December, 14
First Contract
Contract on a paper napkin
On 14 December, few months after Messi’s trial, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment.
First team director Carles Rexach didn't have any paper nearby, but his urgency to sign Messi made him write the contract on a paper napkin.
October, 16
First Appearance
First appearance in an official match
After being called up to the senior team, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, against Espanyol in La Liga, coming on in the 82' minute.
July, 2
Youth Championship
FIFA World Youth Championship
Messi led Argentina to trophy in the 2005 FIFA Youth Championship. Before the final, Messi was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.
He scored twice in the final against Nigeria (2-1) winning the championship for Argentina and finishing the tournament as the top scorer with 6 goals.
November, 2
First UCL Goal
First Champions League Goal
On November 2, 2005, Lionel Messi scored his first Champions League goal at the age of 18, against the Greek team Panathinaikos in a 5-0 win at Camp Nou.
First Hat-trick
On March 10, in El Clasico against Real Madrid, Messi scored his first hat-trick in a 3-3 draw, even though Barcelona had 10 players. Messi became the first player to score a hat-trick in El Clasico, since Ivan Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 94–95 season).
Gold Medal at Olympic Games 2008
Following a 3-0 semifinal win over Brazil, Messi assisted on the only goal in the final as Argentina defeated Nigeria to win the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
December, 1
Ballon d'Or nr1
First Ballon d'Or
At the age of 22, Messi won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA Award for Best Player of the Year, both awards with the largest voting margin in the history of each trophy at that time.
Season 2009/10
First Golden Shoe
First Golden Shoe
Messi won his first Golden Shoe as the top scorer of season 2009/10 with 34 goals. He helped Barcelona win La Liga trophy for the second year in a row, with just one loss (by Atletico Madrid 2-1).
March, 16
Barcelona's Top Scorer
Barcelona's All-time Top Scorer
On March 16 in the 7-0 win over Osasuna for the league, Messi scored a hat-trick and reached a total of 371 goals in all competitions (including friendlies) with Barcelona, surpassing the record of 369 goals Paulino Alcantara held for many years.
Alcantara played with Barcelona between 1912-1927 scoring 142 goals in official and 227 in friendly games.
Messi broke the record by scoring 344 in official games and 27 in friendlies.
November, 23
La Liga Top Scorer
La Liga Top Scorer
Messi scored a hat-trick against Sevilla on November 22 which made him the top scorer in La Liga after surpassing the 59-year record of 251 goals held by Telmo Zarra.
July, 21
Argentina's Top Scorer
Top Scorer With National Team
At Copa America 2016, in the quarter-final against Venezuela, Messi performed another great performance by assisting two goals and scoring another in a 4-1 victory, which made it equal to the 54-goal record held by Gabriel Batistuta.
That record was broken three days later, when Messi scored a free-kick in a 4-0 win against USA in semifinals.
December, 2
6th Ballon d'Or
6th Ballon d'Or
Leo Messi won for the sixth time the Ballon d'Or, a record in the history of competition, beating top contenders Van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo to lift the most prestigious individual football trophy. Messi scored 50 goals and assisted 18 times in 59 games.
Best Goalscorer with a Single Club
Lionel Messi broke the Brazilian legend's goal record, scoring his 644th goal in all competitions for Barcelona, making him the top scorer with a single club.
Pele scored 643 with Santos in his native country, a record that stood for 46 years until Messi broke it in the 0-3 victory over Real Valladolid.
The Transfer that Shocked the World
After joining Barcelona at age 13 and 35 trophies won, Messi completed a free transfer at French club Paris Saint-Germain, following the expiration of his contract at Barcelona.
Messi will wear the No 30 shirt for PSG, which was the number he wore on his Barcelona debut in 2003.
