Messi was born and raised in central Argentina before moving to Spain at the age of 13 to join Barcelona, where he made his competitive debut in October 2004 at the age of 17. Within three years, he had established himself as a key player for the club, and in his first continuous season in 2008–09, he helped Barcelona win the first treble in Spanish football; same year, Messi won his first Ballon d’Or at the age of 22. Following three great seasons, Messi won four Ballons d’Or in a row, making him the first player to win the trophy four times in a row. He established himself as Barcelona’s all-time best scorer during the 2011–12 season, setting La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season. Messi finished second for the Ballon d’Or the following two seasons, behind Cristiano Ronaldo (his perceived career rival), before resuming his best form in the 2014–15 season, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga and leading Barcelona to a historic second treble, for which he was awarded his fifth Ballon d’Or in 2015. In 2018, Messi was named Barcelona captain, and in 2019, he earned a record-tying sixth Ballon d’Or. In August 2021, he signed a free agent contract with Paris Saint-Germain. Messi is an Argentine international who has made the most appearances and scored the most goals for his country.
