Lionel Andrés Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in the city of Rosario, Argentina. Everyone knows him now as the best football player in the world. In fact, a lot of people say he might become the greatest player ever. We’ll see about that at the World Cup. Messi is FIFA World Player of the Year. He also helped his club team Barcelona win the European Champions League and the World Club Championship.

Messi grew up playing football. He joined his first club when he was five. At the age of eight, he signed up for the famous Newell's Old Boys' youth team. His career nearly ended when doctors found out he suffered from a growth hormone deficiency. Luckily, agents from Barcelona saw his talent and in 2000, he moved to Spain. The Catalan club paid for his medical treatment and coached him until he made his Barcelona debut.

Lionel started breaking records as soon as he played his first game for Barcelona in the 2004-05 season. He became the youngest footballer ever to play a La Liga game and the youngest to score a goal. He helped his team win the league in his first season, and the league and Champions League double in the following season. In the 2008-09 season he scored an impressive 38 goals as Barcelona won the treble.

Messi has an amazing career ahead of him. He is set to shine in South Africa. Many football experts compare him to the legendary Pele and Maradona. This World Cup could be the stage for him to show people he really is the best. His skills on the ball, ability to get past defenders and his goal-scoring are breathtaking. Top soccer coach Arsene Wenger said Messi is “like a PlayStation. He takes advantage of every mistake teams make”.

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Lionel Messi was born on the 24th June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. His full name is Lionel Andres Messi. He started playing football when he was five years old. He was training football in football club Grandioli, where was coached by his father. When he was eight years old he switched football club and he was training at Newell's Old Boys. When he was eleven years old, he was diagnosed with a Growth hormone deficiency. He didn't grow anymore so he was very small. He couldn't pay the treatment condition which cost 900 American dollars a month. But he was lucky because the sporting director of Football Club Barcelona offered to pay Messi's medical bills under the condition that he moved to Spain and played for Barcelona. He and his family moved to Spain when he was thirteen years old. Soon he became one of the most important players of football club Barcelona.