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Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro,[2] OIH, (born 5 February 1985),[3] commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is aPortuguese footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and who serves as captain of the Portuguese national team. Ronaldo became the most expensive footballer in history after moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid in a transfer worth £80 million (€93.9 million/$131.6 million). In addition, his contract with Real Madrid, in which he is paid €12 million per year, makes him one of the highest-paid footballers in the world,[4] and his buyout clause is valued at €1 billion as per his contract.[5]

Ronaldo began his career as a youth player for Andorinha, where he played for two years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. In 1997, he made a move to Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal. Ronaldo caught the attention of Manchester Unitedmanager Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £12.24 million (€15 million) in 2003. The following season, Ronaldo won his first club honour, the FA Cup.

Ronaldo was the first player to win all four main PFA and FWA awards, doing so in 2007. In 2008, Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or.[6] He placed second in the Ballon d'Or in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012. He was awarded the European Golden Shoe in both 2008 and 2011. In 2008, he won three of the four main PFA and FWA trophies and was named the FIFPro Player of the Year,World Soccer Player of the Year, Onze d'Or, and the FIFA World Player of the Year.[7][8][9] In 2007 and 2008, Ronaldo was named FWA Footballer of the Year. Ronaldo was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Puskás Award in 2009.

Ronaldo is considered one of the best footballers in the world. He holds numerous former and current scoring records, including records for most goals scored in a season for Real Madrid, most goals scored per minute in La Liga, first top European league player to reach 40 goals in a single season in two consecutive years, fastest Real Madrid player to reach one hundred league goals, and the first player ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.[10] In January 2013, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 300th club goal.[11][12]

Ronaldo is a Portuguese international and made his debut against Kazakhstan in August 2003. He has since participated in five major tournaments; UEFA Euro 2004, the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He scored his first international goal in the opening game of the Euro 2004 against Greece, in addition to helping Portugal reach the final. He took over the captaincy of the side in July 2008 and went on to captain Portugal to the semi-finals at the Euro 2012 and finished the competition as the joint best scorer with three goals. On 16 October 2012, Ronaldo won his 100th cap against Northern Ireland, making him the third highest capped player for Portugal and became the third youngest European to reach a century of international appearances.

Early life

Ronaldo was born in Santo António, a neighbourhood of Funchal, Madeira, the youngest child of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, a cook, and José Dinis Aveiro, a municipal gardener.[14] His second given name "Ronaldo" was chosen after then-U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor. He has one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia.[3] His great-grandmother Isabel da Piedade was from Cape Verde.[15]

Club career

Early career

At the age of eight, Ronaldo played for amateur team Andorinha, where his father was the kit man. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club Nacional, and, after a title-winning campaign, he went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP, who subsequently signed him for an undisclosed sum.[16]

Sporting Clube de Portugal

Ronaldo joined Sporting's other youth players who trained at the Academia Sporting, the club's football academy, in Alcochete. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team, and the first team, all within one season.[17] He scored two goals in his league debut on 7 October 2002, which Sporting CP won 3–0 against Moreirense, while featuring for Portugal in the 2002 European Under-17 Championship.[18]

At the age of 15 Ronaldo was diagnosed with a racing heart, a condition that might have forced him to give up playing football. The Sporting staff were made aware of the condition and Ronaldo's mother gave her authorisation for him to go into hospital. While there, he had an operation in which a laser was used to cauterise the area of his heart that was causing the problem. The surgery took place in the morning and Ronaldo was discharged from hospital by the end of the afternoon; he resumed training only a few days later.[19]

In November 2002, Ronaldo was invited to Arsenal's training ground, London Colney to meet manager Arsène Wenger and his coaching staff.[20] Wenger, who was interested in signing the midfielder had arranged to meet Ronaldo's representatives, Formation (who suggested the player originally to Gérard Houllier, then Liverpool's manager) in the subsequent months to discuss a transfer arrangement.[21] However he came to the attention of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2003, when Sporting defeated United 3–1 in the inauguration of the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo's performance impressed the Manchester United players, who urged Ferguson to sign him.[22] Ronaldo was offered to Barcelona for less than the €15 million Manchester United paid, but the Catalan club could not afford him at the time as the club had already spent its budget on other players.[23]

On April 2013, Ronaldo was honoured by Sporting as the club announced that the player had become their 100,000th member.

Manchester United

2003–2006

Ronaldo became Manchester United's first-ever Portuguese player when he signed for €15 million[25] (£12.24 million) after the 2002–03 season.[26] He requested the number 28 (his number at Sporting), as he did not want the pressure of living up to the expectation linked to the number 7 shirt, which had previously been worn by players such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. "After I joined, the manager asked me what number I'd like. I said 28. But Ferguson said 'No, you're going to have No. 7,' and the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour."[27]

Ronaldo made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers. He scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November 2003. Ronaldo ended his first season in English football by scoring the opening goal in United's 3–0 FA Cup final victory over Millwall.[28]

He scored United's 1000th Premier League goal on 29 October 2005 in a 4–1 loss to Middlesbrough.[29] He scored ten goals in all competitions, and fans voted him to his first FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award in 2005.

He was sent off in the Manchester derby at the City of Manchester Stadium on 14 January 2006 (a game which United lost 3–1) for kicking City's former United player Andrew Cole.

2006–2009

The 2006–2007 season proved to be the breakout year for Ronaldo, as he broke the 20 goal barrier for the first time and picked up his first league title with Manchester United.

In November and December 2006, Ronaldo received consecutive Barclays Player of the Month honours, becoming only the third player in Premier League history to do so after Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996.[32][33] He scored his 50th Manchester United goal against city rivals Manchester City on 5 May 2007 as United claimed their first Premier League title in four years, and he was voted into his second consecutive FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award at the end of the year.

Despite rumours circulating in March 2007 that Real Madrid were willing to pay an unprecedented €80 million (£54 million) for Ronaldo,[34] he signed a five-year, £120,000-a-week (£31 million total) extension with United on 13 April, making him the highest-paid player in team history.

Ronaldo amassed a host of personal awards for the season. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards, joining Andy Gray (in 1977) as the only players to receive this honour.[37] In April, he completed the treble by winning thePFA Fans' Player of the Year. He also won the PFA Fans' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year, becoming the first player to win all four main PFA and FWAawards. Ronaldo was also one of eight Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Ronaldo's 2007–08 season began with a red card for a headbutt on Portsmouth player Richard Hughes during United's second match of the season, for which he was punished with a three-match ban.[38] Ronaldo said he had "learned a lot" from the experience and would not let players "provoke" him in the future.[39] After scoring the only goal in a Champions League away match against Sporting, Ronaldo also scored the injury-time winner in the return fixture as Manchester United topped their Champions League group.[40]

He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon d'Or,[41] and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi.[42]

Ronaldo scored his first hat trick for Manchester United in a 6–0 win against Newcastle United at Old Trafford on 12 January 2008, bringing Manchester United up to the top of the Premier League table.[43] He scored his twenty-third league goal of the season in a 2–0 win againstReading, equalling his entire total for the 2006–07 season.[44] During a 1–1 Champions League first knockout round draw against Lyon on 20 February, an unidentified Lyon supporter continuously aimed a green laser at Ronaldo and United teammate Nani, prompting an investigation by UEFA.[45] One month later, Lyon were fined CHF5,000 (£2,427) for the incident.[46]

On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory.[47]The second of the goals was his 33rd of the campaign, which set a new club single-season scoring record by a midfielder and thus topped George Best's forty-year-old total of 32 goals in the 1967–68 season.[48] Ronaldo scored another brace in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa on 29 March, which at the time gave him 35 goals in 37 domestic and European matches as both a starter and substitute. Ronaldo's scoring streak was rewarded with his becoming the first winger to win the 2007–08 European Golden Shoe, finishing eight points ahead of Mallorca's Dani Güiza.

In the 2007–08 Champions League final on 21 May against league rivals Chelsea, Ronaldo scored the opening goal after 26 minutes, which was negated by a Chelsea equaliser in the 45th minute as the match ended 1–1 after extra time. His misfire in the penalty shoot-out put Chelsea in position to win the trophy, but John Terry shot wide right after slipping on the pitch surface, and Manchester United emerged victorious 6–5 on penalties. Ronaldo was named the UEFA Fans' Man of the Match,[51] and wrapped up the campaign with a career-high 42 goals in all competitions, falling four short of Denis Law's team-record mark of 46 in the 1963–64 season. In the Champions League he was also named best forward and player of the tournament and was the competition's top goalscorer.

On 5 June 2008, Sky Sports reported that Ronaldo had expressed an interest in moving to Real Madrid if they offered him the same amount of money the team had allegedly promised him earlier in the year.[52] Manchester United filed a tampering complaint with FIFA on 9 June over Madrid's alleged pursuit of Ronaldo, but FIFA declined to take any action.[53][54] Speculation that a transfer would happen continued until 6 August, when Ronaldo confirmed that he would stay at United for at least another year.[55]

Ronaldo underwent ankle surgery at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam on 7 July.[56] He returned to action on 17 September in United's goalless UEFA Champions League group stage draw with Villarreal as a substitute for Park Ji-Sung,[57] and scored his first goal of the season in a 3–1 League Cup third round win over Middlesbrough on 24 September.

In a 5–0 win over Stoke City on 15 November 2008, Ronaldo scored his 100th and 101st goals in all competitions for Manchester United, both from free kicks.[58] The goals also meant that Ronaldo had now scored against each of the other 19 teams in the Premier League at the time.[59]On 2 December, Ronaldo became Manchester United's first Ballon d'Or recipient since George Best in 1968. He finished with 446 points, 165 ahead of runner-up Lionel Messi.[60] He was awarded the Silver Ball after finishing with two goals as United won the Club World Cup on 19 December.[61]

On 8 January 2009, Ronaldo was uninjured in a single-car accident in which he wrote off his Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano in a tunnel along the A538near Manchester Airport. A breathalyser test he gave to police officers at the scene was negative, and he attended training later that morning.[62]Four days later, he became the first Premier League player ever to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year, in addition to being the first Portuguese player to win the award since Luís Figo in 2001.[63]

Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season, and first since the final against Chelsea, in a 2–0 victory over Internazionale that sent United into the quarter-finals.[64] In the second leg against Porto, Ronaldo scored a 40-yard game-winning goal as United advanced to the semi-finals. For this goal Ronaldo holds the distinction of being the first player to win the FIFA Puskás Award, in 2009, an honour handed by FIFA to the best goal of the year.[65] He later called it the best goal he had ever scored.[66][67] Ronaldo participated in his second consecutive Champions League final, but made little impact in United's 2–0 loss to Barcelona. He finished with 53 appearances in all competitions, which was four higher than the previous year, but scored sixteen fewer goals (26) than his career-best total of 42 from the previous season.

On 11 June, Manchester United accepted an unconditional offer of £80 million from Real Madrid for Ronaldo after it was revealed that he again had expressed his desire to leave the club.[68] It was confirmed by a representative of the Glazer family that the sale was fully condoned by Ferguson.[69] When Ronaldo had eventually completed his transfer to Real, he expressed his gratitude towards Ferguson for helping him develop as a player, saying, "He's been my father in sport, one of the most important factors and most influential in my career.

Real Madrid

2009–10 season

On 26 June 2009, Real Madrid confirmed that Ronaldo would join the club on 1 July 2009 from Manchester United for £80 million (€93.9 million) becoming the most expensive footballer in history,[72] after agreeing terms and signing a six-year contract.[73] Ronaldo's contract is worth €11 million per year[4] and it has a €1 billion buy-out clause.[74] He was presented to the world media as a Real Madrid player on 6 July,[75] where he was handed the number 9 jersey.[76] The shirt was presented to him by Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano.[77] Ronaldo was welcomed by between 80,000 and 85,000 fans at his presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, surpassingDiego Maradona's record of 75,000 fans when he was presented in Italy, after he was transferred from Barcelona to Napoli in 1984.[78][79] The event was broadcasted live on the Spanish and Portuguese public TV stations, RTVE and RTP respectively

Ronaldo made his Madrid debut on 21 July in a 1–0 win over Shamrock Rovers. His first goal came one week later with a penalty in Madrid's 4–2 win over LDU Quito.[82] On 29 August, Ronaldo capped his La Liga debut with a goal, scoring Real's second from the penalty spot in a 3–2 home win against Deportivo La Coruña.[83] On 15 September, Ronaldo scored two free-kicks in a 5–2 away victory over Zürich, his first Champions League goals for Real.[84] He broke a Madrid club record when he scored in a league match againstVillarreal and thus became the first ever player to score in his first four La Liga appearances.[85]

An ankle injury suffered on 10 October, while Ronaldo was on international duty with Portugal against Hungary,[86] kept him out until 25 November, which in turn caused him to miss both of Madrid's Champions League group stage matches against Milan. Ronaldo made his first post-injury start in a 1–0 El Clásico defeat to Barcelona on 29 November. On 6 December, he was sent off for the first time in his Madrid career in Madrid's 4–2 victory against Almería, a match which also saw him miss a penalty. He was carded first for removing his shirt during a goal celebration, then for kicking out at an opponent three minutes later.[87] He was second in the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award and also second in the 2009 Ballon d'Or award. On 5 May 2010 Ronaldo scored his first Real Madrid hat-trick in an away game against Mallorca. Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuaín scored 53 league goals during the course of the season and became Real's highest scoring league duo in their history.[88] Ronaldo ended his first season at Real Madrid by ending at second place in the 2009–10 La Liga with 96 points, reaching Round of 16 in the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League, and the Round of 32 in the 2009–10 Copa del Rey.

2010–11: Copa del Rey winner

With the departure of Raúl during the summer of 2010, Ronaldo was handed the No. 7 jersey for Real Madrid.[89] On 23 October 2010, Ronaldo scored four goals against Racing de Santander,[90] the most goals he has ever scored in a single match.[91] This completed a goalscoring run of six consecutive matches (three in La Liga, one in the Champions League, and two for Portugal) in which Ronaldo scored in each match, totalling 11 goals, which is the most Ronaldo has scored in a single month. Before Real Madrid's 5–0 defeat by Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Ronaldo scored his second La Liga hat-trick of the season in a 5–1 win over Athletic Bilbao.[92] His final match of the calendar year saw him score a hat-trick in a 8–0 trashing of Levante in the Copa del Rey.

Ronaldo began the 2011 with a very promising outlook, especially after Real Madrid acknowledged he had broken numerous goalscoring records, previously settled and held by classic players such as Alfredo Di Stéfano, Hugo Sánchez, and Manuel Alday.[94][95] Ronaldo began his scoring spree by scoring two vital goals in a tight 3–2 victory away to Getafe.[96] He then consolidated his massive performances by scoring a hat-trick and assisting Kaká to score his first league goal after his return from injury, in a 4–2 victory overVillarreal on 9 January. One game away from the middle of the season, Ronaldo had a very clear chance of breaking Telmo Zarra's andHugo Sánchez's record of 38 League goals in a single season, since he was the league's top scorer with 22 goals, above Lionel Messi.[97][98] However, shortly after, Ronaldo experienced the biggest goal drought in his entire career, scoring only 2 goals in more than a month. During this period, Real Madrid acknowledged to have hit the crossbar more than 12 times in the season, most of the shots belonging to Ronaldo and almost all having happened during crucial moments in drawn matches.[99] Ronaldo then made a massive comeback by scoring a hat-trick in a 7–0 trashing of Málaga on 3 March 2011, but was affected by a muscle injury at the end of the match, which forced him to spend 10 days on the sidelines.

In April he made another massive comeback from injury, sustaining a three-game scoring streak (including 2 goals in Champions Leaguequarter-finals against Tottenham Hotspur), thus arriving to the first of a historical series of four El Clásico encounters two goals short of breaking his personal record of 42 goals in all competitions in a single season, achieved at Manchester United in the 2007–08 season.

During the second league edition of El Clásico, Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot and took his tally to 41 goals, also taking his scoring streak to four games. On 20 April, Ronaldo scored the winning goal against Barcelona in the 103rd minute of the Copa del Rey final.[100] This goal would later be chosen as both Ronaldo's and Real Madrid's best goal in the season by several fan polls, including those of Marca[101] and Real Madrid's website.[102] 7 May saw Real travel to the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán to take on Sevilla, where Ronaldo led the thrashing of a woeful Andalusian side, scoring four goals in a 6–2 victory. These four goals took him to 46 for the season which surpassed his previous record of 42 in a season playing for Manchester United.[103] Three days later he reached 49 goals for the season, by scoring another hat-trick in a 4–0 home win against Getafe. On 15 May, after scoring two free-kick goals in a 3–1 win overVillarreal, he equalled the La Liga record with most goals in a season with 38, a record previously held by Telmo Zarra and Hugo Sánchez.

On 21 May, he scored two goals in the last league match of the season against Almería, taking his Pichichi total to 41, and La Liga total to 40, becoming the only player to score 40 goals in a La Liga season. By doing this, he won the European Golden Shoe award once again, becoming the first player to win the trophy in two different leagues. The sports newspaper Marca, who awards the Pichichi Trophy, included the goal scored on 18 September 2010 against Real Sociedad in Ronaldo's goal count, which had been officially attributed to Pepe.[104] Should this goal be granted to Ronaldo, his goal count in the Pichichi Trophy would tally 41 goals. Ronaldo also broke Zarra's record of most goals per minute, with a goal scored every 70.7 minutes. However, regardless of this goal polemic, Ronaldo's record-breaking figures became a source of major attention from public media, such as being included in the Sports Illustrated World XI,[105] rating him as one of the world's best footballers. Accounting for all competitions, Ronaldo ended the season with a total of 53 goals (not granting him the controversial goal from Pepe), having scored 25 goals with his right foot (excluding free-kicks and penalty-kicks) and 9 with his left foot.[106]Ronaldo ended his second season at Real Madrid by winning the 2011–12 Copa del Rey, reaching the semi-finals in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League, and second place in the 2010–11 La Liga with 92 points.

2011–12: La Liga champion

Real Madrid's pre-season began with a 4–1 victory over MLS team Los Angeles Galaxy,[108] with goals from Callejón, Joselu, Ronaldo, and Benzema.[109] Four days later Ronaldo scored a second half hat-trick in a 3–0 win against Guadalajara. Ronaldo's preseason performance was highly praised as world media kept hailing Ronaldo's extreme competitiveness and motivation, even during friendly matches. On 17 August 2011, Ronaldo scored his 100th goal with Real Madrid with a first-half equaliser againstBarcelona in the second leg of the 2011 Spanish Supercup in the Camp Nou. On 27 August 2011, he opened the 2011–12 La Liga season with a hat-trick in a 6–0 win at Real Zaragoza.

In the first weeks of September, Ronaldo's physical performance was subject to scrutiny by world media, after Castrol released atelevision film named Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit where he was put to test in several fields, including mental and physical. Conclusions from the movie and doctors in the weeks following claimed that Ronaldo was one of the best athletes in the world, excelling in football and outstanding in almost every other category.[citation needed] Several sources[weasel words] drew comparisons between him and other top athletes, including sprinter Usain Bolt.[citation needed] On 24 September, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick (including two penalties) in Real Madrid's 6–2 win over Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabéu. This was his ninth La Liga hat-trick and tenth hat-trick for Real Madrid.

On 27 September, Ronaldo scored Real's opening goal in a 3–0 victory over Ajax at the Santiago Bernabéu in the UEFA Champions League. On 22 October, after not scoring in his previous three games, Ronaldo scored his tenth La Liga hat-trick and eleventh in total for Real Madrid in a match away to Málaga, which Real Madrid won 4–0. His twelfth Real Madrid hat-trick followed on 6 November, in a 7–1 victory over Osasuna that ensured Madrid stayed top of the table heading into the international break.[110] On 19 November 2011, Ronaldo scored Real's second goal in a 2–3 defeat of Valencia. On 26 November 2011, Ronaldo scored two penalties in a 4–1 defeat of Atlético Madrid in the El Derbi madrileño. On 3 December 2011, Ronaldo scored Madrid's second goal in a 0–3 defeat of Sporting de Gijón in La Liga. He was one of the three finalists for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or. On 13 December 2011, Ronaldo scored the second goal against SD Ponferradina in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Round 4, the match ended in a 0–2 win. On 17 December 2011, Ronaldo scored his twelfth La Liga hat-trick and thirteenth overall in a 6–2 win away to Sevilla.

Ronaldo was third in the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, behind Lionel Messi and Xavi, and second in the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, behind Lionel Messi and ahead of Xavi. In Real Madrid's next game in La Liga at home to Granada Ronaldo scored the fifth goal in a 5–1 win. He was notably criticised in the public media[who?] for not celebrating the goal. On 22 January 2012, Ronaldo scored two penalties in a 4–1 win over Athletic Bilbao, and on 28 January scored Real Madrid's second and winning goal in a 3–1 win against Zaragoza. Ronaldo also scored two goals against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Quarter-finals, which Real lost 4–3 on aggregrate. On 12 February 2012, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, his thirteenth in La Liga and fourteenth for Real Madrid, in a 4–2 home win over Levante. This win stretched Real Madrid's lead over second-placed Barcelona to 10 points.

On 24 March 2012, Ronaldo reached more than 100 goals in La Liga in just three season at Real Madrid when he scored the first of his two goals in the match against Real Sociedad, the second quickest La Liga player to reach that milestone in the league after Isidro Lángara, reaching the milestone in 92 matches and breaking the previous club record held by Puskás.[111] As of 24 March 2012, Ronaldo had averaged 1.01 goals per game in La Liga.

On 11 April, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid in a 1–4 win, as well as assisting the last goal. His hat-trick, one goal from a free kick, one from 30 yards on the left wing and one penalty, gave him 40 league goals in the season, making him the only player in La Liga history, or in any other major European league, to score 40 goals in two seasons, even doing so in consecutive seasons. Ronaldo officially broke his previous record of 40 goals in a La Liga season on 14 April, scoring in a 3–1 win against Sporting Gijón.

On 13 May 2012, the last matchday, Ronaldo scored against Mallorca which made him the first player ever to score against every team in a single season in La Liga.[10] He finished the season with a total of 46 league goals and 60 goals in every competition, breaking the Real Madrid record he had set the previous season. Ronaldo ended his third season at Real Madrid by winning the 2011–12 La Liga with 100 points, runner-up in the 2011 Supercopa de España, reaching the semi-finals in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, and the quarter-finals in the 2011–12 Copa del Rey. Ronaldo claimed that he believed that he had played better than Lionel Messi this season,[112] and on 13 June, he won the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stefano as the best La Liga player of the season.

2012–13 season

AS reported that Manchester City president Sheikh Mansour made a bid for Ronaldo for £200 million in the summer. The deal would have made Ronaldo the world's best-paid footballer, with a salary that would be around £20 million per year. However, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez turned it down, who pointed to Ronaldo's contract clause of £1000 million.[114]

Ronaldo started the season by lifting the Supercopa de España with Real Madrid, scoring two goals in a 4–4 away goals aggregate win against Barcelona. The goal in the first leg made him the first Madrid player in the history of El Clásico to score for the fourth game in a row at the Camp Nou,[115] with the winning goal in the second leg, Ronaldo equalled the Real Madrid record of Iván Zamorano of scoring in five consecutive El Clásico matches.[116] Ronaldo was second (tied with Lionel Messi) in the 2011–12 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, behind Iniesta.[117]

On 2 September 2012, Ronaldo scored his first league goal of the season in a 3–0 win over Granada, which was also his 200th career goal in league matches played in England, Spain and Portugal. He added another goal, which was his 150th goal for Real Madrid in all competitions in 149 matches played. This goal made him the 10th highest scorer for Real Madrid in all competitions. Ronaldo was substituted at the 63rd minute by team mate Higuaín, due to a minor thigh injury.[118]

After the match, Ronaldo claimed that he was unhappy with a "professional issue" after he refused to celebrate his 149th and 150th goals for the club.[119] Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, insisted that he always knew about his client's admission that he was unhappy with life at Real Madrid.[120] Ronaldo dismissed the notion that his post-match declaration of "sadness" was related to a desire for a new and improved contract at the club.[121] Real Madrid president, Florentino Pérez, claimed that Ronaldo did not want to leave the club, and that he is unhappy for other reasons.[122] Former Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, stated Ronaldo was under a lot of pressure and would not have realized the impact of his revelation.[123] When he returned to Real Madrid, after international duty, Ronaldo stated he is focused on achieving further success with the club.[124] Real Madrid coach José Mourinho stated "If Ronaldo is sad but plays like he does, that's perfect for me",[125] and believed that UEFA's decision to elect Iniesta as the best player in Europe in 2011–12 could have been one of the reasons behind Ronaldo's unhappiness

On 18 September, Ronaldo scored his first Champions League goal of the season in a 3–2 victory over Manchester City.[128]On 30 September, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick (including two penalties), his first La Liga hat-trick of the season, in a 5–1 win over Deportivo de La Coruña.[129][130] On 4 October, Ronaldo scored his first career hat-trick in Champions League as he led Real Madrid to a 4–1 victory over Ajax.[131] Continuing his fine form, he hit a brace the following week against Barcelona scoring both goals in a 2–2 draw at Camp Nou, which made him the first and only player to score in 6 consecutive El Clásico's.[132] Ronaldo than scored his fifth Champions League goal in a 2–1 away loss against Borussia Dortmund atSignal Iduna Park on 24 October, and a brace in the 5–0 away win against Mallorca on 28 October. On 11 November, Ronaldo started as a striker in a 2–1 away win over Levante, as both Benzema and Higuaín were injured.[133] In the match, he received an horrific elbow to the eye in the second minute, but scored his twelfth La Liga goal to give Madrid the lead, before being substituted at half-time.[134] For the injury, José Mourinho said: "He's dizzy. In the first half he was unable to see properly with that eye, but during the break he couldn't see properly with either. So it was impossible for him to continue."[135] This eventually led to him missing the Portugal squad for the friendly game against Gabon.[136] On 21 November, he appeared in Madrid's 1–1 Champions League group stage draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. The match represented the first time that Ronaldo played in Manchester since leaving City's rival, Manchester United, for Madrid in 2009.[137] On 1 December, after not scoring in his previous three games, Ronaldo scored a goal from a free-kick and assisted Özil to score the second goal, in a 2–0 victory over Atlético Madrid.[138] Ronaldo continued to score his sixth Champions League goal in a 4–1 home win against Ajax on 4 December, once against Celta Vigo in the first leg of a Copa del Rey game on 12 December, and once again in a 2–2 draw with Espanyol on 16 December.

In December 2012, French giants Paris Saint-Germain declared interest in signing Ronaldo,[139] however, Real Madrid announced the club will not sell Ronaldo and the club was working on an improved contract with a three-year extension, keeping him at the club until 2018.[140][141] In the same month, it was reported Ronaldo would reject the contract Madrid are preparing for him at the end of the season.[142] Ronaldo himself refused to discuss his long-term future at Real Madrid until he has helped the Spanish champions atone for their disappointing start to the season.[143][144] In April 2013, Florentino Pérez said Ronaldo's contract will be renewed,[145] and José Mourinho stated "when you have a player of his caliber, you must do everything within your power to hold on to him

On 6 January, in Madrid's first match of 2013, Ronaldo scored a brace to lift 10-man Real Madrid to a 4–3 victory over Real Sociedad.[148] The match represented the first time that Ronaldo captained Real Madrid in an official match,[149][150] but received his fifth yellow card of the season and was suspended for the team's next league game at Osasuna serving a one-game ban. This was the first time Ronaldo was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards, having only previously missed games when being given a straight red card.[151] He was second in the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or, behind Lionel Messi and ahead of Iniesta. On 9 January, Ronaldo scored a hat-trick against Celta Vigo in the second leg of a Copa del Rey game.[152] On 14 January, Ronaldo insisted he want to complete his contract at Real Madrid – but admitted he does not know what the future holds for him beyond that.[153] Following a first leg victory over Valencia in the Copa del Rey on 15 January, he got into an argument with manager José Mourinho.[154][155] On 27 January, Ronaldo scored a perfect hat-trickagainst Getafe in a 4–0 win, including his 300th club goal.[156] On 30 January, against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, Ronaldo made his 500th club appearances. He was the first not Spanish to captain Real Madrid in a Clásico in the last 60 years.[157] On 2 February, Ronaldo scored the first own goal of his career to send Real Madrid to a shock 1–0 defeat at Granada.[158] Ronaldo than scored another hat-trick the next week against Sevilla, his 21st hat-trick of his career and his 17th in La Liga.[159] Ronaldo faced his former club Manchester United for the first time on 13 February in the Champions League Round of 16 and scored the equaliser in a 1–1 draw at the Santiago Bernabéu.[160] On 26 February, Ronaldo scored twice against Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey Semi-finals, making this the sixth consecutive trip to the Camp Nou in which he had scored.[161] Ronaldo then scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Manchester United on 5 March, which was his return toOld Trafford for the first time since his world-record £80 million move to Real Madrid in 2009.[162] After the game, Ronaldo stated he was "sad" and had a "strange feeling" after his goal knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League.[163][164] On 10 March, Ronaldo struck twice to send Real Madrid above city rivals Atlético into second place in La Liga.[165] The second goal, his 138 goal in La Liga, earned him a place in the top 25 goalscorers in the history of La Liga in just 127 games, recording an average of 1.08 goals per game, the highest of all the top 25 goalscorers.[166] On 16 March, Ronaldo scored the equaliser in a 5–2 victory against Mallorca, which was his 350 goal in his career.[166][167] On 3 April, Ronaldo scored the opening goal against Galatasaray in the first leg of the quarter-finals, which took Ronaldo ahead of Filippo Inzaghi to sixth in the Champions League goalscoring charts.[168] On 9 April, Ronaldo scored twice against Galatasaray to send Real Madrid to the semi-finals in the Champions League. With these goals, Ronaldo went ahead of Andriy Shevchenko to fifth in the Champions League goalscoring charts.[169] In April 2013, he was named by Marca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history".[170]

Ronaldo picked up an injury to his leg thigh muscle while warming up for the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg on 24 April, where he scored an away goal in a 4-1 loss against Borussia Dortmund.[171] He was absent from Real Madrid's next game against Atlético Madrid,[172] but returned to action on 30 April for the 2-0 second leg victory of the semi-finals in the Champions League against Dortmund (a 4–3 aggregate loss).[173]

International career

Ronaldo earned his first cap for Portugal in a 1–0 victory against Kazakhstan on 20 August 2003

Euro 2004

Ronaldo was called up for Euro 2004,[175] scoring his first international goal in a 2–1 group stage loss to eventual champions Greece[176]and scoring again in a 2–1 semi-final win over the Netherlands.[177] He was featured in the UEFA Euro All-Star Team of this competition, despite finishing with only two goals.[178] He also represented Portugal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.[179][180]

2006 World Cup

Ronaldo was the second-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup qualification in the European zone with seven goals,[178] and scored his firstWorld Cup goal against Iran with a penalty kick.[181]

During a quarter-final match against England on 1 July 2006, Ronaldo's United teammate Wayne Rooney was sent off for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho. The English media speculated that Ronaldo had influenced referee Horacio Elizondo's decision by aggressively complaining, after which he was seen in replays winking at the Portuguese bench following Rooney's dismissal. After the match, Ronaldo insisted that Rooney was a friend and that he was not pushing for Rooney to be sent off.[182] On 4 July, Elizondo clarified that the red card was due to Rooney's infraction and not the fracas between Rooney and Ronaldo that followed.[183]

The angry reaction from the English press caused Ronaldo to consider leaving United,[184] and he allegedly told Spanish sports daily Marca that he wished to move to Real Madrid.[185] In response to the speculation, Ferguson sent Portuguese assistant manager Carlos Queiroz to speak to Ronaldo in attempt to change his mind, a sentiment that was shared by Rooney.[186][187] Ronaldo stayed, and signed his new five-year extension in April 2007.[188]

Ronaldo was booed during Portugal's semi-final defeat to France,[189] and missed out on the competition's Best Young Player award due to a negative e-mail campaign from England fans.[190] Though the online vote only affected the nomination process, FIFA's Technical Study Group awarded the honour to Germany's Lukas Podolski, citing Ronaldo's behaviour as a factor in the decision.[191]

Post-World Cup

One day after his 22nd birthday, Ronaldo captained Portugal for the first time in a friendly against Brazil on 6 February 2007.[192] This move was in honour of Portuguese Football Federation president Carlos Silva, who had died two days earlier. Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari explained, "Mr. Silva asked me to make [Ronaldo] captain as a gesture... [he] is too young to be captain, but Mr. Silva asked me, and now he is no longer with us.

Euro 2008

Ronaldo scored eight goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying campaign,[194] behind Poland's Ebi Smolarek, but finished with only one goal in the tournament as Portugal were eliminated in the quarter-finals with a 2–3 loss against Germany.[195] When Carlos Queiroz was named Portugal's new coach in July 2008,[196] he appointed Ronaldo as team captain.[197]

Ronaldo was named Man of the Match against the Czech Republic in Group A of the European championships.[198]

2010 World Cup

On 15 June 2010, in Portugal's opening World Cup match against Côte d'Ivoire, Ronaldo was tackled by right-back Guy Demel, which led to an argument and both being booked. The next day, Portugal contacted FIFA to suggest that Ronaldo's yellow card be rescinded since he was "pulled into" the confrontation after having already moved away from the spot where he was tackled, but the appeal was rejected.[199]

Ronaldo was named Man of the Match in all three of Portugal's Group G matches at the World Cup.[200][201][202] His only goal of the tournament came in Portugal's 7–0 group stage thrashing of North Korea on 21 June,[203] which marked his first international goal in 16 months.[204] Portugal were ultimately eliminated by Spain in the Round of 16.

Euro 2012

Ronaldo scored seven goals in Portugal's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, including two strikes against Bosnia in the play-offs for the tournament, and finished behind Germany's Miroslav Klose and the Netherlands' Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (not including the play-offs round). Portugal were drawn in Group B with Netherlands, Denmark and Germany, which was widely referred to as the "group of death" of the tournament.[205] In an interview with Kicker Magazine, Ronaldo stated that "I will only be fully content with my career when I have lifted a trophy with Portugal

After the opening 0–1 defeat against Germany, Cristiano Ronaldo was criticised for under performing, showing frustration at his and his team-mates' errors and for walking off into the changing-rooms straight after the match, rather than thanking the crowd with the team. His team-mateNani later defended him stating that he had left the pitch since he needed to instantly be treated for a possible injury. He also stated that he had been training well and contributing to the team, and that he was under excessive of pressure since football is a team sport, but that he would soon silence his critics. Luis Figo however criticised his behaviour stating that it is the captain's responsibility to always defend the group, despite the result.[210]

During the match between Denmark and Portugal, the Denmark fans chanted Lionel Messi's name whenever Ronaldo was on the ball. Ronaldo squandered two gilt-edged one-on-one chances, and Ronaldo looked frustrated and tormented throughout.[211] Asked about the Messi chants, Ronaldo responded irritatedly: "You know where he was at this time last year? Do you know? He was being eliminated in the Copa America, in his own country. I think that's worse, no? And people say that he is the best player in the world. This sort of thing is normal for great players

In the final group match between Portugal and the Netherlands, Ronaldo scored two goals to secure a 2–1 victory for Portugal, allowing them to advance to the quarterfinals. He also struck the post twice in the match and was named Man of the Match.[215][216]

Cristiano Ronaldo was praised for his performance against the Czech Republic in the Quarterfinals. After he had twice hit the post, he finally darted in from behind his marker in the 79th minute and headed a cross from Joao Moutinho, sending Portugal into the semifinals with a 1–0 victory over the Czech Republic. After scoring the winning goal, he ran to the camera and was initially accused of chanting "Messi" mockingly, although upon further review, it was found that this was incorrect and that he had in fact simply stated "para ti" as he had dedicated the goal to his son.[217][218]

Ronaldo had several chances for Portugal in the semifinals against Spain, but he sent three shots over the bar.[219] Ronaldo had his best chance in the 90th minute but shot the ball high and wide.[220] The match ended with penalties, but Ronaldo did not take a penalty in the shootout. He had been slated to take the fifth one, but it never got that far.[221] The Portugal coach, Paulo Bento, knocked back criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo not being employed earlier in the shootout. "Well we had this plan and if it would have been 4–4 and he would have taken the last penalty we would talk in a different way," Bento said.[222][223]

Before and throughout the tournament, Ronaldo was particularly hailed by Diego Maradona who even declared Ronaldo as "the best player on the planet" and that "[Ronaldo] has shown his countrymen that he does deserve a monument in Lisbon."[214][224] Ronaldo was included in the UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament, the second time after 2004, and finished the competition as the joint best scorer with three goals, along with five other players, although Spain's Fernando Torres claimed the Golden Boot.

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March player Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi

Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi], born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team. By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or[2] and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010,[3] and again in 2011[4] and 2012.[5] He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. At the age of 24, Messi became Barcelona's all-time top scorer in all official club competitions.[6] At age 25, Messi became the youngest player to score 200 La Liga goals.[7][8]

Consistently rated by commentators, coaches and colleagues as the best footballer in the world and as one of the greatest players in the history of the game,[9][10][11][12][13][14] Messi is the first football player in history to win four FIFA/Ballons d'Or, all of which he won consecutively. Messi has won five La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, five Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two Super Cups and two Club World Cups. In March 2012, Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match.[15] He also matched José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single Champions League season.[16]Messi became the first player to top-score in four successive Champions League campaigns.[17][18] He set the European record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals.[19] In the same season, he set the current goalscoring record in a single La Liga season, scoring 50 goals.[20] On 16 February 2013, Messi scored his 300th Barcelona goal.[21] On 30 March 2013, Messi scored in 19 consecutive La Liga games, becoming the first footballer in history to net in consecutive matches against every team in the league.[22]

Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year, in which he was elected young player of the tournament.[23] In 2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team. Sportspro has rated Lionel Messi as the third most marketable athlete in the world.[24] His playing style and stature have drawn comparisons to compatriot Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi his "successor".[25]

Early life

Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, to parents Jorge Horácio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.[26][27][28][29] His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883.[30][31] He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and a sister, María Sol.[32] At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge.[33] In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario.[33] He became part of a local youth powerhouse that lost only one match in the next four years and became locally known as "The Machine of '87", from the year of their birth.[34]

At the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.[35] Local powerhouse River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but were not willing to pay for treatment for his condition, which cost $900 a month.[29] Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial with the team.[29] Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered Messi a contract written on a paper napkin.[36][37] Barcelona offered to pay for Messi's medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi enrolled in the club's youth academy.[33][37]

Club career

Barcelona

Messi played in Barcelona's junior Infantil B and Cadete B & A teams from 2000 to 2003 (scoring 37 goals in 30 matches in Cadete A). Season 2003–04 saw him on a record[38]five different teams: He started one match in Juvenil B (one goal) and got promoted to Juvenil A (14 matches, 21 goals). Later he debuted for FC Barcelona C team (Tercera División) on 29 November 2003 and for FC Barcelona B (Segunda División B) on 6 March 2004. He played for both teams during the season (ten matches, five goals and five games, zero goals, respectively).[39][40][41] Even before these two debuts, Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in a friendly matchagainst Porto.[42][43]

Less than a year after his start, Frank Rijkaard gave him his league debut against RCD Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga, which would be broken by Bojan Krkić in September 2007. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, ten months and seven days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona[44]until it was again broken by Bojan Krkić in 2007, scoring from a Messi assist.[45] Messi said about his ex-coach Rijkaard: "I'll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen."[46] During the season, Messi played also in Barcelona B (Segunda División B) scoring 6 goals in 17 matches.

2005–06 season

Messi (2nd from left) in December 2005

On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014.[33] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005[47] and was finally able to make his debut in the season's Spanish First Division. Messi's first home outing in the Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese.[42] Fans at Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon hissubstitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations with Ronaldinho had paid dividends for Barcelona.[48]

Messi netted six goals in 17 league appearances, and scored one Champions League goal in six. His season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, however, when he suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.[49] Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.[50][51]

2006–07 season

Messi in a match against Rangers in 2007

In the 2006–07 season, Messi established himself as a regular first team player, scoring 14 times in 26 matches.[52] On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal, ruling him out for three months.[53][54] On 10 March, El Clásicosaw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3–3 draw, equalising three times, with the final equaliser coming ininjury time.[55] In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994–95 season) to score a hat-trick inEl Clásico.[56] Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. Towards the end of the season he began finding the net more often; 11 of his 14 league goals for the season came from the last 13 games.[57]

Messi shortly before scoring a goal against Getafe

Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by nearly replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season.[58] On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century.[59] The world's sports press drew comparisons with Maradona, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona".[60] He ran about the same distance, 62 metres (203 ft), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before.[58] In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: "It was the best goal I have ever seen in my life."[61] Against RCD Espanyol Messi also scored a goal which was remarkably similar toMaradona's 'Hand of God' goal against England in the World Cup quarter-finals. Messi launched himself at the ball and connected with his hand to guide the ball past the goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.[62] Despite protests by Espanyol players and replays showing it was clearhandball, the goal stood.[62] During his time at FC Barcelona, manager Frank Rijkaard decided to move Messi from the left flank onto the right wing, initially against the player's wishes, allowing him to cut into the centre of the pitch and shoot or cross with his left foot.[63]

2007–08 season

Messi takes Barcelona to 2–0 against Sevilla at Camp Nou on 22 September 2007

On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barcelona against Valencia CF.[64]

Messi was nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward.[65] A poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca had him as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote.[66] Columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport stated that the Ballon d'Or should be given to Messi, a view supported by Franz Beckenbauer.[67] Football personalities such as Francesco Totti have declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.[68] Messi finished third in the2007 Ballon d'Or, behind Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo, and finished second in the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award, once again behind Kaká. He also came in third in the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Award, once again behind Kaká and Andrea Pirlo.[69]

Messi was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic FC. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type of injury.[70] Messi scored 6 goals and provided 1 assist during the Champions League that season, as Barcelona were knocked out in the semi-finals, to the eventual winners Manchester United. When the season was over Messi had managed to score 16 goals and assisted 13 times in all competitions.

2008–09 season

Upon Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey.[71] During this season he placed second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards with 678 points and third in the 2008 IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Award for the second consecutive year.[72]

Messi in action against Manchester United in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final

Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid which Barcelona won 3–1.[73] Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal.[74] On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition.[75]

As Barcelona's season was drawing to a close, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions) to cap a 6–2 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu[76] in what was Real's heaviest defeat since 1930.[77] He won his first Copa del Rey on 13 May, scoring one goal and assisting another two, in a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao.[78] He helped his team win the double by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barcelona win the Champions League by scoring a second goal in the 70th minute giving Barcelona a two goal lead; he also became the top scorer in the Champions League, the youngest in the tournament's history, with nine goals.[79] Messi also won the UEFA Club Forward of the Year: and the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year rounding off a spectacular year in Europe.[80]This victory meant Barcelona had won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League in the one season,[81] and was the first time a Spanish club had ever won the treble.[82] Messi finished the season with 38 goals and 18 assists in all competitions.

2009–10 season

"The Maradona and Pelé polemics will end."

—Diego Maradona, on the consequences if Messi won the 2010 World Cup [83]

After winning the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola asserted that Messi was probably the best player he had ever seen.[84] This would also be the season in which Guardiola would first move Messi from the position of right winger into his now iconic "false-9" role in the centre of the front line at Barcelona.[85] On 18 September, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, running until 2016 and with a buy-out clause of €250 million included, making Messi, then along with Zlatan Ibrahimović, the highest paid players in La Liga, with earnings of around €9.5 million yearly.[86][87]

Messi at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup

Messi was named winner of the 2009 Ballon d'Or on 1 December 2009, beating runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo by largest ever margin of 473 to 233.[88][89][90] He also placed 2nd in the 2009 IFFHS World's Best Playmaker Award.[91] behind team mate Xavi Hernández.

On 19 December, Messi scored the winner in the final of the 2009 Club World Cup against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi, giving the club their sixth title of the year.[92] Two days later, he was given the FIFA World Player of the Year award,[93] beating Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Kakáand Andrés Iniesta to the award. This was the first time he had won the award, and he became the first Argentinian to ever receive this honour.[94] On 10 January 2010, Messi scored his first hat-trick in 2010 and his first hat-trick of the season against CD Tenerife in the 0–5 victory,[95] and on 17 January he scored his 100th goal for the club in the 4–0 victory over Sevilla FC.[96]

Messi scored a hat-trick against Valencia CF in a 3–0 home win,[97] and finally he scored another hat-trick against Real Zaragoza in a 4–2 away win,[98] becoming the first Barcelona player to score back-to-back hat-tricks in La Liga.[99] He played his 200th official match for Barcelona against CA Osasuna on 24 March 2010.[100]

"Once he's on the run, Messi is unstoppable. He's the only player who can change direction at such a pace.

He is the best player in the world by some distance. He's (like) aPlayStation. He can take advantage of every mistake we make."

Arsène Wenger after Barcelona won 4–1 againstArsenal[101][102]

On 6 April 2010, for the first time in Messi's career he scored four goals in a single match, netting the lot in a 4–1 home win over Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.[103][104] This also saw him overtake Rivaldo as Barcelona's all time greatest scorer in the competition.[105] In the final league match of the season against Valladolid, he scored two goals in the second half to tie Ronaldo's club record of 34 goals in a single league season, set in 1996–97,[106][107] and to finish four goals behind the all-time record held by Telmo Zarra.[108] He was named La Liga player of the year for the second year in a row on 3 June 2010.[109] He finished the season with 47 goals in all competitions, tyingRonaldo's record from the 1996–97 season, and he provided 11 assists.[110]

2010–11 season

On 21 August 2010, Messi scored a hat-trick in his first start of the season in a 4–0 victory over Sevilla FC in the Supercopa de España, helping Barcelona secure their first trophy of the season after a 1–3 first leg loss.[111]

On 19 September 2010, Messi suffered an ankle injury due to an ill-advised tackle by Atlético Madrid defender Tomáš Ujfaluši in the 92nd minute of their Round 3 match at theVicente Calderón Stadium. At first sight it was feared that Messi suffered a broken ankle that could have kept the star player away from the pitch for a minimum of six months, but MRI performed the next day in Barcelona showed he suffered a sprain in the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle.[112] Team-mate David Villa stated "the tackle on Messi was brutal" after watching the video of the play and also added that he believed the Atlético defender "didn't go into the tackle to hurt".[113] The incident caused widespread media attention and brought up the debate of equality in protecting all players in the game.

Against UD Almería Messi scored his second hat-trick of the season in an impressive 8–0 away win, the second of which was his 100th La Liga goal.[114]

Messi playing against Real Madrid in a Champions League match

Messi won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, beating his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta.[115] Messi had been nominated for the awards for the fourth consecutive year.[116] On 5 February, Barcelona broke the record for most consecutive league wins with 16 victories after they defeated Atlético Madrid 3–0 at the Camp Nou.[117] Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to ensure the victory for his side and after the match he stated, "it's an honor to be able to pass a record set by a great like Di Stéfano" and "if the record has been around for so long is because it's very complicated to achieve and we have reached it by defeating a very difficult team who's going through a bad situation, which makes it even more difficult."[118]

After failing to score for a month he scored a brace against UD Almería; the second goal was his 47th of the season, equalling his club record return of the previous season.[119] He surpassed his record on 12 April 2011 by scoring the winner against Shakhtar Donetsk in a UEFA Champions League game, which put him in the record book as all time top scorer in a single season for Barcelona.[120] He scored his eighth goal on El Clásico on a 1–1 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. On 23 April, Messi scored his 50th goal of the season against CA Osasuna in a 2–0 home victory which he came on as a substitute in the 60th minute.[121] He finished the season by winning La Liga and scoring 31 goals as he finished runner-up in the Pichichi trophy to Cristiano Ronaldo, who had managed to score 40. Messi finished the league season as the top assist provider with 18 assists.

On 20 April, Barcelona were defeated by arch-rivals Real Madrid in the 2011 Copa del Rey Final. Messi set up a goal for Pedro, which was however ruled offside. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the match in extra time. Messi was however the joint top-scorer of the tournament along with Cristiano Ronaldo, with 7 goals.[122][123][123]

In the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, he gave a memorable performance, scoring twice against Real Madrid in a 2–0 win, the second goal (a dribble past several players) being acclaimed as one of the best ever at that stage of the competition.[124][125] At the Champions League Final at Wembley, Messi scored the eventual game-clinching goal to give Barcelona their third title in six years and fourth overall.[126] This was also Messi's 12th goal in the Champions League that season, which allowed him to tie Ruud Van Nistelrooy's record of 12 goals in a single European Cup season, after it was re-established as the UEFA Champions League, in 1992.[123] The overall record of goals scored in a single European Cup Season, is José Altafini's record of 14 goals, which Messi did however equal in the following season.[123] Messi finished the 2010–11 season with 53 goals and 24 assists in all competitions combined.

2011–12 season

Barcelona and Messi celebrate 2011 FIFA Club World Cup win.

Messi started the season by lifting the Spanish Supercup with Barcelona, scoring three goals and providing two assists in a 5–4 aggregate win against Real Madrid.[127] His vital interventions continued in the next official match played against Porto when he scored again following a weak back pass from Fredy Guarín before setting up Cesc Fàbregas to give Barcelona a 2–0 victory and the UEFA Super Cup,[128] then the only official competition that remained for him to score in.[129]

After scoring his first goal of an eventual hat-trick in an 8–0 rout against CA Osasuna, Messi produced a special celebration for Soufian, a 10-year-old Moroccan boy with Laurin Sandrow syndrome, a rare medical condition that can eventually lead to the loss of the lower extremities. Whilst Messi usually points to the sky after scoring a goal, Messi slapped his thighs as a dedication to Soufian.[130]

In August, Messi became the second highest goalscorer surpassing László Kubala on 194 goals, being behind only to César Rodríguezon 232 goals in all official competitions.[131]

On 28 September, Messi scored his first two Champions League goals of the season against BATE Borisov,[132] becoming Barcelona's second highest goalscorer in its history, tying László Kubala, at 194 goals in all official competitions.[133] He surpassed that record when he scored two goals against Racing Santander.[134] He became second in Barcelona's La Liga goalscorers list with 132 goals, one more than Kubala.[135] He scored his 200th Barcelona goal and two more as part of a hat-trick in his next game against Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League.[136]

Messi with Neymar after the final of the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.

Messi scored a brace in the Club World Cup Final against Santos FC and was recognized as the man of the match and also awarded the Golden Ball for his performance during the tournament.[137]

Messi playing against Real Madrid during the 2011–12 Copa del Rey

Messi won the 2011 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, beating his FC Barcelona team-mate Xavi Hernández and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi won the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, again beating his team-mate Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo. By winning the FIFA Ballon d'Or again, Messi become the fourth player to win three Ballon d'Ors, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco Van Basten and the second player to win three consecutive Ballon d'Ors, after Michel Platini (although two of his Ballon d'Ors are FIFA Ballon d'Ors, which he won consecutively). Messi also won the IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer award, with 19 goals in 2011.[138]

On 19 February 2012, Messi, on his 200th La Liga appearance, scored four goals against Valencia CF in a 5–1 win.[139] On 7 March, Messi became the first player to score five goals in an UEFA Champions League match since the tournament's re-establishment in 1992, helping the defending champions Barcelona win 7–1 against Bayer Leverkusen.[140]

On 20 March, Messi scored three goals against Granada, making him FC Barcelona's leading goalscorer in official competitions, surpassing club legend César Rodríguez, who had previously held the record with 232.[141]

On 3 April, Messi scored two goals from penalty kicks against Milan in the second leg of the Champions League Quarter-final, allowing him to surpass his personal record, joint with Ruud van Nistelrooy, of 12 goals in a single UEFA Champions League season. These goals allowed him to tie José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single European Cup season in the 1962–63 season, before the tournament's re-establishment as the UEFA Champions League in 1992.[123] Messi was unable to score in the semifinals, although he provided an assist in the second leg, as Barcelona were knocked out to eventual winners Chelsea. During the second leg match, Messi missed an important penalty, hitting the crossbar. The goal would have put Barcelona ahead on aggregate.[142]

On 11 April, Messi scored his 61st goal of the season against Getafe CF, and made two assists.[143] On 2 May, Messi scored a hat-trick againstMálaga CF surpassing Gerd Müller's record (67 goals in 1972–73) with 68 goals, and thus becoming the best goalscorer in history in one season in Europe.[144] It was the 21st multi-goal game of the season for Messi and his seventh La Liga hat-trick.[145] He then scored four goals on 5 May against RCD Espanyol to take his tally to an unprecedented 72 goals, in the process becoming only the second player to pass 70 goals in a first division season since Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1924–25.[19]

On 25 May, he scored again in the 2012 Copa del Rey Final, helping Barcelona win their 26th Spanish Cup title, and increasing his seasonal goalscoring record to an unmatched 73 goals in all competitions.[146][147] This was also Guardiola's last match as Barcelona's manager, and the Cup win marked Messi's second Copa del Rey title, after losing the final the year before, as well as his 14th Barcelona trophy during Guardiola's four seasons at the club. Although Barcelona failed to win their 4th consecutive Liga title under Guardiola, finishing runners up to arch-rivals Real Madrid, Messi finished the 2011–12 season as the top goalscorer in La Liga for a second time, with a Liga record of 50 goals. He was the second best assist provider in La Liga that season with 16 assists, after Mesut Özil, who managed 17. He also ended the season as the UEFA Champions' League Top Scorer for a fourth consecutive time, with 14 goals.[146] He was one of the top assist providers of the tournament with 5 assists and finished the season with 73 goals and 29 assists in all club competitions, with more goals and assists than any other player.

2012–13 season

During Barcelona's first game of the season against Real Sociedad, Messi continued his goalscoring run with a brace in a 5–1 win at the Camp Nou. Messi added another goal from a penalty in a 3–2 win against rivals Real Madrid in the first leg of the 2012 Supercopa de España in Barcelona on 23 August.[148] He added another brace against CA Osasuna as Barcelona came from behind away from home to beat them 2–1.[149] Messi added another goal from a free kick in the second leg of the Supercopa de España, as Barcelona, down to ten men, were defeated by Real Madrid on away goals.[150] This marked his 15th goal in the Clasico Real Madrid-Barcelona derby, which made him Barcelona's top scorer in Clasico matches, putting him tied with Raúl, behind only Alfredo Di Stefano, with 18 goals.[151][152] Messi placed second along with Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, with 17 votes each. The award was won by Messi's Barcelona team mate Andrés Iniesta.[153] In his third league appearance on 2 September against Valencia CF, Messi assisted the only goal of the match, by team mate Adriano, from a short corner.[154] Messi scored two more goals in a win against Getafe on 15 September[155] and added another brace in his first Champion's League match of the season against Spartak Moscow on 20 September, ending in a 3–2 win to Barcelona, also marking his tenth goal of the incredible player, gigantic."

—Gerd Müller after Messi broke his record.[157]

On 11 November, Messi scored twice at RCD Mallorca, his 75th and 76th goals in 2012, surpassing Pelé's milestone of 75 goals (1958) in a calendar year, and moved within nine of German legend Gerd Müller's all-time Guinness World Records title.[158][159] His 77th and 78th goals came against Real Zaragoza at Camp Nou which moved Messi seven goals away from the record.[160] On 20 November, Messi scored twice at Spartak Moscow, his 79th and 80th goals of 2012 and moved to within five goals of the record.[161] Messi continued his scoring run against Levante UD on 25 November with his 81st and 82nd goals of the year which moved him within three goals of Müller.[162] On 1 December, Messi scored twice against Athletic Bilbao, his 83rd and 84th goals of the year, meaning he pulled to within one goal of Müller's record set in 1972. The two goals also meant Messi equaled Barcelona's all time leading goalscoring record in La Liga, which was held by César Rodríguez with 190 goals.[163] On 9 December, Messi scored twice against Real Betis, his 85th and 86th goals in 2012, surpassing Müller's milestone of 85 goals scored in a calendar year in 1972 with Bayern Munich and the German national team, as well as surpassing Rodríguez's record for most league goals for Barcelona.[164][165][166] On 12 December, Messi increased his record to 88, after scoring twice against Córdoba CF in the first leg of a Copa del Rey game.[167] Messi then sent an autographed Barcelona shirt to Müller in acknowledgement of beating his record.[168] On 16 December, Messi scored twice in a 4–1 Barcelona victory against Atlético Madrid, increasing his record to 90 goals.[169] The tally found its end at 91 goals in a year after Messi scored once against Real Valladolid.

On 18 December 2012, it was announced that Barcelona would renew the contract of Messi, extending it until 30 June 2018.[170] The contract was signed 7 February 2013.[171]

On 7 January 2013 odds-on favourite[172] Messi won the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or, again beating Cristiano Ronaldo into second place with team-mate Andrés Iniesta third. In doing this, Messi became the only player in history to win the Ballon d'Or four times.[173] Messi described receiving the accolade as "really quite unbelievable" and "too great for words".[174] The achievement fuelled media comparison of Messi with former greats of the sport such as Diego Maradona and Pelé.[175][176]

On 27 January 2013, Messi scored 4 goals in a 5–1 win against Osasuna, including his 200th goal in La Liga, becoming the 8th player and the youngest player to do so.[177] This brought his La Liga tally for the season up to 33, and his goalscoring total to 44 goals in all competitions. On 16 February 2013, Messi scored his 300th Barcelona goal the La Liga match against Granada CF, later scoring again in the match to bring his tally to 301 goals in 365 official matches.[178][179][180]

On 2 March 2013, Messi scored a goal against Real Madrid in a match that Barcelona lost 2–1. With that goal, Lionel Messi equalled Alfredo Di Stefano's Clasico goals record of 18.[181] On 9 March 2013, Messi scored after coming on as a substitute against Deportivo de La Coruña, scoring in his 17th consecutive league match and breaking the all-time world record.[182] On 12 March, Messi scored two goals to help Barcelona defeat A.C. Milan (4–0) in the 2nd leg of their Champions League game and reach the quarter-finals.[183]With these goals, he became the 2nd all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, excluding qualifying rounds.[184]

On 17 March 2013, in a match against Rayo Vallecano, Messi wore the captain's armband for the first time in an official match for Barcelona, taking over after Andrés Iniesta was substituted.[185]

On 30 March, Messi scored for the 19th consecutive La Liga game, netting Barcelona's second goal at Celta de Vigo, and became the first footballer in history to score in consecutive matches against every team in the league.[22]

International career

Often referred to as an Argentinian-Spanish player, this crossover was brought into sharp focus when in 2004, Lionel was offered the chance to play for the Spanish national U-20 team. He declined the offer given his Argentinian heritage, and was given the opportunity to play for Argentina's U-20 team in a friendly match against Paraguay in June 2004.[186]Messi scored once against Paraguay and twice in friendly against Uruguay in July 2004.[187] In 2005 he was part of a team that finished third in 2005 South American Youth Championship in Colombia. He won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands with the team and won the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe,[188] scoring in the last four of Argentina's matches and netting a total of six for the tournament.

He made his full international debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary at the age of 18. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off on the 65th minute because the referee, Markus Merk, claimed that Messi had allegedly elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt. The decision was contentious andMaradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated. Messi was later reportedly found weeping in the changing rooms after the decision.[189][190] Messi returned to the team on 3 September in Argentina's 1–0 World Cup qualifier away defeat to Paraguay. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-debut. The first one was a bit short."[191] He then started his first game for Argentina against Peru, in which he was able to win a crucial penalty for Argentina; after the match Pekerman described Messi as "a jewel".[192] He scored his first goal for Argentina in a friendly match against Croatia on 1 March 2006.[193]

2006 World Cup

The injury that kept Messi from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the 2006 World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the final match before the World Cup against the Argentine U-20 team for 15 minutes and a friendly match against Angola from the 64th minute.[194][195] He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the substitute's bench.[196] In the next match against Serbia and Montenegro, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assistedHernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup.[197] Messi started in Argentina's following 0–0 draw against the Netherlands.[198] In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was ruled offside with Argentina needing a late goal in extra time to proceed.[199][200] Coach José Pekerman left Messi on the bench during the quarter-final match against Germany, which they lost 4–2 on a penalty shootout.[201]

2007 Copa América

Messi played his first game in the 2007 Copa América on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4–1 in the first game. In this game, he showed his capabilities as aplaymaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.[202]

Messi at the 2007 Copa América

His second game was against Colombia, in which he won a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1–1. He also played a part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3–1. The final score of the game was 4–2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.[203]

In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with the score at 0–0. In the 79th minute, he assisted a goal for Javier Mascherano.[204] In the quarter-finals, as Argentina faced Peru, Messi scored the second goal of the game, from a Riquelme pass in a 4–0 win.[205] During the semi-final match against Mexico, Messi scored a lob over Oswaldo Sánchez to see Argentina through to the final with a 3–0 win.[206]Argentina went on to lose 3–0 to Brazil in the final.[207] Messi was elected young player of the tournament.[23]

2008 Summer Olympics

Messi in the semi-final against Brazil at the 2008 Olympics

Having barred Messi from playing for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics,[208] Barcelona agreed to release him after he held talks with newly appointed coach Pep Guardiola.[209] He joined the Argentina squad and scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over Ivory Coast.[209] He then scored the opening goal and assisted Ángel di María in the second to help his side to a 2–1 extra-time win against theNetherlands.[210] He also featured in Argentina's match against rivals Brazil, in which Argentina took a 3–0 victory, thus advancing to the final. In the gold medal match, Messi again assisted Di María for the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Nigeria.[211]

2010 World Cup qualification

On 28 March 2009, in a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela, Messi wore the number 10 jersey for the first time with Argentina. This match was the first official match for Diego Maradona as the Argentina manager. Argentina won the match 4–0 with Messi opening the scoring.[212] Overall Messi scored four goals in 18 appearances during the South American 2010 World Cup qualifying process.[213]

2010 World Cup

Messi and Argentina lost 0–4 againstGermany in the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup

For the 2010 World Cup, Messi wore the number 10 shirt for the first time in a major tournament.[214] Messi played the entire game onArgentina's opening match in the 2010 World Cup, the 1–0 victory against Nigeria. He had several opportunities to score but was repeatedly denied by Vincent Enyeama.[215] Messi started in Argentina's following 4–1 win against Korea Republic; he played in more of an attacking midfielder and playmaking role under Maradona,[214][216][217] and participated in all of the goals of his team, helping Gonzalo Higuaín score a hat-trick.[218] On the third and last group stage match Messi captained during Argentina's 2–0 win over Greece, again being the centrepoint of Argentina's play and was voted man of the match.[219]

At the Round of 16 he assisted Carlos Tévez for the first goal in a 3–1 win against Mexico. The World Cup ended for Argentina with a 4–0 loss against Germany in the quarter-finals.[220]

Messi was nominated in ten player shortlist for Golden Ball award by FIFA Technical Study Group. The group identified Messi with words: "Outstanding in his pace and creativity for his team, dribbling, shooting, passing – spectacular and efficient".[221]

2011 Copa América, 2014 World Cup qualification and friendlies

On 17 November 2010, Messi scored a last-minute goal against South American rivals Brazil after an individual effort to help his team to a 1–0 win in the friendly match, which was held in Doha. This was the first time that he had scored against Brazil at senior level.[222] Messi scored another last-minute goal on 9 February 2011 against Portugal in a penalty kick which gave his side a 2–1 victory in the friendly match, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland. He had also previously assisted the first goal.[223]

Messi took part in the Copa América in Argentina, where he failed to score a goal but made three assists. He was selected man-of-the-match in matches against Bolivia (1–1) andCosta Rica (3–0). Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out against Uruguay (1–1 a.e.t.), with Messi scoring as the first penalty taker.

After Argentina's unsuccessful performance in the Copa América, Sergio Batista was replaced as Argentina coach with Alejandro Sabella. In August 2011, Sabella named Messi as the new captain of the Argentina national team.[224]

Messi's first hat-trick for Albiceleste came in a friendly match against Switzerland, on 29 February 2012 which the game ended 3–1 for Argentina.[225]

On 9 June 2012, Messi scored his second international hat-trick in a friendly match against rivals Brazil, including the match winner. The match ended 4–3 to Argentina and Messi was voted man of the match.[226] This brought his international goalscoring tally up to 26 goals in 70 matches, and brought his 2012 tally up to 7 goals in 3 matches. This was also his record-breaking 82nd goal of the season, including all club and international matches.[227] These goals also made him the current fourth highest scorer for the Argentinian National Team.[228]

On 7 September, Messi scored his 28th goal for Argentina in a 3–1 victory against Paraguay in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match, sending them to the top of the CONMEBOLWorld Cup qualifying table. This was his 4th goal in the current World Cup qualifying campaign and his 8th overall in World Cup qualifying matches, making him the third highest scorer for Argentina in World Cup qualifying matches.[229] This was also his 10th goal for Argentina in the past 6 matches and his 9th in 5 matches played in 2012.[230] After scoring twice against Uruguay and once against Chile in October, Messi finished 2012 with 12 goals from 9 appearances for Argentina.[231]

On 22 March 2013, Messi scored his first international goal of 2013 from the penalty spot in a World Cup qualifier against Venezuela. In the same match he provided two assists for Gonzalo Higuaín as Argentina won 3–0.[232]

Style of play

Messi, playing for Argentina in 2011, has been compared to compatriot Diego Maradona

Messi has been compared to compatriot Diego Maradona, due to their similar playing style and stature,[233] which gives him a lower centre of gravity than most players, allowing him to be more agile and change direction more quickly, helping him to evade tackles.[234] His short, strong legs allow him to excel in short bursts of acceleration and his quick feet allow him to keep control of the ball when dribbling at speed.[235] His former FC Barcelona manager, Pep Guardiola, once stated: “Messi is the only player that runs faster with the ball than he does without it.”[236]Like Maradona before him, Messi is dominantly a left footed player.[237] With the outside of his left foot, he usually begins dribbling runs, whilst he uses the inside of his foot to finish and provide passes and assists to team mates.[234]

Messi often undertakes individual dribbling runs towards goal, in particular during counterattacks, usually starting from the halfway line, or the right side of the pitch, although he has also been described as a versatile team player, with good vision, known for his passing and his creative combinations, in particular with Barcelona team mates Xavi and Iniesta.[238][239][240] He is also an accurate set piece and penalty kick taker.[241]With regards to his dribbling ability, Maradona has said of Messi: "The ball stays glued to his foot; I’ve seen great players in my career, but I’ve never seen anyone with Messi's ball control."[242] Maradona has stated that he believes Messi to currently be the greatest player in the world.[243][244]

"Messi has his personality and I have mine. He has his game and I have mine. I also play in a big club like him. We are different in every aspect. But right now, he is the best."

—Cristiano Ronaldo, in September 2011[245]

Tactically, Messi plays a free attacking and occasionally a playmaking role,[63] known for his finishing, pace, dribbling, balance, positioning, vision and passing ability.[239][246] He is comfortable attacking on either wing or through the centre of the pitch.[247] He began his career as a left-winger and forward, but was later moved onto the right wing by former manager Frank Rijkaard, who noticed that from this position, Messi could cut through the defence into the middle of the pitch more easily, allowing him to curl shots on goal with his left foot, rather than predominantly crossing balls for team mates.[248] He has more recently played in a false 9 role under Guardiola.[249] This role is characterized by Messi's tendency to seemingly be playing as a centre forward, or as a lone striker, although he will often run back into deep positions drawing defenders with him, creating space for wingers, other forwards, and attacking midfielders to make runs, allowing him to provide them with assists or giving him space to begin dribbling runs, score goals or create attacking plays.[249] With the Argentinian National team, Messi usually plays anywhere along the front line. He began as a forward or winger but has also played in a deeper role, in particular under Maradona, in more of an attacking midfield and playmaking role.[214][216][217] Messi revealed that he is a fan of the former Argentina playmaker Pablo Aimar.[250]

Outside football

Personal life

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. He is said to have been introduced to her by the girl's father when he returned to Rosario to recover from his injury a few days before the start of the 2006 World Cup.[251][252] He has in the past also been linked to the Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar.[253][254] In January 2009 he told "Hat Trick Barça", a programme on Canal 33: "I have a girlfriend and she is living in Argentina. I am relaxed and happy".[254] He was seen with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo,[255] at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario.[256] On 2 June 2012, Messi assisted and scored a goal in Argentina's 4–0 win against Ecuador in a World Cup 2014 Qualifying match. He celebrated scoring his 23rd goal for Argentina, by placing the ball under his jersey, as his girlfriend is reportedly 12 weeks pregnant. She posted on Twitter that she is expected to give birth in September.[257] Messi confirmed that the child, a son, would be born in October, and that he and his girlfriend plan to name him Thiago. However, the birth would occur later than expected. On 2 November 2012, Messi became a father for the first time following the birth of his son Thiago. The FC Barcelona's official website briefly stated "Leo Messi is a father". Besides, the Argentine striker added on his Facebook page: "Today I am the happiest man in the world, my son was born and thanks to God for this gift!"[34][258] In March 2013, Messi paid tribute to his son Thiago by having his name and tiny palm prints etched on his left calf.[259]

Messi has two cousins also involved in football: Maxi, a winger for Club Olimpia of Paraguay, and Emanuel Biancucchi, who plays as a midfielder for Paraguay's Independiente F.B.C..[260][261]

According to American writer Wright Thompson, Messi has maintained close ties to Rosario and his family since leaving for Spain, and has gone to great lengths to maintain them. These ties begin with his speech—to this day, Messi speaks Spanish with the distinctive accent of Rosario, even though he has now lived in Spain as long as he has in Rosario. He also keeps in daily contact via phone and text with a small group of confidants from Rosario, most of them fellow members of "The Machine of '87". One time when he was in training with the Argentina national team in Buenos Aires, he made a three-hour trip by car to Rosario immediately after practice to have dinner with his family, spent the night with them, and then returned to Buenos Aires the next day in time for practice. Messi has also kept ownership of his old house in Rosario, although his family no longer lives in it; he maintains a penthouse apartment in an exclusive residential building in which his mother lives, as well as a family compound just outside the city.[34]

Charity

In 2007, Messi established the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children.[262][263] In response to Messi's own childhood medical difficulties, the Leo Messi Foundation has offered Argentine children diagnosed with illnesses treatment in Spain and funds covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs.[264] Messi's foundation is supported by his own fundraising activity with additional assistance from Herbalife.

On 11 March 2010 Messi was announced as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.[265] Messi's UNICEF ambassador activities are aimed at supporting children’s rights. Messi is supported in this by Barcelona, who also have a strong association with UNICEF.[266]

He and Newell's have also ended a long public feud. Messi funded the construction of a dormitory inside Newell's stadium for the club's youth academy, as well as a new gymnasium for the club. For its part, Newell's has begun to embrace its ties with Messi, and plans to issue a special club membership card to Messi's son.[34]

On March 2013, Lionel Messi has donated €600,000 towards the refurbishment of a children's hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. The money was used to renovate the oncology unit at the Victor J Vilela Children's Hospital, as well as paying for doctors to travel to Barcelona for training.[267]

Wealth

In March 2010, France Football ranked him at the top of its list of the world's richest footballers, ahead of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, with £29.6 million (€33 million) in combined income from salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings.[268][269] His net wealth is estimated at $110 millIon.[270]

Salary

In December 2012, FC Barcelona announced that Messi will sign a 5 year contract extension which will keep him at FC Barcelona until 2018 and raising his base salary to €16 million net ($21.2 million), which will make him the highest on-the-pitch earner in soccer. As the tax bracket for this level of income in Spain is 56%, it means that Barça will have to pay Messi's income tax of a little over €20 million ($26.5 million).[271] His formal buy-out clause remains at €250 million.[272]

Media

An example of Messi's popularity and influence. Photographed in India.

Messi was featured on the front covers of the video games Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 and is also involved in promotional campaigns for the games.[273][274] Messi, along with Fernando Torres,[275] is the face of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, and was also involved in the motion capturing and the trailer.[276][277][278] However in November 2011, Messi was confirmed as the new face of PES's rival football series FIFA with his debut as a cover star of the series coming in 2012's FIFA Street. Messi was also chosen to be on the cover of FIFA 13.[279] Messi is sponsored by the German sportswear company Adidas and features in their television advertisements.[280] In June 2010, Messi also signed a three–year contract with Herbalife[281] which further supports the Leo Messi Foundation.

Messi was named twice in the Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the most influential people in the world, in 2011[282] and in 2012.[283]

In April 2011, Messi launched a Facebook page and within a few hours, his page had attracted more than six million followers.[284] His Facebook page had over 43 million followers in March 2013.[285]

On March 2013, Messi had a pure gold replica of his left foot made which went on sale in Japan for $5.25 million, in aid of charity. The 25-kilogram statue was created by Japanese jeweller Ginza Tanaka to commemorate Messi's record-breaking fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or award.[286]

Sponsorships

In September 2012, Messi became the global brand ambassador of Turkish Airlines.[287] Messi shot a commercial for the airline with NBA star Kobe Bryant. In the airline's latest commercial, the duo competes to win the attention of a young boy.[288]

In 16 December 2012, Messi took the field against Atlético Madrid in a La Liga match wearing a pair of adidas adizero boots designed by a fan. Earlier in 2012, fans of the Messi were given the unique opportunity to create a pair of adidas adizero f50s by visiting the new miadidas configurator and submitting their designs. Javier Pascual Mullor from Spain was identified as the lucky winner from over 14,200 submitted entries.[289] While on 13 January 2013, in a league match against Málaga, Messi wore a special pair of adidas adizero F50 boots in order to commemorate his record 4th Ballon d'Or win.[290]

In January 2013, Messi appeared in a short advert for Japanese face wash Scalp-D. The advert showed the Argentine speaking a few Japanese words.[291]

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