Lionel Andres Messi

Lionel Andrés Messi was born on 24 June in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentine, the third of four children of Jorge Messi, a steel factory manager, and his wife Celia Cuccittini, who worked in a magnet manufacturing workshop. Growing up in a football-loving family, "Leo" developed a passion for the sport from an early age, playing football with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and his cousins, Maximiliano and Emanuel, both of whom became professional footballers.