Lionel Messi: Fact file of the ex-Argentine skipper

<p>Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi announced his retirement from the national team after a fourth final loss in his career. In the latest loss, he missed a penalty against Chile in the Copa America finals, Argentina’s second successive loss to the Chileans.</p> <p>“It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over,” Messi told reporters after the game. He was also on the losing side at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, losing out to eventual winners Germany.</p> <p>‘‘When the pressure rises, Messi is first to answer the call,’‘ the now ex-Argentine international tweeted on June 18, the following day in a <span class="caps">GIF</span> he said Argentina was two matches away from glory and he would settle for nothing less.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When the pressure rises, Messi is first to answer the call. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi16?src=hash">#Messi16</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FirstNeverFollows?src=hash">#FirstNeverFollows</a> <a href="https://t.co/uORMmA76tz">pic.twitter.com/uORMmA76tz</a></p>— Team Messi (@TeamMessi) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamMessi/status/744273736619163648">June 18, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <p>Days later, he decided to quit international football, we present a fact file of Lionel Messi, arguably one of the greatest footballers of this era, with focus on his personal, national and glittering club career with Spanish giants Barcelona.</p> <p><strong>Personal information</strong> <ul> <li>Name: Lionel Andres Messi</li> <li>Nationality: Argentinian (holds Spanish citizenship)</li> <li>Date of birth: June 24, 1987 – age 29</li> <li>Place of birth: Rosario, Argentina</li> <li>Club: Barcelona (Spain/since 2000)</li> <li>International appearances: 112 International goals: 55</li> <li>International debut: August 17, 2005, Hungary 1 Argentina 2</li> </ul></p> <p><strong>Honours (Club)</strong> <ul> <li><span class="caps">UEFA</span> Champions League (4): 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15</li> <li>Club World Cup (3): 2009, 2011, 2015</li> <li>Spanish Championships – La Liga (8): 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16</li> <li>Spanish Cup (3): 2008-09, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16</li> <li>Spanish Super Cups (6) 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013</li> <li>International World Cup: Finalist (2010), Quarter-finalist (2006, 2010), 15 matches, 5 goals</li> <li>Copa America: Finalist (2015, 2007, 2016), Quarter-finalist (2011), 16 matches, 3 goals</li> <li>Olympic gold medal (1): 2008</li> <li>Under-20 World Cup (1): 2005</li> </ul></p> <p><strong>Individual Honours:</strong> <ul> <li>Ballon D’Or (5): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015</li> <li>Top scorer in the Spanish league (3): 2009-2010 (34 goals), 2011-2012 (50 goals), 2012-13 (46 goals)</li> <li>Top scorer in the Champions League (5): 2008-2009 (9 goals), 2009-2010 (8 goals), 2010-2011 (12 goals), 2011-2012 (14 goals), 2014-15 (10 goals)</li> <li>World Cup Golden Ball (1): Brazil 2014</li> <li>Olympic player of the tournament (1): 2008</li> <li>Under-20 World Cup player of the tournament (1): 2005</li> <li>Top scorer at Under-20 World Cup (1): 2005 (6 goals)</li> </ul></p>

It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over.