Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He is the only football player in history to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or four times, all of which he won consecutively. Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child. At age 13, he relocated to Spain to join Barcelona, who agreed to pay for his medical treatment. Messi made his first competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. At 22 years old, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.
