008) · U20 (2004–2005)
Honours
- Princess of Asturias Award for Sports2026
- La Liga Player of the Month2021
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2021
- IFFHS World's Best Player2021
- Pichichi Trophy2021
- La Liga Player of the Month2020
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2020
- IFFHS World's Best Player2020
- Pichichi Trophy2020
- La Liga Player of the Month2019
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2019
- UEFA Club Football Awards2019
- Pichichi Trophy2019
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano2019
- World Soccer Award2019
- La Liga Player of the Month2018
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira2018
- Pichichi Trophy2018
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano2018
- Onze d'Or2018
- La Liga Player of the Month2017
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2017
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira2017
- Pichichi Trophy2017
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano2017
- La Liga Player of the Month2016
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2016
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2015
- UEFA Team of the Year2015
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira2015
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano2015
- World Soccer Award2015
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2013
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira2013
- Pichichi Trophy2013
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2012
- Pichichi Trophy2012
- World Soccer Award2012
- Onze d'Or2012
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2011
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira2011
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano2011
- World Soccer Award2011
- Onze d'Or2011
- IFFHS World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer2010
- IFFHS World's Best Player2010
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2010
- Trofeo Aldo Rovira2010
- IFFHS World's Best Playmaker2010
- Pichichi Trophy2010
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano2010
- Don Balón Award2010
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2009
- UEFA Club Football Awards2009
- Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano2009
- Don Balón Award2009
- World Soccer Award2009
- Onze d'Or2009
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2008
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2007
- Bravo Award2007
- Don Balón Award2007
- Footballer of the Year of Argentina2005
- IFFHS World Team
Defining moments
World Cup champion, at last2022
Messi captained Argentina to victory over France in the Qatar 2022 final, completing the one honour that had eluded him across a two-decade career and settling the debate over his standing among the sport's greatest players.
Back-to-back MLS MVP2025
Messi became the first player in MLS history to win the Landon Donovan MVP award in consecutive seasons, adding the 2025 Golden Boot and Inter Miami's first MLS Cup in the same year.
Latest season stats (ESPN)
In our archive
- Argentina 0–1 SpainLStarted · #10 · Center Right Forward
Sources
- ESPN athlete profileJul 18, 2026
- WikidataJul 18, 2026
- Player photo — Bryan BerlinCC BY-SA 4.0
Read for this profile
- MLSSoccer.com — Lionel Messi: World Cup profile | Inter Miami & Argentina forwardJuly 31, 2026
- ESPN — Inter Miami may be changing, but Messi's brilliance is constantJuly 31, 2026
Profile written / last reviewed July 31, 2026.
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