Luis Lionel Andres Messi shares his birthplace Rosario with the Argentinian revolutionary Ernesto 'Che' Guevera. (Photos | AP, SFI Kerala)
Leo's international debut in 2005 lasted 47 seconds when he received a red card after coming on as a substitute against Hungary. (Photo | AP)
After England's Vivian Woodward, Leo Messi is the only player to have scored 25 goals in a calendar year during international competition with both his club and country. (Photo | AP)
He captained the Argentinian football team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. (Photo | AP)
Lionel Messi was the first Argentinian ever to be named FIFA World Player of the Year. (Photo | AP)
Messi holds two passports - Argentine and Spainish. He became a Spanish citizen in September 2005. Spain had even offered him a place in their national team, an offer that he declined with love. (Photo | AP)
Messi ranked second behind Neymar in SportsPro magazine's 2013 list of the world's most marketable athletes. (Photo | AP)
The typical 'Lionel Messi goal celebration' is a calm and composed style - simply raising both hands in the air. The gesture is to remember his dear grandmother who passed away when he was 10. (Photo | AFP)
The Argentina skipper's incredible speed and agility earned him the nickname 'The Flea.' He is the ninth fastest footballer of modern era. (Photo | AP)
Messi is the sixth youngest soccer player to score a goal in a World Cup games. (Photo | AP)
Standing at a height of 1.69 meters (5’6 feet), Messi could be the shortest forward in the world. (Photo | AP)
Leo is fond of aerated drinks. His craze for Coke was such that all soda meachines in La Masia had to be removed, to keep the young lad away from it. (Photo | AP)
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