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Lionel Messi Facts & Worksheets

Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini, widely known as Lionel "Leo" Messi, is an Argentine professional athlete in the sport of football.

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Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini, widely known as Lionel “Leo” Messi, is an Argentine professional athlete in the sport of football. Aside from playing as a forward, Messi is also the captain of the Spanish Club Barcelona and the Argentina national team.

See the fact file below for more information on the Lionel Messi or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Lionel Messi worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina.
  • Messi was already physically active at a young age.
  • As a child, he usually played soccer with his two brothers and their friends.
  • He was recruited to join the youth system of Newell’s Old Boys in Rosario when he was only 8 years old.
  • Messi was smaller compared to other kids of his age. This was due to a hormone deficiency that stunted his growth.
  • In order to solve his condition, Messi’s parents, Jorge and Cecilia, decided to give him hormone injections every night.
  • However, medication became a financial struggle for his family.
  • When Messi turned 13, he was offered an opportunity to do soccer training in FC Barcelona’s youth academy in La Masia.
  • The team covered Messi’s medical bills while he was training.
  • His family followed him and moved to Spain.

MESSI’S FOOTBALL CAREER

  • Messi’s first team where he plays was FC Barcelona – the team he signed him at the age of 13.
  • Messi also plays for the Argentina National Team.
  • On May 1, 2005, Messi’s first appearance in FC Barcelona immediately made him popular.
  • At the age of 16, he was the youngest player to ever score a goal for the franchise.
  • In the same year (2005), Messi led Argentina to the title in the under-20 World Cup, where he scored two penalty kicks to win against the team from Nigeria.
  • It was 2009 when Messi became a successful soccer star.
  • It was the year when his team won the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Cup titles.
  • It was also in 2009 when Messi received his first FIFA “World Player of the Year” honor or Ballon d’Or award.
  • Lionel Messi, being the soccer wizard that he already was, did not stop improving as he discovered new strategies to distract opponents.
  • In the following years of 2010 and 2011, Messi successfully led Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships.
  • He also led his team to win the Champions League title in 2011.
  • Messi’s expertise in the field of football allowed him to be deemed as legendary.
  • It was in early March of 2012, when he set a record for being the first player who scored five goals in a Champions League.
  • In the following weeks of March, Lionel Messi had already surpassed the record of Cesar Rodriguez, who scored 232 goals, to be known as Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer.
  • As 2012 ended, Messi had recorded an outstanding 91 goals.
  • His record surpassed another that was set by Gerd Muller in 1972, who only accumulated 85 goals in a single year
  • Messi once again broke another record when he received his fourth Ballon d’Or honor in January 2013.
  • However, Messi rested in 2013 due to the pain from a hamstring injury.
  • Messi’s proved his recovery time was worthwhile the following year (2014) as he become the all-time leading scorer in La Liga and Champions League.
  • In 2015, he again received—now his fifth—Ballon d’Or honor.

ARGENTINA NATIONAL TEAM

  • Although Messi was known for leading FC Barcelona to success, he was criticized for his inability to help Argentina’s National team to win a major title.
  • In the finals of the 2014 World Cup, Messi led Argentina to the title of “La Albiceleste.”
  • However, his team failed to win against the team from Germany.
  • Lionel Messi announced that he would end his run as a captain for Argentina’s National Team in 2016, right after it lost against Chile in the final of the Copa America tournament.
  • However, he did not quit. But the major title in the World Cup 2018 remained elusive for his team.
  • Lionel Messi faced a three-game ban by the South American Football Confederation in 2019, after he heavily criticized the referees in the wake of a 2-0 loss to Brazil in the Copa America semifinals.

LIONEL MESSI’S STATS

  • Messi has a total of 687 game appearances.
  • His goals accumulate to a total of 603.
  • Messi has a record 251 assists.
  • He has a 48 percent shot accuracy.

WIFE AND SONS

  • On June 30, 2017, Messi married Antonella Roccuzzo, his longtime girlfriend and the cousin of his best friend and fellow soccer player Lucas Scaglia.
  • They have two sons together: Thiago, born in November 2012 , and Mateo, born in September 2015.

Lionel Messi Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Lionel Messi across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Lionel Messi worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccitini, widely known as Lionel “Leo” Messi, who is an Argentine professional athlete in the sport of football. Aside from playing as a forward, Messi is also the captain of the Spanish Club Barcelona and the Argentina national team.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Lionel Messi Facts
  • The Life of Lionel
  • Football Career
  • Achievement Wall
  • Football Rules
  • Messi-Inspired Jersey
  • Football Legends
  • Argentina Pride
  • Quoting Lionel
  • Lionel Acrostics
  • Sports News Today

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Link will appear as Lionel Messi Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 17, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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