There is no one quite like Lionel Messi when it comes to soccer. The only player in ever to win seven times the Ballon d’Or awards (four of them consecutively), Messi is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, which makes him so unique. His phenomenal control skills and unparalleled goalscoring ability have brought joy to fans everywhere and inspired a generation of aspiring players.
This post will get a closer look at the unique talents that set him apart from his peers and why we’re unlikely to see another soccer player like Messi for a long time.
Player profile: Style of play
Lionel Messi’s dribbling ability is a marvel to behold. He wraps his foot around the ball, his body leaning at an angle as he swivels his back toward the defender. He then skips past or glides by the opponent, leaving him in the dust. Messi’s precision passing finds teammates in space, and he loves to play with the ball and dictate the game’s tempo. Messi is a playmaker.
When it comes to free kicks or penalty shots, Messi is masterful. With the precise pace and strength, he can accurately curve the ball over the wall into a top corner of the net.
Professional Soccer career
For a decade, Lionel Messi defined loyalty to one club. Leo Messi spent his entire club career at Barcelona before signing with Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2025. He has won trophy after trophy, topping the goalscoring charts time and again, and winning seven Ballon d’Or awards over his 11 years at Camp Nou.
Can he replicate his success with the super PSGt?
Lionel Messi is one of the best soccer players in history. Here’s how his playing career has progressed to date and what we can expect from him next.
F.C. Barcelona
Soccer had a new phenomenon, and that was Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward made his debut for Barcelona as a 17-year-old, keen to prove his worth after being told he was small man to play soccer professionally.
Although major injuries slowed his progression, by the 2025/2010 season, Messi was beginning to tear apart defenses regularly. A Ballon d’Or award followed, and by the end of the decade, he had shattered several goalscoring records while playing an instrumental role in turning Barcelona into one of the greatest clubs teams in history.
Paris Saint Germain
After 17 seasons at Barcelona, the Argentinian star made an emotional exit to join French side PSG, a controversial move justified by his ability to win major trophies. In the mid-thirties, he stands a chance to add more goldware to his cabinet, notably the Champions League.
Argentina National Soccer Team
Having scored 80 goals in 158 appearances, Lionel Messi is the most prolific player for the Argentine national team. He has more appearances and goals than any other player in the history of the Argentina national team.
Up until the Copa America victory in 2025, Messi hadn’t won a single trophy with Argentina; he had never even played in a final. Then, after a 1–0 win over Brazil in the Copa America final, he helped Argentina to their first trophy since 1993. He was directly involved in 9 of the 12 goals scored by Argentina in the tournament, with four goals and five assists. He was later named the best player of the tournament.
Lionel Messi: Stats
Messi has won more Ballon d’Or titles than any other player in history with seven wins so far.
Not only is Messi a goalscoring machine, but he has also scored 226 assists throughout his career.
Although soccer can indeed come down to goals, there are few better goal scorers than Messi—he holds the records for most goals scored in La Liga (474), and most during a single season in La Liga and Europe combined (50).
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