Clubs: FC Barcelona

UEFA honours
UEFA Champions League: winner 2006, 2009, 2011
UEFA Champions League: leading scorer 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11
UEFA Super Cup: winner 2009, 2011
UEFA Best Player in Europe: 2011
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2009
UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2009
UEFA.com users' Team of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

• Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi's special talent was discovered at an early age by Barcelona, who took him to Spain and arranged specialised treatment for his growth hormone deficiency.

• Claimed a Liga/UEFA Champions League double in 2005/06 but did not become a regular starter until the following season, when he soared to prominence with, among other exploits, a memorable hat-trick in El Clásico against Real Madrid CF (3-3).

• Won the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2008 Olympic Games with Argentina and in between times became his country's youngest representative at the FIFA World Cup, in 2006.

• Enjoyed a remarkable 2008/09 season, winning every competition Barcelona entered and registering 38 goals, including a top-scoring nine in the UEFA Champions League, where he doubled the Azulgrana's lead in the final against Manchester United FC with a rare header.

• Ended 2009 with an extra-time winner in the FIFA Club World Cup final and a clean sweep of the game's major individual honours − the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or.

• Became the youngest Barça player to reach 100 goals when he scored against Sevilla FC in the Liga on 16 January 2010; ended the season with another league title and 47 goals in all competitions, a tally that included a four-goal haul against Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

• Finished as the UEFA Champions League's leading scorer for the third season running in 2010/11, scoring his 12th goal in the Wembley final against United and 53 in total in another prolific campaign.

• Won the inaugural UEFA Best Player in Europe Award at a ceremony in Monaco, a day before he opened the scoring in the 2011 UEFA Super Cup as Barcelona defeated FC Porto 2-0, and in January 2012 was awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the third year in succession.