Short answers, pulled from the story.
Messi has won eight Ballons d'Or, more than any other player in history. He won his first in 2009 and his record eighth on the 30th of October 2023, following his World Cup victory with Argentina and his Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi left Barcelona in August 2021 because the club announced it could not re-sign him due to financial difficulties and structural obstacles imposed by La Liga regulations. This came despite Messi agreeing to a 50% salary cut. He held a farewell press conference at Camp Nou on the 8th of August 2021.
Messi scored 91 goals in the calendar year 2012 across all competitions for Barcelona and Argentina, surpassing Gerd Müller's previous record. The milestone was reached with a double against Real Betis that also made him Barcelona's all-time top scorer in La Liga.
Messi led Argentina to World Cup victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country's first in 36 years. He scored twice in the final against France and won the Golden Ball, becoming the first player to win that award twice.
Messi set the record for the most assists in a single MLS game with five, led Inter Miami to a league-record 74-point regular season in 2024, became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 40 league goals in 2025, and was the first player to win the MLS MVP award in back-to-back years. Inter Miami won MLS Cup 2025 under his captaincy.
At age 10, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency. He began growth hormone therapy at 11, but his father's health insurance only covered two years of treatment, which cost at least 1,000 pesos per month. Barcelona ultimately financed the remainder of his therapy after signing him at age 13.