Lionel Messi is considering his future in football following the death of his father, Jorge Messi. The Argentina forward, currently signed with Inter Miami until 2028, shared an emotional tribute, expressing uncertainty about continuing his career.
Jorge Messi, who was also his son’s agent, passed away at the age of 68 on Saturday after an illness. Messi travelled to Argentina for the funeral, missing his club’s Leagues Cup match against Monterrey.
Reflecting on a distinguished career
Messi’s career includes a combined 921 goals for Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Inter Miami, and Argentina. His early talent was evident with his first career hat-trick in El Clasico against Real Madrid on 10 March 2007, where he scored all of Barcelona‘s goals in a 3-3 draw at the Camp Nou.
Just over a month later, on 18 April 2007, Messi scored a notable solo goal in a 5-2 Copa del Rey semi-final first leg win over Getafe. This goal involved him dribbling past several defenders from his own half before scoring.
His first Champions League final goal came in 2009, a header against Manchester United. He later scored in another final victory over Manchester United, securing his third of four Champions League winners’ medals.
Milestones and international success
Messi scored four goals for the first time in a Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal in 2010, contributing to a 4-1 home-leg win. He also scored five goals against Bayer Leverkusen in a 7-1 last-16 success two years later.
Messi broke Barcelona‘s goalscoring record on 20 March 2012, with a hat-trick in a 5-3 victory over Granada. He surpassed Cesar Rodriguez‘s 232-goal record and extended it to 672 goals by the time he left Barcelona in 2021.
In 2012, Messi achieved a record of 91 goals in a calendar year, scoring 79 for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina across 69 games. This achievement earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records and contributed to his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or.
On 22 November 2014, Messi became La Liga‘s all-time top scorer with a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Sevilla, surpassing Telmo Zarra‘s 251-goal mark.
His 500th Barcelona goal came in an El Clasico on 23 April 2017, an injury-time winner in a 3-2 victory at Real Madrid.
In August 2021, Messi left Barcelona after 21 years, 672 goals, and 35 trophies, due to the club’s financial constraints with La Liga‘s salary limit. He subsequently joined Paris St-Germain.
Messi won his first senior international trophy with Argentina on 11 July 2021, at the age of 34, as they defeated Brazil 1-0 in the Copa America final. He was named player of the tournament after scoring four goals and later won a second Copa America three years later.
The 2022 World Cup saw Argentina triumph over France on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the final. Messi scored two goals in the match and also converted his penalty in the shootout. He was named player of the tournament, having scored seven goals, including in each knockout round.
Messi has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, with his most recent coming in October 2023 after his World Cup victory and helping Inter Miami secure the Leagues Cup.
Source: bbc.com
As News-UK's Sports News Writer, Oscar Pennington reports on rugby union, golf and boxing for readers across the country. He built a reputation for sharp explainer pieces on regional sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Oscar lives in Nottingham, where he follows the pro golf tour and amateur boxing. “Context is what turns a result into a story.”
