Messi pointing toward the sky with both hands after scoring a goal is a tribute to his Grandmother Celia, who he credits with sparking his interest in football and supporting him.
His idol was fellow Argentina and former Valencia and Real Zaragoza playmaker Pablo Aimar.
Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina in 2006 at the age of 18 years, thus becoming the youngest ever Argentina player to play in the competition.
The Argentina player has won 35 major trophies with FC Barcelona, making him the most successful player in the club's history.
He became the first and only player in history to date to win the Golden Ball award twice.
Messi became Argentina’s all-time highest goalscorer in World Cup with 13 goals to his name.
The player has won the most Ballon d'Or awards, with a record seven accolades.
Messi is the all-time highest goalscorer in La Liga history, scoring 474 goals in the Spanish top flight.
He refused Arsene Wenger offer of signing him Barcelona's La Masia academy and stayed with Barcelona.
Messi could have won the World Cup in 2010 if he had accepted the offer to join Spain's National Football Team.