Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional fighter.
The Ballon d'Or ( [ balɔ̃ dɔʁ ] ; `` Golden Ball '' ) , is an annual association football award presented by France Football . The FIFA Ballon d'Or ( [ balɔ̃ dɔʁ ] , `` Golden Ball '' ) was an annual association football award presented to the world 's best men 's player from 2010 to 2015 . The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award presented annually by the sport 's governing body , FIFA , since 1991 . Lionel Andrés `` Leo '' Messi ( [ ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi ] ; born 24 June 1987 ) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team . His personal best campaign to date was the 2011 -- 12 season , in which he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season , while establishing himself as Barcelona 's all-time top scorer in official competitions in March 2012 .