Club Career

2004–2008: Rise to the First Team Barcelona

Messi began the 2004–05 season as a confirmed starter for Barcelona B, but after lobbying from some senior players, manager Frank Rijkaard promoted him to the first team. He made his La Liga debut for Barcelona on October 16, 2004, against Espanyol, and scored his first senior goal on May 1, 2005, against Albacete with an assist from Ronaldinho, becoming the club's youngest ever goalscorer at the time. At 17 years, 3 months, and 22 days old, he was the youngest player to represent Barcelona in an official competition, and the club went on to win the league title that season.

On his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player, which was updated three months later to keep him at the club until 2014. Barcelona began the 2005–06 season by winning the Supercopa de España without Messi, who had not been selected to participate in the competition. By the end of the season, the team won both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, although Messi did not play in the final due to injury.

In the 2006–07 season, Messi scored his first hat-trick in a Clásico against Real Madrid, becoming the first player in 12 years to do so. A stunning solo goal against Getafe and another goal scored using his hand against Espanyol drew comparisons to two of Diego Maradona’s most famous goals against England in the 1986 World Cup. These two goals were often referred to as the defining comparisons in Messi’s career. The team ended the season with just one trophy – the 2006 Supercopa de España. Barcelona’s following season in 2007–08 ended without any trophies, leading to Rijkaard’s departure.

2008–2012: Success Under Pep Guardiola

At the start of the 2008–09 season, under Barcelona’s new manager and former captain Pep Guardiola, Messi was given the number 10 shirt. Over time, he became the tactical focal point of Guardiola’s possession-based system, which significantly increased his goal-scoring rate. That season, Messi scored a total of 38 goals and, along with Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry, contributed to a combined 100 goals across all competitions — a record for the club at the time. Messi played as a false nine for the first time in a Clásico against Real Madrid, assisted the first goal, and helped his team record their highest-ever score at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. He played in his first final and won the Copa del Rey. Additionally, Barcelona also won the La Liga title and later the Champions League, becoming the first Spanish club in history to achieve a treble.

In the first half of the 2009–10 season, Barcelona won the Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first club to achieve a sextuple. Messi finished as the top scorer of the Champions League, becoming the youngest player in the tournament's history to do so. For his efforts in 2009, Messi won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He scored a total of 47 goals in all competitions, equaling Ronaldo’s club record from the 1996–97 season. He finished as the top scorer in both the Champions League and La Liga, winning a second consecutive league title and earning his first European Golden Shoe.

In the 2010–11 season, Messi won the Supercopa de España, the Champions League, and a third consecutive La Liga title. His performances that year earned him a second consecutive Ballon d'Or in 2010. Messi was the top scorer in the Champions League for a third consecutive year and also led the league in both goals and assists. With 53 goals, he became Barcelona’s highest single-season scorer of all time.

Messi began the 2011–12 season by winning both the Spanish and European Super Cups. By the end of the year, he had also won the FIFA Club World Cup and was awarded the Golden Ball for the second time. For his efforts in 2011, he received the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming the fourth player in history to win the Ballon d'Or three times and the first to win the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.

In 2012, Messi became only the second player to be the top scorer in four Champions League seasons. At just 24 years old, he became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, breaking César Rodríguez’s 57-year-old record of 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada. He ended the season as the top scorer in both the Spanish and European leagues for the second time, with 50 goals — a La Liga record. His total of 73 goals in all competitions made him the highest single-season scorer in European club football history, excluding regional and local competitions.

The team also won the Copa del Rey that season — their 14th trophy under Guardiola, who stepped down at the end of the campaign, bringing his four-year cycle of success to a close.

2012–2014: Record-breaking year and Messidependencia

At the start of the 2012–13 season, Barcelona had already secured the La Liga title by early 2013. With a brace against Real Betis, Messi became Barcelona’s all-time top scorer in La Liga and surpassed Gerd Müller’s record for the most goals in a calendar year; in 2012, he scored 91 goals in all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina. Messi once again won the FIFA Ballon d'Or, becoming the first player in history to win it four times. He signed a new contract committing himself to the club until 2018 and wore the captain’s armband for the first time in a league match against Rayo Vallecano. That year, the team won La Liga again—Messi’s sixth—matching Real Madrid’s 100-point record from the previous season. With 46 goals in La Liga and 60 in all competitions, he finished the campaign as the top scorer in both the Spanish and European leagues for a second consecutive year, becoming the first player in history to win the European Golden Shoe three times.

Messi’s overall contribution to the team’s attack had increased significantly. During their treble-winning campaign, he was involved in 24% of the team’s goals, and by the end of the 2012–13 season, that figure had risen to over 40%. These statistics, along with Barcelona’s lopsided defeat in the Champions League in Messi’s absence, gave rise to the concept of "Messidependencia"—the idea that the team was strategically and psychologically dependent on its star player.

To ease the pressure on Messi, Barcelona signed Brazilian forward Neymar from Santos ahead of the 2013–14 season. The team won the Supercopa de España early in the campaign. However, Messi ended the season with his weakest performance in five years, although he still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions. For the first time in five years, Barcelona finished the season without winning a major trophy.

2014–2017: Arrival of Luis Enrique and birth of MSN

Ahead of the 2014–15 season, Barcelona appointed coach Luis Enrique and signed Uruguayan forward Luis Suárez to continue supporting Messi in attack—Suárez had won the European Golden Shoe with Liverpool the previous year. Under Luis Enrique's system, transitions from defense to attack became quicker, led by Messi, Suárez, and Neymar. This attacking trio, popularly known as "MSN," broke numerous scoring records. Early in the season, a hat-trick against Sevilla made Messi the all-time top scorer in La Liga, surpassing Telmo Zarra’s 59-year-old record of 251 league goals. That year, after winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, Messi helped Barcelona become the first club to achieve the continental treble twice. He scored 58 goals himself, while the trio of Messi, Neymar, and Suárez combined for 122 goals in all competitions—a record in Spanish football.

Messi began the 2015–16 season by helping Barcelona win the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla. He ended the year by winning the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup final against River Plate in Yokohama, securing the club’s fifth trophy of the calendar year. On January 11, 2016, Messi won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for a record fifth time in his career. He finished the season by winning La Liga and the Copa del Rey once again. In total, Messi scored 41 goals, and the attacking trio of Messi, Neymar, and Suárez broke their previous season’s Spanish record by scoring 131 combined goals throughout the campaign.

The 2016–17 season ended with Messi winning the Supercopa de España and the Copa del Rey. He scored 54 goals across all competitions, including 37 in La Liga, earning him both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe for the fourth time in his career. By the end of the season, the trio of Messi, Neymar, and Suárez had scored 110 goals. Neymar would move to Paris Saint-Germain the following year, and over three seasons together, the attacking trio had scored a total of 363 goals. Luis Enrique also left the club at the end of the season, having led Barcelona to nine trophies in his three-year tenure.

2017–2021: Final years at Barcelona

On 25 November 2017, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, keeping him at the club until 2021. In the 2017–18 season, Messi achieved a domestic double, winning both La Liga and the Copa del Rey once again. He ended the season as La Liga's top scorer with 34 goals, earning his fifth European Golden Shoe award.

In May 2018, following the departure of former captain Andrés Iniesta, Messi was named the new captain for the 2018–19 season. He won his first trophy as Barcelona’s captain by lifting the Spanish Super Cup after a 2–1 win over Sevilla. He helped Barcelona win another La Liga title, his tenth overall but first as captain. That season, he scored 36 goals in 34 matches, winning his sixth league Golden Boot trophy, equalling Zarra's record for the most top scorer awards in La Liga history. He also claimed his sixth European Golden Shoe, marking his third consecutive win since the 2016–17 season.

Messi would go on to win his sixth Ballon d'Or, but in the following 2019–20 season, Barcelona ended the campaign without a trophy for the first time since 2007–08. After a disappointing season, Barcelona announced that Messi had sent a document expressing his desire to leave the club. However, Messi ultimately decided to stay and see out the final year of his contract.

In the 2020–21 season, Messi surpassed Xavi’s appearance record, reaching a club-record 768 matches. He led the team to victory in the 2021 Copa del Rey final. In his final two seasons with Barcelona, Messi remained La Liga's top scorer, earning a record-breaking eighth Pichichi Trophy.

After his contract expired, Messi became a free agent, and negotiations for a new deal became complicated due to Barcelona’s financial difficulties. The club eventually announced that Messi would not be staying, citing financial and structural obstacles under La Liga regulations as the reason for his departure. In an emotional press conference held at Camp Nou, Messi confirmed that he was leaving Barcelona.

Paris Saint-Germain

On 10 August 2021, Messi joined Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), reuniting with Neymar for the 2021–22 season. He signed a two-year contract until June 2023, with an option for a third year. Messi chose the number 30 shirt, the same number he wore as a teenager when he made his senior debut for Barcelona. He made his debut for the club against Reims, had his first start and Champions League debut against Club Brugge, and made his home debut in a match against Lyon. He scored his first goal for PSG in a Champions League group stage victory against his former manager Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

In addition to captaining Argentina to victory in the 2021 Copa América and scoring 40 goals at both club and international level during the calendar year, Messi won a record seventh Ballon d'Or. He ended his debut season with PSG having scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions, helping the club win their 10th Ligue 1 title.

At the start of the 2022–23 season, Messi won his second trophy with PSG in the Trophée des Champions. With a goal against Nice, he surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time top scorer in European club football with 702 goals; during the same match, he also reached 1,000 career direct goal contributions at club level. By the end of the season, he had scored 21 goals across all competitions and provided a league-high 16 assists, helping PSG win their 11th Ligue 1 title and second in a row. After the final game of the season, manager Christophe Galtier confirmed it would be Messi’s last match for PSG, with the club officially announcing his departure two days later.

Inter Miami

Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami CF announced a two-and-a-half-year contract with Messi on July 15, 2023. Messi made his debut for the club in 2023 in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, scoring a stoppage-time free-kick to secure victory. His arrival in the United States was praised both on and off the field, credited with raising the profile of MLS. According to Goal, “Any match he takes part in becomes a ticket frenzy, and plenty of A-list celebrities are eager to watch him play.” The excitement surrounding his arrival was dubbed “Messi Mania”; his Inter Miami No. 10 jersey became the best-selling shirt in the league—and nearly worldwide.

After scoring nine goals in his first six matches for Miami, Messi led the club to its first-ever trophy by winning the Leagues Cup against Nashville SC. He made his MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls. Miami missed the playoffs, finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference and going winless in their final seven matches. On October 30, 2023, after winning the World Cup with Argentina and the Ligue 1 title with PSG, Messi was awarded a record-extending eighth Ballon d'Or. He was also named TIME Athlete of the Year, becoming the first footballer to win the honor.

In the 2024 season, Messi broke the MLS record for most assists in a single game with five and tied the record for most goal contributions in a match with six in a 6–2 win over the New York Red Bulls. On October 2, during a 3–2 win against Columbus Crew, Messi scored twice, earning his 46th career trophy. On October 19, in the regular season finale against the New England Revolution, he scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 6–2 win. The victory helped Inter Miami reach 74 points over the season, setting an MLS league record. Messi finished the regular season with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches, becoming Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer.

Miami qualified for the postseason for the first time in the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs but were eliminated in the first round after losing two games to Atlanta United FC. Messi scored his first postseason goal in the third match, which ended in a 3–2 defeat. At the end of the regular season, he was named MLS Most Valuable Player.

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