In pictures: Lionel Messi - The little Barcelona kid who became a GOAT

Anyone who knows anything about the beautiful game knows the name Lionel Messi. The diminutive Argentine — he stands only 5ft 7 ins tall — is as household a name as you can get thanks to his dazzling skills, trophy-laden career and likeable character.

Born in 1987, the Barcelona forward first came on the radar as a youngster back home in Rosario, Argentina, at the age of 11, River Plate were keen on signing the precocious talent but his height was an issue. Messi had been diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency and the club were unwilling to pay for expensive medical treatment to help him develop. A trial at Barcelona’s youth academy was all that coach Carles Reach needed and scribbled down a contract on a napkin stating Barcelona would pay his medical bills if he signed up.

At 16 years, four months, and 23 days old, Messi got his big chance — something he grabbed with both hands. He came on in a friendly against Porto on November 16, 2003. He impressed his coaches so much he was fast-tracked up to train with the senior squad. Fast forward to 2004 and Messi became the youngest player to score in La Liga. Soon he was a mainstay in the squad and was part of team that won the 2006 La Liga and Champions League double. In the 2006-07 season, Messi scored 14 goals in 26 league games.

“The Olympic gold in 2008 is the win that I value the most,” Messi has said, “because it is a tournament that you may only play in once in your life and involves many athletes from different disciplines.” Messi, then 21, helped lead Argentina to Olympic gold at the 2008 Beijing Games, his only Olympic appearance and only senior footballing international triumph.

As he gained more and more experience in the Barca team, his records continued to improve. He bagged 47 goals in all competitions in the 2009-10 campaign. In 2012 he scored a phenomenal 91 goals — the world record for strikes in a calendar year. — beating the previous record of 85 by German Gerd Muller.

In 2012, Messi turned down a lucrative offer to sign for a Russian club, but he refused, despite a salary of 20 million euros a year, as he wished to continue with Barca and help them achieve more greatness. “Barcelona is my life,” he said. “They have brought me to where I am today. I could not leave, I don’t want to leave.”

At the start of 2013, in club football, Messi has scored 292 goals from a total of 359 appearances, and in international football, 31 goals from 76 appearances.

One debate that is never far away from Messi is the comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo and the hot topic of who is the better player and possibly the greatest of all time (Diego Maradona and Pele are also in the reckoning). While Ronaldo has one major international title with Portugal and Messi has yet to claim any senior international honours after that Olympic gold, Messi is still broadly regarded as the better all-round player and his six Ballons d’Or compared to Ronaldo’s five add some weight to that.