Argentinian Lionel Messi plays soccer professionally.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup , the quadrennial world championship for men 's national football teams organized by FIFA . 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 . 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 . At 22 years old , Messi won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award by record voting margins .