what clubs has messi played for?
Argentina national football team FC Barcelona FC Barcelona C FC Barcelona B
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 As a dual Argentine – Spanish national , Messi was eligible to play for the national team of both countries . Selectors for Spain 's Under @-@ 17 squad began pursuing him in 2003 after Barcelona 's director of football , Carles Rexach , alerted the Royal Spanish Football Federation to their young player . Messi declined the offer , having aspired to represent La Albiceleste since childhood . To further prevent Spain from taking him , the Argentine Football Association organised two Under @-@ 20 friendlies in June 2004 , against Paraguay and Uruguay , with the purpose of finalising his status as an Argentina player in FIFA . Five days after his seventeenth birthday , on 29 June , he made his debut for his country against Paraguay , scoring once and providing two assists in their 8 – 0 victory . He was subsequently included in the squad for the South American Youth Championship , held in Colombia in February 2005 . As he lacked the stamina of his teammates , the result of his former growth hormone deficiency , he was used as a substitute in six of the nine games , proving more effective when coming on in the second half . After being named man of the match against Venezuela , he scored the winning 2 – 1 goal in the crucial last match against Brazil , thereby securing their third @-@ place qualification for the FIFA World Youth Championship . 

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 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 . After a fast progression through Barcelona 's youth academy , Messi made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004 . Despite being injury @-@ prone during his early career , he established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years , finishing 2007 as a finalist for both the Ballon d 'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award , a feat he repeated the following year . His first uninterrupted campaign came in the 2008 – 09 season , during which he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football . At 22 years old , Messi won the Ballon d 'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award by record voting margins . 

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 A former Argentine international , Messi is his country 's all @-@ time leading goalscorer . At youth level , he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship , finishing the tournament with both the Golden Ball and Golden Shoe , and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics . His style of play as a diminutive , left @-@ footed dribbler drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona , who declared the teenager his successor . After making his senior debut in August 2005 , Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup during the 2006 edition , and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América , where he was named young player of the tournament . As the squad 's captain from August 2011 , he led Argentina to three consecutive finals of the 2014 World Cup , for which he won the Golden Ball , and the 2015 and 2016 Copas América . Following his fourth final defeat , Messi retired from international football aged 29 , having represented his country in seven major tournaments . He was then convicted of tax fraud committed from 2007 to 2009 , for which he received a fine and a suspended prison sentence . 

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 Just a week after Messi announced his international retirement , Argentine newspaper La Nación reported that he is reconsidering playing for Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers in November . 

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 Due to issues regarding his legal status in the Spanish Football Federation , Messi missed the start of La Liga , but on 26 September , he acquired Spanish citizenship and became eligible to play . Wearing the number 19 shirt , he gradually established himself as the first @-@ choice right winger , forming an attacking trio with Ronaldinho and striker Samuel Eto 'o . He was in the starting line @-@ up in major matches like his first clásico against rivals Real Madrid on 19 November , as well as their away victory over Chelsea in the last 16 round of the Champions League , where he played his best match to that point . After he had scored 8 goals in 25 games , including his first in the Champions League , his season ended prematurely during the return leg against Chelsea on 7 March 2006 , when he suffered a torn hamstring . Messi worked to regain fitness in time for the Champions League final , but was told the day of the final , 17 May , that he was not fit enough to play . He was so disappointed that he did not celebrate their victory over Arsenal in Paris , something he later came to regret . 
