How Lionel Messi Shaped the Future: A Legacy Timeline

A detailed timeline of the impact and legacy of Lionel Messi across different fields.

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer widely considered one of the greatest of all time. He captains both Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Messi holds records for individual awards, including eight Ballon d'Or wins. He's the most decorated player in football history with 45 trophies, including Big Five league titles, UEFA Champions Leagues, Copa Américas, and a FIFA World Cup. Messi holds records for European Golden Shoes, goals in a year (91), goals for a single club, La Liga goals, hat-tricks, assists, Copa América assists, World Cup goal contributions, international appearances, and international goals for a South American male. He has over 850 career goals and over 380 assists.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

1986: Maradona Leads Argentina to World Cup Victory

In 1986, Diego Maradona famously led Argentina to victory in the FIFA World Cup with a dominant performance. This set high expectations for Lionel Messi to achieve similar success with the national team.

1986: Maradona's World Cup goals compared to Messi's

In 1986, Diego Maradona scored two famous goals in the World Cup match against England, which Messi's goals against Getafe and Espanyol resembled.

2005: Best advertisement

In 2013, a Turkish Airlines advertisement starring Messi, in which he engages in a selfie competition with Kobe Bryant, was the most-watched ad on YouTube in 2013, receiving 137 million views, and was voted the best advertisement of the 2005–15 decade to commemorate YouTube's founding.

2006: Goal Comparisons to Maradona & Supercopa de España

In 2006, Messi scored a hat-trick in a Clásico against Real Madrid. Comparisons to Diego Maradona arose due to similarities between Messi's goals against Getafe and Espanyol and Maradona's goals in the 1986 World Cup. Barcelona won the 2006 Supercopa de España.

2008: Signature Adidas Collection

From 2008, Lionel Messi had a long-running signature collection of Adidas F50 boots.

adidas Unisex F50 League Football Boots Firm Ground Sneaker, White/Solar Red/Lucid Blue, 10 US Men

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August 2009: Pep Guardiola Declares Messi the Best

As early as August 2009, then-Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola declared Messi to be the best player he had ever seen, marking the beginning of the widespread recognition of Messi's status as one of the greatest players in history.

2010: Marketing Appeal Widened

From 2010, concurrently with increased achievements as a player, Lionel Messi's marketing appeal widened, leading to long-term endorsement deals with luxury brands Dolce & Gabbana and Audemars Piguet.

2010: Marketable Athlete

Since 2010, SportsPro has cited Lionel Messi as one of the world's most marketable athletes every year since their research began.

April 2011: Launch of Messi's Facebook Page

In April 2011, Lionel Messi's Facebook page was launched, gaining nearly seven million followers within seven hours.

2011: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2011, Lionel Messi was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world.

2011: Time 100 List

In 2011, Lionel Messi was included in the Time 100, an annual list of the world's most influential people.

2012: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2012, Lionel Messi was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world.

2012: Time 100 List

In 2012, Lionel Messi was included in the Time 100, an annual list of the world's most influential people.

2012: Wax sculpture unveiled at Madame Tussauds

In 2012, Madame Tussauds unveiled their first wax sculpture of Messi at Wembley Stadium.

2013: Most-Watched YouTube Ad

In 2013, a Turkish Airlines advertisement starring Lionel Messi was the most-watched ad on YouTube, receiving 137 million views.

August 2014: Messi documentary premiered at Venice Film Festival

In August 2014, the documentary "Messi", by filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia, premiered at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

2014: Survey of Global Recognition

According to a 2014 survey in 15 international markets, Lionel Messi was familiar to 87% of respondents around the world, of whom 78% perceived him favorably. In 2014, World Press Photo selected "The Final Game", a photo of Messi facing the World Cup trophy after Argentina's final defeat to Germany, as the best sports image.

2015: Adidas Messi Sub-Brand

In 2015, Lionel Messi became the first footballer to receive his own sub-brand of Adidas boots, the Adidas Messi. Also in 2015, a Barcelona jersey with Messi's name and number was the best-selling replica jersey worldwide.

Adidas Samba Messi Shoes (Multi, US Footwear Size System, Adult, Men, Numeric, Medium, 9)

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June 2016: Bronze statue erected in Buenos Aires

Following his announcement of retirement from the international team in June 2016, a bronze statue of Messi was erected in Buenos Aires.

2020: Surpassing $1 Billion in Earnings

In 2020, Lionel Messi became the second footballer, as well as the second athlete in a team sport, after Ronaldo, to surpass $1 billion in earnings during their careers.

2020: Laureus World Sportsman of the Year

In 2020, Lionel Messi was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year and was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team.

2021: Copa América Victory and Cementing Legacy

Messi's victory in the 2021 Copa América helped to address the criticism he had received throughout his career for not winning an international tournament at senior level with Argentina.

December 2022: Most Liked Post on Instagram

In December 2022, Lionel Messi's World Cup celebration post from December 18 became the most liked post on Instagram, with over 75 million likes.

2022: Sold Out Adidas Jersey

At the 2022 World Cup, Adidas sold out Lionel Messi's No. 10 Argentina jersey worldwide.

Adidas Argentina 24 Messi Home Jersey

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2022: Resolution of Messi-Ronaldo Debate

Following Messi leading Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup, many critics, commentators, and players believed that Messi settled the debate between him and Ronaldo. Ronaldo declared a year later that the rivalry was over after 36 official fixtures and 15 years.

2022: Argentina's World Cup Win

Following the 2022 World Cup win for Lionel Messi and Argentina, journalist Tim Vickery believed that Messi would now be held in the same esteem by his compatriots as Diego Maradona.

2022: Focus of Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend

In 2022, Messi career was the focus of Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend

2022: World Cup Win and Cementing Legacy

Messi's victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup resulted in him finally winning every top tier trophy at both the club and country levels, an achievement that many pundits felt cemented Messi's legacy.

March 2023: Life-sized statue unveiled at CONMEBOL headquarters

In March 2023, a life-sized statue of Messi holding the World Cup trophy was unveiled outside the CONMEBOL headquarters in Luque, Paraguay.

July 2023: Facebook Followers

By July 2023, Lionel Messi had over 114 million followers on Facebook, the second highest for a sportsperson after Ronaldo.

2023: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2023, Lionel Messi was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world; he was also named Time's Athlete of the Year.

2023: Time 100 List

In 2023, Lionel Messi was included in the Time 100, an annual list of the world's most influential people.

February 2024: Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend aired on Apple TV+

On February 21, 2024, "Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend", a biographical docuseries focusing on Messi's career and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, aired on Apple TV+.