Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional fighter.
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 . 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 . 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 .