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Born in Rosario in 1987, Lionel Messi is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time. A product of Barcelona's La Masia academy, he spent 17 trophy-laden seasons at Camp Nou before short spells at Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami. With Argentina he lifted the Copa América in 2021 and 2024 and the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022 — finally cementing his international legacy. Heading into the 2026 World Cup he will lead Argentina's title defence on North American soil in what is expected to be his sixth and final tournament.
Lionel Messi arrives at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with 112 international goals in 191 caps for Argentina. His club form at Inter Miami continues to be decisive heading into the tournament hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.