In American football, a 4–3 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of four down linemen and three linebackers. It is probably the most commonly used defense in modern American football and especially in the National Football League. NFL teams that use the 4–3 defense as of 2011 include the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and the Miami Dolphins. The Broncos returned to the 4-3 with the hiring of John Fox as head coach. The Patriots returned to the 4-3 in the 2011 NFL Season but switched back to the 3-4 during the progress of the season.

The invention of the 4–3 is often attributed to legendary coach Tom Landry, in the 1950s, while serving as the Defensive Coordinator of the New York Giants, as a way to stop Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown.^[1] Others attribute the creation of the 4–3 to Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker, Bill George.^[2] It has also been said that the 4–3 defense was a creation of Garrard "Buster" Ramsey, the Defensive Coach of the Detroit Lions teams in the 1950s.

In the original version of the 4–3, the tackles lined up over the offensive guards and the ends lined up over the offensive tackles, with the middle linebacker over the center and the other linebackers outside the ends. In the mid-1960s Hank Stram developed a popular variation, the "Kansas City Stack", which shifted the strong side defensive end over the tight end, stacked the strongside linebacker over the tackle, and shifted the weakside tackle over center. At about the same time the Cleveland Browns frequently used a weakside shift. The Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry developed a "flex" variation, that moved standout lineman Randy White all over and set two of the linemen a half-step farther back from the offensive linemen. Now every team has its own variations.

Defensive Line[link]

Defensive Tackles

There are two defensive tackles in the 4–3 scheme. Some teams especially in the NFL do have a nose tackle in this scheme, but most of them do not. In a traditional 4–3 defensive set, there is no nose tackle. Instead there is a left and right defensive tackle. When teams don't have a nose tackle, the tackles lined up over the offensive guards. The nose tackle is generally slightly larger and stronger and plays a shade or head-up technique which means he lines up on either outside shoulder of the center or in the middle of his body depending on which way the strength of the play is going. The nose tackle's primary job is to stop the run and take on the double team (which is getting blocked by both the center and the weak-side or pulling guard) thus freeing up the linebackers to make a play. The second defensive tackle (simply referred to as the defensive tackle, under tackle or three tech) is generally a bit quicker and faster than the nose tackle, ideally weighing close to 300 pounds (140 kg) but quick-footed enough to shoot through a gap at the snap.^[3] He plays a three technique meaning he lines up on the outside shoulder of the strong side offensive guard. The job of a three tech is to: prevent the run, keep the guard off linebackers, and rush the quarterback on pass plays.

Defensive Ends

The defensive end's primary role in the 4–3 defense is to get to the quarterback and create pressure. The 4–3 DE's are the smallest of all of the defensive lineman due to their emphasis of speed over strength. They still need to be strong enough to fight their way past offensive tackles, yet quick enough to pursue the running backs on runs to the outside. Ideal 4–3 defensive ends are athletic and agile and their strength is getting up the field quickly and they usually weigh between 260 and 275 pounds (118 and 125 kg).^[4] Right ends, who line up against the offensive left tackle and attack the quarterback from the blind side, are usually the best athletes on the line, combining a 275-pound body with incredible quickness and agility to outflank blockers who are bigger and heavier.^[3] Defensive ends generally play the 1 gap technique, though will occasionally be forced to play a 2 gap in the event of a TE pinching in to block on run plays. In most schemes, they are also responsible for keeping the quarterback from rolling out of the pocket to make big running gains.

Linebackers[link]

Middle Linebacker

There is only one inside linebacker in the 4–3 scheme, so he is called the Middle linebacker (MLB), sometimes known as the “Mike” linebacker. He must be as smart as he is athletic, acts as the “quarterback of the defense” and is often the defensive leader.^[3] The primary responsibility of the “Mike” is to stop the run, though he will often be asked to fall back in zone coverage in pass protection; man to man pass coverage has him assigned to the fullback typically. The MLB is often the largest and strongest of all of the linebackers.

The 4–3 defense relies on having a sure tackler at the middle linebacker spot. Most notably, Tony Dungy's “Tampa Cover 2” scheme makes high demands on the MLB, requiring him to have above-average speed, and additional skills to be able to read the play and either maintain his central position to help the outside linebackers cover short passes, drop behind the linebackers in coverage and protect the zone of the field behind the outside linebackers from 11–20 yards out, or run up to the line of scrimmage to help assist in stopping the runs.^[5]

Outside Linebackers

As in the 3–4 defense there are two outside linebackers in the 4–3. These outside backers are known as the Strong-Side and Weak-Side Linebackers. The Strong-Side, or “Sam” linebacker, is so named because he typically sticks to the strong side of the defense, across from the TE. The “Sam” does his fair share of blitzing, however he also needs to play the run and will usually be relied upon to cover the tight end or potentially a back out of the backfield. The Weak-Side, or “Will” linebacker, will generally play on the weak side and has more freedom than the other LBs, often blitzing the QB or guarding against the screen.

Secondary[link]

The 4-3 defense generally uses four defensive backs. Two of these are safeties, and two of them are cornerbacks. A cornerback's responsibilities vary depending on the type of coverage called.

Coverage is simply how the defense will be protecting against the pass. The corners will generally line up 3 to 5 yards off the line of scrimmage, generally trying to "Jam" or interrupt the receivers route within the first 5 yards. A corner will be given one of two ways to defend the pass (with variations that result in more or less the same responsibilities): zone and man-to-man. In zone coverage, the cornerback is responsible for an area on the field. In this case, the corner must always stay downfield of whomever it is covering while still remaining in its zone. Zone is a more relaxed defensive scheme meant to provide more awareness across the defensive secondary while sacrificing tight coverage. As such, the corner in this case would be responsible for making sure nobody gets outside of him, always, or downfield of him, in cases where there is no deep safety help. In man coverage, however, the cornerback is solely responsible for the man across from him, usually the offensive player split farthest out.

The free safety is responsible for reading the offensive plays and covering deep passes. Depending on the defensive call, he may also provide run support. He is positioned 10 to 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage, toward the center of the field. He provides the last line of defense against running backs and receivers who get past the linebackers and cornerbacks. He must be a quick and smart player, capable of making tackles efficiently as well as reading the play and alerting his team of game situations. The strong safety is usually larger than the free safety and is positioned relatively close to the line of scrimmage. He is often an integral part of the run defense, but is also responsible for defending against a pass; especially against passes to the tight-ends.

References[link]

Lionel Messi

Messi playing for Barcelona
Personal information
Full name	Lionel Andrés Messi[1]
Date of birth	(1987-06-24) 24 June 1987 (age 25)[1]
Place of birth	Rosario, Argentina[1]
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Barcelona
Number	10
Youth career
1995–2000	Newell's Old Boys
2000–2003	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2004	Barcelona C	8	(5)
2004–2005	Barcelona B	22	(6)
2004–	Barcelona	214	(169)
National team‡
2005	Argentina U20	16	(11)
2008	Argentina U23	5	(2)
2005–	Argentina	68	(22)
Honours Competitor for  Argentina Men's Football Gold 2008 Beijing Team Competition
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:30, 13 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:30, 24 March 2012 (UTC)

Lionel Andrés Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi], born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer who plays in La Liga for FC Barcelona and is the captain of the Argentina national team, mainly as a forward.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year in 2009 he won both the Ballon d'Or^[2] and FIFA World Player of the Year, and won the inaugural FIFA Ballon d'Or in 2010 and 2011.^[3] He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Messi is the fourth football player to win three Ballons d'Or, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten and the second player to win three consecutive Ballons d'Or, after Michel Platini. His playing style and small stature have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi as his "successor".^[4][5]

Messi has won five La Liga titles and three Champions League titles. In 2012, Messi made UEFA Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match, in a 7–1 win against Bayer Leverkusen.^[6] With two goals in the next round against A.C. Milan, he matched José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single UEFA Champions League/European Cup season.^[7] He also became the first player to top-score in four successive European Champion Clubs' Cup campaigns.^[8][9] He set the world record for most goals scored in a season during the 2011–12 season, with 73 goals.^[10]

Messi was the top scorer of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship with six goals. In 2006, he became the youngest Argentine to play in the FIFA World Cup and he won a runners-up medal at the Copa América tournament the following year. In 2008, he won his first international honour, an Olympic gold medal, with the Argentina Olympic football team.

Early life[link]

Messi was born in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, to parents Jorge Horacio Messi, a factory steel worker, and Celia María Cuccittini, a part-time cleaner.^{[11][12][13][14]} His paternal family originates from the Italian city of Ancona, from which his ancestor, Angelo Messi, emigrated to Argentina in 1883.^[15][16] He has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matías, and a sister, María Sol.^[17] At the age of five, Messi started playing football for Grandoli, a local club coached by his father Jorge.^[18] In 1995, Messi switched to Newell's Old Boys who were based in his home city Rosario.^[18] At the age of 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency.^[19] Local powerhouse River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for treatment for his condition, which cost $900 a month.^[14] Carles Rexach, the sporting director of FC Barcelona, had been made aware of his talent as Messi had relatives in Lleida, Catalonia, and Messi and his father were able to arrange a trial with the team.^[14] Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered Messi a contract written on a paper napkin.^[20][21] Barcelona offered to pay for Messi's medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. Messi and his father moved to Barcelona where Messi enrolled in the club's youth academy.^[18][21]

Club career[link]

Barcelona[link]

Messi played in Barcelona's junior Infantil B and Cadete B & A teams from 2000 to 2003 (scoring 37 goals in 30 matches in Cadete A). Season 2003–04 saw him on a record^[22] five different teams: He started one match in Juvenil B (one goal) and got promoted to Juvenil A (14 matches, 21 goals). Later he debuted for FC Barcelona C team (Tercera División) on 29 November 2003 and for FC Barcelona B (Segunda División B) on 6 March 2004. He played for both teams during the season (eight matches, five goals and five games, zero goals, respectively).^[23][24][25] Even before these two debuts, Messi made his official debut for the first-team on 16 November 2003 aged 16 years and 145 days, in a friendly match against Porto.^[26][27]

Less than a year after his start, Frank Rijkaard gave him his league debut against RCD Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days), becoming the third-youngest player ever to play for Barcelona and youngest club player who played in La Liga, which would be broken by Bojan Krkić in September 2007. When he scored his first senior goal for the club against Albacete Balompié on 1 May 2005, Messi was 17 years, ten months and seven days old, becoming the youngest to ever score in a La Liga game for Barcelona^[28] until it was again broken by Bojan Krkić in 2007, scoring from a Messi assist.^[29] Messi said about his ex-coach Rijkaard: "I'll never forget the fact that he launched my career, that he had confidence in me while I was only sixteen or seventeen."^[30] During the season, Messi played also in Barcelona B (Segunda División B) scoring 6 goals in 17 matches.

2005–06 season[link]

On 16 September, for the second time in three months, Barcelona announced an update to Messi's contract; this time it was improved to pay him as a first team member and extended until June 2014.^[18] Messi obtained Spanish citizenship on 26 September 2005^[31] and was finally able to make his debut in the season's Spanish First Division. Messi's first home outing in the Champions League came on 27 September against Italian club Udinese.^[26] Fans at Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, gave Messi a standing ovation upon his substitution, as his composure on the ball and passing combinations with Ronaldinho had paid dividends for Barcelona.^[32]

Messi netted six goals in 17 league appearances, and scored one Champions League goal in six. His season ended prematurely on 7 March 2006, however, when he suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh during the second leg of the second round Champions League tie against Chelsea.^[33] Rijkaard's Barcelona ended the season as champions of Spain and Europe.^[34][35]

2006–07 season[link]

Messi in a match against Rangers in 2007

In the 2006–07 season, Messi established himself as a regular first team player, scoring 14 times in 26 matches.^[36] On 12 November, in the game against Real Zaragoza, Messi suffered a broken metatarsal, ruling him out for three months.^[37][38] On 11 March, El Clásico saw Messi in top form, scoring a hat-trick to earn 10-man Barcelona a 3–3 draw, equalising three times, with the final equaliser coming in injury time.^[39] In doing so he became the first player since Iván Zamorano (for Real Madrid in the 1994–95 season) to score a hat-trick in El Clásico.^[40] Messi is also the youngest player ever to have scored in this fixture. Towards the end of the season he began finding the net more often; 11 of his 14 league goals for the season came from the last 13 games.^[41]

Messi shortly before scoring a goal against Getafe

Messi also proved the "new Maradona" tag was not all hype, by nearly replicating Maradona's most famous goals in the space of the single season.^[42] On 18 April 2007, he scored two goals during a Copa del Rey semi-final against Getafe CF, one of which was very similar to Maradona's famous goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, known as the Goal of the Century.^[43] The world's sports press drew comparisons with Maradona, and the Spanish press labelled Messi as "Messidona".^[44] He ran about the same distance, 62 metres (203 ft), beat the same number of players (six, including the goalkeeper), scored from a very similar position, and ran towards the corner flag just as Maradona did in Mexico 21 years before.^[42] In a press conference after the game, Messi's team-mate Deco said: "It was the best goal I have ever seen in my life."^[45] Against RCD Espanyol Messi also scored a goal which was remarkably similar to Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal against England in the World Cup quarter-finals. Messi launched himself at the ball and connected with his hand to guide the ball past the goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.^[46] Despite protests by Espanyol players and replays showing it was clear handball, the goal stood.^[46]

2007–08 season[link]

Messi takes Barcelona to 2–0 against Sevilla at Camp Nou on 22 September 2007

On 27 February, Messi played in his 100th official match for Barcelona against Valencia.^[47]

Messi was nominated for a FIFPro World XI Player Award under the category of Forward.^[48] A poll conducted in the online edition of the Spanish newspaper Marca had him as the best player in the world with 77 percent of the vote.^[49] Columnists from Barcelona-based newspapers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport stated that the Ballon d'Or should be given to Messi, a view supported by Franz Beckenbauer.^[50] Football personalities such as Francesco Totti have declared that they consider Messi to be one of the current best footballers in the world.^[51]

Messi was sidelined for six weeks following an injury on 4 March when he suffered a muscle tear in his left thigh during a Champions League match against Celtic. It was the fourth time in three seasons that Messi suffered this type of injury.^[52] When the season was over Messi managed to score 16 goals and assisted 13 times in all competition.

2008–09 season[link]

Upon Ronaldinho's departure from the club, Messi inherited his number 10 jersey.^[53] During this season he placed second in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year awards with 678 points.

Michael Carrick defending a shot from Messi in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final

Messi scored his first hat-trick of 2009 in a Copa del Rey tie against Atlético Madrid which Barcelona won 3–1.^[54] Messi scored another important double on 1 February 2009, coming on as a second half substitute to help Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 1–2 after being 1–0 down. The second of the two strikes was Barcelona's 5000th league goal.^[55] On 8 April 2009, he scored twice against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, setting a personal record of eight goals in the competition.^[56]

As Barcelona's season was drawing to a close, Messi scored twice (his 35th and 36th goals in all competitions) to cap a 6–2 win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu^[57] in what was Real's heaviest defeat since 1930.^[58] He won his first Copa del Rey on 13 May, scoring one goal and assisting another two, in a 4–1 victory over Athletic Bilbao.^[59] He helped his team win the double by winning La Liga. On 27 May he helped Barcelona win the Champions League by scoring a second goal in the 70th minute giving Barcelona a two goal lead; he also became the top scorer in the Champions League, the youngest in the tournament's history, with nine goals.^[60] Messi also won the UEFA Club Forward of the Year: and the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year rounding off a spectacular year in Europe.^[61] This victory meant Barcelona had won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League in the one season,^[62] and was the first time a Spanish club had ever won the treble.^[63]

2009–10 season[link]

After winning the 2009 UEFA Super Cup, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola asserted that Messi was probably the best player he had ever seen.^[65] On 18 September, Messi signed a new contract with Barcelona, running until 2016 and with a buy-out clause of €250 million included, making Messi, along with Zlatan Ibrahimović, the highest paid players in La Liga, with earnings of around €9.5 million yearly.^[66][67]

Messi was named winner of the 2009 Ballon d'Or on 1 December 2009, beating runner-up Cristiano Ronaldo by largest ever margin of 473 to 233.^[68][69][70]

Messi at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup

On 19 December, Messi scored the winner in the final of the 2009 Club World Cup against Estudiantes in Abu Dhabi, giving the club their sixth title of the year.^[71] Two days later, he was given the FIFA World Player of the Year award,^[72] beating Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Kaká and Andrés Iniesta to the award. This was the first time he had won the award, and he became the first Argentinian to ever receive this honour.^[73] On 10 January 2010, Messi scored his first hat-trick in 2010 and his first hat-trick of the season against CD Tenerife in the 0–5 victory,^[74] and on 17 January he scored his 100th goal for the club in the 4–0 victory over Sevilla.^[75]

Messi scored a hat-trick against Valencia CF in a 3–0 home win,^[76] and finally he scored another hat-trick against Zaragoza in a 4–2 away win,^[77] becoming the first Barcelona player to score back-to-back hat-tricks in La Liga.^[78] He played his 200th official match for Barcelona against Osasuna on 24 March 2010.^[79]

On 6 April 2010, for the first time in Messi's career he scored four goals in a single match, netting the lot in a 4–1 home win over Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final second leg.^[82][83] This also saw him overtake Rivaldo as Barcelona's all time greatest scorer in the competition.^[84] In the final league match of the season against Valladolid, he scored two goals in the second half to tie Ronaldo's club record of 34 goals in a single league season, set in 1996–97,^[85][86] and to finish four goals behind the all-time record held by Telmo Zarra.^[87] He was named La Liga player of the year for the second year in a row on 3 June 2010.^[88]

2010–11 season[link]

On 21 August 2010, Messi scored a hat-trick in his first start of the season in a 4–0 victory over Sevilla FC in the Supercopa de España, helping Barcelona secure their first trophy of the season after a 1–3 first leg loss.^[89]

On 19 September 2010, Messi suffered an ankle injury due to an ill-advised tackle by Atlético Madrid defender Tomáš Ujfaluši in the 92nd minute of their Round 3 match at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. At first sight it was feared that Messi suffered a broken ankle that could have kept the star player away from the pitch for a minimum of six months, but MRI performed the next day in Barcelona showed he suffered a sprain in the internal and external ligaments of his right ankle.^[90] Team-mate David Villa stated "the tackle on Messi was brutal" after watching the video of the play and also added that he believed the Atlético defender "didn't go into the tackle to hurt".^[91] The incident caused widespread media attention and brought up the debate of equality in protecting all players in the game.

Against Almería Messi scored his second hat-trick of the season in an impressive 8–0 away win, the second of which was his 100th La Liga goal.^[92]

Messi playing against Real Madrid in a Champions League match

Messi won the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, beating his Barcelona teammates Xavi and Iniesta.^[93] Messi had been nominated for the awards for the fourth consecutive year.^[94] On 5 February, Barcelona broke the record for most consecutive league wins with 16 victories after they defeated Atlético Madrid 3–0 at the Camp Nou.^[95] Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick to ensure the victory for his side and after the match he stated, "it's an honor to be able to pass a record set by a great like Di Stéfano" and "if the record has been around for so long is because it's very complicated to achieve and we have reached it by defeating a very difficult team who's going through a bad situation, which makes it even more difficult."^[96]

After failing to score for a month he scored a brace against UD Almería; the second goal was his 47th of the season, equalling his club record return of the previous season.^[97] He surpassed his record on 12 April 2011 by scoring the winner against Shakhtar Donetsk in a UEFA Champions League game, which put him in the record book as all time top scorer in a single season for Barcelona.^[98] He scored his eighth goal on El Clásico on a 1–1 tie at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. On 23 April, Messi scored his 50th goal of the season against CA Osasuna in a 2–0 home victory which he came on as a substitute in the 60th minute.^[99] He finished the season by winning La Liga and scoring 31 goals.

On 20 April, Barcelona were defeated by arch-rivals Real Madrid in the 2011 Copa del Rey Final. Messi set up a goal for Pedro, which was however ruled offside. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the match in extra time. Messi was however the joint top-scorer of the tournament along with Cristiano Ronaldo, with 7 goals.^{[100] [101][101]}

In the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, he gave a memorable performance, scoring twice against Real Madrid in a 2–0 win, the second goal (a dribble past several players) being acclaimed as one of the best ever at that stage of the competition.^[102][103] At the Champions League Final at Wembley, Messi scored the eventual game-clinching goal to give Barcelona their third title in six years and fourth overall.^[104] This was also Messi's 12th goal in the Champions League that season, which allowed him to tie Ruud Van Nistelrooy's record of 12 goals in a single European Cup season, after it was re-established as the UEFA Champions League, in 1992.^[101] The overall record of goals scored in a single European Cup Season, is José Altafini's record of 14 goals, which Messi did however equal in the following season.^[101] Messi finished the 2010-11 season with 53 goals in all competitions.

2011–12 season[link]

Messi started the season by lifting the Spanish Supercup with Barcelona, scoring three goals and providing two assists in a 5–4 aggregate win against Real Madrid.^[105] His vital interventions continued in the next official match played against Porto when he scored again following a weak back pass from Fredy Guarín before setting up Cesc Fàbregas to give Barcelona a 2–0 victory and the UEFA Super Cup,^[106] then the only official competition that remained for him to score in.^[107]

After scoring his first goal of an eventual hat-trick in an 8–0 rout against Osasuna, Messi produced a special celebration for Soufian, a 10-year-old Moroccan boy with Laurin Sandrow syndrome, a rare medical condition that can eventually lead to the loss of the lower extremities. Whilst Messi usually points to the sky after scoring a goal, Messi slapped his thighs as a dedication to Soufian.^[108]

In August, Messi became the second highest goalscorer surpassing László Kubala on 194 goals, being behind only to César Rodríguez on 232 goals in all official competitions.^[109]

On 28 September, Messi scored his first two Champions League goals of the season against BATE Borisov,^[110] becoming Barcelona's second highest goalscorer in its history, tying László Kubala, at 194 goals in all official competitions.^[111] He surpassed that record when he scored two goals against Racing Santander.^[112] He became second in Barcelona's La Liga goalscorers list with 132 goals, one more than Kubala.^[113] He scored his 200th Barcelona goal and two more as part of a hat-trick in his next game against Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League.^[114]

Messi scored a brace in the Club World Cup Final against Santos and was recognized as the man of the match and also awarded the Golden Ball for his performance during the tournament.^[115]

Messi won the 2011 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, beating his Barcelona team-mate Xavi Hernández and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi won the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, again beating his team-mate Xavi and Cristiano Ronaldo. By winning the FIFA Ballon d'Or again, Messi become the fourth player to win three Ballon d'Ors, after Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco Van Basten and the second player to win three consecutive Ballon d'Ors, after Michel Platini (although two of his Ballon d'Ors are FIFA Ballon d'Ors, which he won consecutively).

On 19 February 2012, Messi, on his 200th La Liga appearance, scored four goals against Valencia in a 5–1 win.^[116] On 7 March, Messi became the first player to score five goals in an UEFA Champions League match since the tournament's re-establishment in 1992, helping the defending champions Barcelona win 7–1 against Bayer Leverkusen.^[117]

On 20 March, Messi scored three goals against Granada, making him FC Barcelona's leading goalscorer in official competitions, surpassing club legend César Rodríguez, who had previously held the record with 232.^[118]

On 3 April, Messi scored two goals from penalty kicks against Milan in the second leg of the Champions League Quarter-final, allowing him to surpass his personal record, joint with Ruud van Nistelrooy, of 12 goals in a single UEFA Champions League season. These goals allowed him to tie José Altafini's record of 14 goals in a single European Cup season in the 1962–63 season, before the tournament's re-establishment as the UEFA Champions League in 1992.^[101] Barcelona were knocked out in the semi-finals to eventual winners Chelsea.

On 11 April, Messi scored his 61th goal against Getafe, surpassing Isidro Langara's record of 60 goals in 1933–34, and became the best goalscorer in history in one season in Spain.^{[citation needed]}

On 2 May, Messi scored a hat-trick against Málaga surpassing Gerd Müller's record (67 goals in 1972-73) with 68 goals, and thus becoming the best goalscorer in history in one season in Europe.^[119] It was the 21st multi-goal game of the season for Messi and his seventh La Liga hat-trick.^[120] He then scored four goals on 5 May against Espanyol to take his tally to an unprecedented 72 goals, in the process becoming only the second player to pass 70 goals in a first division season since Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1924–25.^[121]

On 25 May, he scored again in the 2012 Copa del Rey Final, helping Barcelona win their 26th Spanish Cup title, and increasing his seasonal goalscoring record to an unmatched 73 goals in all competitions.^{[122] [123]} This was also Guardiola's last match as Barcelona's manager, and the Cup win marked Messi's second Copa del Rey title, after losing the final the year before, as well as his 14th Barcelona trophy during Guardiola's 4 seasons at the club. Although Barcelona failed to win their 4th consecutive Liga title under Guardiola, finishing runners up to arch-rivals Real Madrid, Messi finished the 2011–12 season as the top goalscorer in La Liga for a second time, with a Liga record of 50 goals. He also ended the season as the UEFA Champions' League Top Scorer for a fourth consecutive time, with 14 goals.^[124]

International career[link]

Often referred to as an Argentinian-Spanish player, this crossover was brought into sharp focus when in 2004, Lionel was offered the chance to play for the Spanish national U-20 team. He declined the offer given his Argentinian heritage, and was given the opportunity to play for Argentina's U-20 team in a friendly match against Paraguay in June 2004.^[125] In 2005 he was part of a team that finished 3rd in 2005 South American Youth Championship in Colombia. He won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands with the team and won the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe,^[126] scoring in the last four of Argentina's matches and netting a total of six for the tournament.

He made his full international debut on 17 August 2005 against Hungary at the age of 18. He was substituted on during the 63rd minute, but was sent off on the 65th minute because the referee, Markus Merk, claimed that Messi had allegedly elbowed defender Vilmos Vanczák, who was tugging Messi's shirt. The decision was contentious and Maradona even claimed the decision was pre-meditated. Messi was later reportedly found weeping in the changing rooms after the decision.^[127][128] Messi returned to the team on 3 September in Argentina's 1–0 World Cup qualifier away defeat to Paraguay. Ahead of the match he had said "This is a re-debut. The first one was a bit short."^[129] He then started his first game for Argentina against Peru, in which he was able to win a crucial penalty for Argentina; after the match Pekerman described Messi as "a jewel".^[130]

On 28 March 2009, in a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela, Messi wore the number 10 jersey for the first time with Argentina. This match was the first official match for Diego Maradona as the Argentina manager. Argentina won the match 4–0 with Messi opening the scoring.^[131]

On 17 November 2010, Messi scored a last-minute goal against South American rivals Brazil after an individual effort to help his team to a 1–0 win in the friendly match, which was held in Doha. This was the first time that he had scored against Brazil at senior level.^[132] Messi scored another last-minute goal on 9 February 2011 against Portugal in a penalty kick which gave his side a 2–1 victory in the friendly match, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland.^[133] His first hat-trick for Albiceleste came against Switzerland, on 29 February 2012 which the game ended 3–1 for Argentina.^[134]

2006 World Cup[link]

The injury that kept Messi from playing for two months at the end of the 2005–06 season jeopardised his presence in the 2006 World Cup. Nevertheless, Messi was selected in the Argentina squad for the tournament on 15 May 2006. He also played in the final match before the World Cup against the Argentine U-20 team for 15 minutes and a friendly match against Angola from the 64th minute.^[135][136] He witnessed Argentina's opening match victory against Ivory Coast from the substitute's bench.^[137] In the next match against Serbia and Montenegro, Messi became the youngest player to represent Argentina at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Maxi Rodríguez in the 74th minute. He assisted Hernán Crespo's goal within minutes of entering the game and also scored the final goal in the 6–0 victory, making him the youngest scorer in the tournament and the sixth youngest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup.^[138] Messi started in Argentina's following 0–0 draw against the Netherlands.^[139] In the following game against Mexico, Messi came on as a substitute in the 84th minute, with the score tied at 1–1. He appeared to score a goal, but it was ruled offside with Argentina needing a late goal in extra time to proceed.^[140][141] Coach José Pekerman left Messi on the bench during the quarter-final match against Germany, which they lost 4–2 on a penalty shootout.^[142]

2007 Copa América[link]

Messi at the 2007 Copa América

Messi played his first game in the 2007 Copa América on 29 June 2007, when Argentina defeated United States 4–1 in the first game. In this game, he showed his capabilities as a playmaker. He set up a goal for fellow striker Hernán Crespo and had numerous shots on target. Tevez came on as a substitute for Messi in the 79th minute and scored minutes later.^[143]

His second game was against Colombia, in which he won a penalty that Crespo converted to tie the game at 1–1. He also played a part in Argentina's second goal as he was fouled outside the box, which allowed Juan Roman Riquelme to score from a freekick, and increase Argentina's lead to 3–1. The final score of the game was 4–2 in Argentina's favor and guaranteed them a spot in the tournament's quarterfinals.^[144]

In the third game, against Paraguay the coach rested Messi having already qualified for the quarter-finals. He came off the bench in place of Esteban Cambiasso in the 64th minute, with the score at 0–0. In the 79th minute, he assisted a goal for Javier Mascherano.^[145] In the quarter-finals, as Argentina faced Peru, Messi scored the second goal of the game, from a Riquelme pass in a 4–0 win.^[146] During the semi-final match against Mexico, Messi scored a lob over Oswaldo Sánchez to see Argentina through to the final with a 3–0 win.^[147] Argentina went on to lose 3–0 to Brazil in the final.^[148]

2008 Summer Olympics[link]

Messi in the semi-final against Brazil at the 2008 Olympics

Having barred Messi from playing for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics,^[149] Barcelona agreed to release him after he held talks with newly appointed coach Josep Guardiola.^[150] He joined the Argentina squad and scored the first goal in a 2–1 victory over Ivory Coast.^[150] He then scored the opening goal and assisted Ángel di María in the second to help his side to a 2–1 extra-time win against the Netherlands.^[151] He also featured in Argentina's match against rivals Brazil, in which Argentina took a 3–0 victory, thus advancing to the final. In the gold medal match, Messi again assisted Di María for the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Nigeria.^[152]

2010 World Cup[link]

Messi played the entire game on Argentina's opening match in the 2010 World Cup, the 1–0 victory against Nigeria. He had several opportunities to score but was repeatedly denied by Vincent Enyeama.^[153] Messi started in Argentina's following 4–1 win against Korea Republic; he participated in all of the goals of his team and helped Gonzalo Higuaín score a hat-trick.^[154] On the third and last group stage match Messi captained during Argentina's 2–0 win over Greece, again being the centrepoint of Argentina's play and was voted man of the match.^[155]

Messi playing against Bolivia at the 2011 Copa América

At the Round of 16 he assisted Carlos Tévez for the first goal in a 3–1 win against Mexico. The World Cup ended for Argentina with a 4–0 loss against Germany in the quarter-finals.^[156]

Messi was nominated in ten player shortlist for Golden Ball award by FIFA Technical Study Group. The group identified Messi with words: "Outstanding in his pace and creativity for his team, dribbling, shooting, passing – spectacular and efficient".^[157]

2011 Copa América[link]

Messi took part in the Copa América in Argentina, where he failed to score a goal but notched three assists. He was selected man-of-the-match in matches against Bolivia (1–1) and Costa Rica (3–0). Argentina were eliminated in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out against Uruguay (1–1 a.e.t.), with Messi scoring as the first penalty taker.

Outside football[link]

Personal life[link]

Messi was at one stage romantically linked to Macarena Lemos, also from his hometown of Rosario. He is said to have been introduced to her by the girl's father when he returned to Rosario to recover from his injury a few days before the start of the 2006 World Cup.^[158][159] He has in the past also been linked to the Argentine glamour model Luciana Salazar.^[160][161] In January 2009 he told "Hat Trick Barça", a programme on Canal 33: "I have a girlfriend and she is living in Argentina. I am relaxed and happy".^[161] He was seen with the girl, Antonella Roccuzzo,^[162] at a carnival in Sitges after the Barcelona-Espanyol derby. Roccuzzo is a fellow native of Rosario.^[163]

Messi has two cousins also involved in football: Maxi, a winger for Club Olimpia of Paraguay, and Emanuel Biancucchi, who plays as a midfielder for Spain's Girona FC.^[164][165]

Charity[link]

In 2007, Messi established the Leo Messi Foundation, a charity supporting access to education and health care for vulnerable children.^[166][167] In response to Messi’s own childhood medical difficulties, the Leo Messi Foundation has offered Argentine children diagnosed with illnesses treatment in Spain and funds covering the transport, hospital and recuperation costs.^[168] Messi’s foundation is supported by his own fundraising activity with additional assistance from Herbalife.

On 11 March 2010 Messi was announced as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF.^[169] Messi’s UNICEF ambassador activities are aimed at supporting children’s rights. Messi is supported in this by Barcelona, who also have a strong association with UNICEF.^[170]

Wealth[link]

In March 2010, France Football ranked him at the top of its list of the world's richest footballers, ahead of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, with £29.6 million (€33 million) in combined income from salaries, bonuses and off-field earnings.^[171][172] His net wealth is estimated at $110 millon.^[173]

Media[link]

An example of Messi's popularity and influence. Photographed in India

Messi was featured on the front covers of the video games Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 and is also involved in promotional campaigns for the games.^[174][175] Messi, along with Fernando Torres,^[176] is the face of Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, and was also involved in the motion capturing and the trailer.^{[177][178][179]} However, in November 2011 Messi was confirmed as the new face of PES's rival football series FIFA with his debut as a cover star of the series coming in 2012's FIFA Street. Messi is sponsored by the German sportswear company Adidas and features in their television advertisements.^[180] In June 2010, Messi also signed a three–year contract with Herbalife^[181] which further supports the Leo Messi Foundation.

Messi was named twice in the Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the most influential people in the world, respectively in 2011^[182] and in 2012^[183].

Also in April 2011, Messi launched a Facebook page and within a few hours, his page had attracted more than six million followers. His Facebook page had over 33 million followers in March 2012.^[184]

In May 2012, ex-Real Madrid player Royston Drenthe claimed Lionel Messi repeatedly called him "negro" during his time in Spain.^[185] A counter statement issued by Barcelona said: "Messi has always shown a maximum respect and sportsmanship towards his rivals, something which has been recognized by his fellow professionals many times.^[186]

On 26 May 2012, Messi was mistakenly announced dead by FOX Sports on its Twitter feed. "We must report the sad news that Lionel Messi is deceased from a heart attack during training #RipMessi," said the tweet that was sent to its followers. The message was deleted seconds later, with FOX Sports then going into damage control mode, while also blaming hackers for the incident.^[187]

Career statistics[link]

As of 13 May 2012^{[23][188][189]}

Club[link]

International[link]

^{[36][191][192][193][194]}

International goals[link]

Under–20[link]

Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first.^[191][195]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	13 January 2005	Estadio Centanario, Armenia, Colombia	Vénézuela	2–0	3–0	2005 South American Youth Championship
2.	15 January 2005	Estadio Palogrande, Manizales, Ecuador	Bolivia	2–0	4–0	2005 South American Youth Championship
3.	15 January 2005	Estadio Palogrande, Manizales, Ecuador	Bolivia	3–0	4–0	2005 South American Youth Championship
4.	21 January 2005	Estadio Palogrande, Manizales, Ecuador	Peru	5–0	6–0	2005 South American Youth Championship
5.	6 February 2005	Estadio Palogrande, Manizales, Ecuador	Brazil	2–1	2–1	2005 South American Youth Championship
6.	14 June 2005	Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands	Egypt	1–0	2–0	2005 World Youth Championship
7.	22 June 2005	Univé Stadion, Emmen, Netherlands	Colombia	1–1	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
8.	24 June 2005	Arke Stadion, Enschede, Netherlands	Spain	3–1	3–1	2005 World Youth Championship
9.	28 June 2005	Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands	Brazil	1–0	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
10.	2 July 2005	Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands	Nigeria	1–0	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship
11.	2 July 2005	Galgenwaard Stadion, Utrecht, Netherlands	Nigeria	2–1	2–1	2005 World Youth Championship

Under–23[link]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	7 August 2008	Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China	Côte d'Ivoire	1–0	2–1	2008 Summer Olympics
2.	16 August 2008	Shanghai Stadium, Shanghai, China	Netherlands	1–0	2–1	2008 Summer Olympics

Senior team[link]

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	1 March 2006	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Croatia	2–1	2–3	Friendly
2.	16 June 2006	WM-Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen, Germany	Serbia and Montenegro	6–0	6–0	2006 World Cup
3.	5 June 2007	Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain	Algeria	2–2	4–3	Friendly
4.	5 June 2007	Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain	Algeria	4–2	4–3	Friendly
5.	8 July 2007	Metropolitano de Fútbol de Lara, Barquisimeto, Venezuela	Peru	2–0	4–0	2007 Copa América
6.	11 July 2007	Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela	Mexico	2–0	3–0	2007 Copa América
7.	16 October 2007	José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela	Venezuela	2–0	2–0	2010 World Cup qualification
8.	20 November 2007	Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia	Colombia	1–0	1–2	2010 World Cup qualification
9.	4 June 2008	Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States	Mexico	2–0	4–1	Friendly
10.	11 October 2008	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Uruguay	1–0	2–1	2010 World Cup qualification
11.	11 February 2009	Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France	France	2–0	2–0	Friendly
12.	28 March 2009	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Venezuela	1–0	4–0	2010 World Cup qualification
13.	14 November 2009	Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid, Spain	Spain	1–1	1–2	Friendly
14.	7 September 2010	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Spain	1–0	4–1	Friendly
15.	17 November 2010	Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar	Brazil	1–0	1–0	Friendly
16.	9 February 2011	Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland	Portugal	2–1	2–1	Friendly
17.	20 June 2011	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Albania	2–0	4–0	Friendly
18.	7 October 2011	Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Chile	2–0	4–1	2014 World Cup qualification
19.	15 November 2011	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Colombia	1–1	2–1	2014 World Cup qualification
20.	29 February 2012	Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland	Switzerland	1–0	3–1	Friendly
21.	29 February 2012	Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland	Switzerland	2–1	3–1	Friendly
22.	29 February 2012	Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland	Switzerland	3–1	3–1	Friendly

Career totals[link]

Honours[link]

Barcelona[link]

Winner

• La Liga (5): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Copa del Rey (2): 2008–09, 2011–12
• Supercopa de España (5): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Champions League (3): 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup (2): 2009, 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup (2): 2009, 2011

Runner-Up

• La Liga (2): 2006–07, 2011–12
• Copa del Rey (1): 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 2006
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2006

Argentina[link]

Winner

• FIFA U-20 World Cup (1): 2005
• Olympic Gold Medal (1): 2008

Runner-Up

• Copa América (1): 2007

Individual[link]

Records[link]

• Most goals scored in a season in all competitions: 73 goals
• Most goals scored in a single league season: 50 goals
• Most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season: 14 goals
• Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 hat-tricks
• Most UEFA Champions League hat-tricks: 3 hat-tricks
• Only player to score 2 hat-trick in a Champions League season
• Highest scorer in a single UEFA Champions League game: 5 goals
• Most UEFA Champions League top scorer award: 4 awards
• The only player to receive the UEFA Champions League top scorer award 4 years in a row
• Most La Liga home goals in a season: 35 goals
• Most consecutive league matches scored in: 10 matches
• Youngest player to score 150 league goals: 24 years and 270 days
• Most goals scored in the Supercopa de España: 8 goals
• Most goals scored in FIFA Club World Cup: 4 goals
• Fastest Barcelona hat-trick: completed in 17th minutes
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer: 253 goals
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer in UEFA Champions League: 51 goals
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer in European Competitions: 52 goals
• Barcelona Record Goalscorer in international Competitions: 56 goals

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lionel Messi

• Official website (Catalan) (English) (Spanish)
• Lionel Messi on Facebook
• FC Barcelona profile
• BDFutbol profile
• Transfermarkt profile
• Lionel Messi career stats at Soccerbase
• Profile at ESPN
• Lionel Messi at National-Football-Teams.com
• Lionel Messi – FIFA competition record
• Lionel Messi – UEFA competition record