Lionel Messi

Ukuphila kwakuqala 
UMessi waqala ukudlala ibhola esengumfanyana, kwathi ngo-1995 wajoyina ithimba leNewell’s Old Boys, iqembu lomphakathi elidlala umdlalo omkhulu eRosario. Amakhono akhe angavamile athusa amaqembu adumile ase-Europe kanye neLatin America. Lapho eneminyaka eli-13, uMessi nomndeni wakhe bathutha baya eBarcelona, lapho aqala ukudlalela iqembu labafana abaneminyaka engaphasi kwengu-14 leFC Barcelona. Wahlohla amagoli ayi-21 emidlalweni eyi-14 eqenjini labancane, kwathi ngokushesha wakhuphukela emaqenjini aphezulu, waze waba nemidlalo yakhe yokuqala engakahloniphi ngokusemthethweni eneminyaka eyi-16, edlalela iFC Barcelona emdlalweni wobungani.

 Ukudlala kwamaqembu 
Ngesizini ka-2004–05, uMessi, wayeneminyaka eyi-17 ngaleso sikhathi, waba ngumdlali omncane kunabo bonke obakhe badlala futhi wahlohla igoli emlandweni weSpanish La Liga, okuwumqhudelwano ophezulu webhola laseSpain. Naphezu kokuba nezinga lama-5 izinyawo eziyisi-7 (1.7 amitha) nokuba nesisindo esingu-148 amakhilogremu (67 kg), wayeqinile, ekulinganiselwe kahle, futhi eguquguquka enkundleni. Engunozwane lwesobunxele ngokwemvelo, ehlakaniphile futhi enembile ekulawuleni ibhola, uMessi wayengumhambisi ophambili wama-pasi futhi ayekwazi ukugqashula ezivikeleni eziminyene. Ngo-2005 wanikezwa ubuzwe baseSpain, okwathathwa ngemizwa ehlukahlukene ngabalandeli beBarcelona abaziqhenyayo ngokuba ngamaCatalan. Ngonyaka olandelayo, uMessi kanye neqembu leBarcelona banqoba isicoco seChampions League, umqhudelwano wamaqembu ase-Europe.

Ukudlala kukaMessi kwaqhubeka kuthuthuka ngokushesha eminyakeni edlule, kwathi ngo-2008 waba ngomunye wabadlali abaphambili emhlabeni, eqeda endaweni yesibili emavotini eBallon d'Or ka-2008, enqotshwa nguCristiano Ronaldo weManchester United. Ekuqaleni kuka-2009, uMessi waqedela isizini emangalisayo ka-2008–09 ngokusiza i-FC Barcelona ukuthi ithole i-“treble” yayo yokuqala (ukunqoba izihloko ezintathu ezinkulu zamaqembu ase-Europe ngesizini eyodwa): iqembu lanqoba isicoco seLa Liga, iCopa del Rey (indebe enkulu yasekhaya yaseSpain), kanye nesicoco seChampions League. Kulowo nyaka, uMessi wahlohla amagoli angama-38 emidlalweni engu-51, futhi waxosha uRonaldo emavotini weBallon d'Or kanye nomdlali womhlaba wonyaka weFIFA, enza umlando ngokuhlukana okuningi kwamaphuzu. Ngesizini ka-2009–10, uMessi wahlohla amagoli angu-34 emidlalweni yasekhaya ngesikhathi iBarcelona iphinda inqobe isicoco seLa Liga. Wathola umklomelo weGolden Shoe njengomshayi magoli ohamba phambili e-Europe, futhi waphinde wanikezwa enye iBallon d'Or (eyaziwa njengeFIFA Ballon d'Or phakathi kuka-2010 no-2015).
UMessi wahola i-Barcelona ekunqobeni izihloko zeLa Liga kanye neChampions League ngesizini eyalandela, okusiza wazuza umklomelo wesithathu olandelanayo womdlali womhlaba wonyaka, okuyinto engakaze ibonwe. NgoMbasa 2012, wahlohla igoli lakhe lama-233 le-Barcelona, waba umshayi magoli ophezulu kunabo bonke emlandweni weqembu emidlalweni yeLa Liga eneminyaka engu-24 kuphela. Waqeda isizini ka-2011–12 ye-Barcelona (eyayihlanganisa enye iwini yeCopa del Rey) enamagoli angu-73 kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano, epha isicoco sikaGerd Müller seminyaka engu-39 samagoli esizini eyodwa kwimidlalo eyinhloko ye-European football. Lokhu kusebenza okumangalisayo kwamphoqa ukuthi aqokwe njengomdlali womhlaba wonyaka ka-2012, okumenza waba ngumdlali wokuqala ukuwina isihloko izikhathi ezine. Amagoli akhe angu-46 eLa Liga ngesizini ka-2012–13 aholela kulesi sigaba, futhi iBarcelona yaphinda yathatha isicoco seligi yasekhaya. Ngo-2014, usetha irekhodi lonke leBarcelona ngesikhathi ehlohla igoli lakhe lama-370 njengelungu leqembu. Ngalo nyaka, wephula amarekhodi emisebenzi yokuhlohla kuChampions League (amagoli angu-72) kanye neLa Liga (amagoli angu-253).
Ngo-2014–15, uMessi wasiza i-Barcelona ukuthi iphinde inqobe i-treble, ehola iqembu ngamaphuzu angu-43 phakathi nesizini, okwamnikeza umklomelo wakhe wesihlanu womdlali womhlaba wonyaka. Ngesizini ka-2015–16, wahlohla amagoli angu-41 kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano ye-Barcelona, futhi iqembu lazuza izicoco zeLa Liga neCopa del Rey. Waphumelela kakhudlwana ngo-2016–17 ngamaphuzu angu-53, eholela iqembu ekunqobeni isicoco seCopa del Rey futhi. Ngo-2017–18, wahlohla amagoli angu-45, kanti i-Barcelona yawina izicoco zeLa Liga neCopa del Rey futhi. Ngo-2018–19, uMessi wahlohla amagoli angu-51 kuyo yonke imiqhudelwano yasekhaya, kwathi i-Barcelona yawina enye isicoco seLa Liga. Ekupheleni kuka-2019, wawina iBallon d'Or yakhe yesithupha futhi waqanjwa njengomdlali ongcono kunabo bonke emhlabeni yiFIFA. Ngesizini ka-2020–21, i-Barcelona yathatha isicoco seCopa del Rey, okuyisikhombisa emsebenzini kaMessi. Waba ngumdlali ozimele ngo-2021, kanti izinkinga zezimali—ezinye zazo ezazihlobene nemithetho yeLa Liga—zamenza wangakwazi ukuqhubeka ne-Barcelona. Wahlala engumholi ohlukile emlandweni, engumshayi magoli ophezulu emlandweni weLa Liga ngamaphuzu angu-474.

Ngemuva kwalokho, ngo-2021 uMessi signed ne-Paris St.-Germain (PSG), lapho ajoyina khona ojonge amathalente amakhulu uKylian Mbappé noNeymar, futhi ngalowo nyaka wathola iBallon d'Or yakhe eyayilandelayo. Wasiza i-PSG ukuthi iwine isicoco seLigue 1 ngesikhathi esingamabili adlala nohlelo. Ngo-2023, uMessi wajoyina i-Inter Miami ye-Major League Soccer.

 Uhambo lwakhe lwezizwe 
Ngaphandle kokuba nezimvume ezimbili zokuba ngozinze eSpain futhi eseziphumelelayo emsebenzini, uMessi waqhubeka nokuhlala nezibopho ezinzulu ezweni lakubo, futhi waba yilungu elibalulekile kumaqembu kazwelonke ase-Argentina kusukela ngo-2005. Wadlala eqenjini le-Argentina elinqobile kwi-FIFA World Youth Championship yango-2005, wakhumela izwe lakhe kuWorld Cup yango-2006, futhi wabhala amagoli amabili kumidlalo emihlanu lapho i-Argentina yaphumelela ukufinyelela kumaphiko e-golde medal ku-Olympics yaseBeijing ngo-2008. UMessi wasiza i-Argentina ukuba ifinyelele kuma-quarterfinals we-World Cup yango-2010, lapho iqembu lihlulwa yi-Germany, okwenza kube yisikhathi sesibili sokulahlekelwa kuWorld Cup. Ku-World Cup yango-2014, uMessi wenza isibonelo esimangalisayo, wabhala amagoli amane futhi waqhuba i-Argentina, eneqembu elihlushwa yizinkinga zokuhlasela, kwi-stage yeqembu futhi eya kumjikelo wokuphuma, lapho i-Argentina yachitha isikhathi eside ukusuka efinalini ye-World Cup ngomnyaka wesine ngo-24. I-Argentina yenqabela lowo mdlalo ngo-1-0 ne-Germany, kodwa uMessi wathola i-Golden Ball njengomdlali ophumelela kakhulu. Ngesikhathi se-2016 Copa América Centenario, wabhala igoli lakhe le-55 phakathi kwezizwe, ephula irekhodi likaGabriel Batistuta njengomshayi magoli ophumelele kakhulu e-Argentina.
Emva kokuhlulwa kwe-Argentina kwi-Copa final—okuphikisana nesikhumbuzo sokuqala kwama-final izikhathi ezintathu kumqhudelwano omkhulu—uMessi wathi uzashiya iqembu lesizwe, kodwa "ukuthatha umhlalaphansi" kwakhe okwesikhashana kwahlala izinyanga ezimbili ngaphambi kokubhalela ukubuyela eqenjini. Ku-World Cup yango-2018, wasiza iqembu lase-Argentina elihlangabezana nobunzima ukufinyelela kumjikelo wokuphuma, lapho bachithwa yiFrance, okuyi-team ethole i-championship, emdlalweni wabo wokuqala. Ngemva kokuphothula esikhathini sesithathu e-Copa América yango-2019, uMessi wahola i-Argentina ukuba iwine umqhudelwano eminyakeni emibili kamuva, waphinde wathola i-Golden Ball award.

Impumelelo yakhe yaqhubeka kwi-World Cup yango-2022. Lapho, wahola i-Argentina ku-final, lapho ebhala amagoli amabili—futhi wenza umphumela ophumelelayo ngesikhathi sokuphonswa amaphuzu—to ukusiza ukwehlula iFrance. UMessi wathola i-Golden Ball ye-World Cup, waba ngumdlali wesilisa wokuqala ukuthola lesi sikhumbuzo izikhathi ezimbili. Ukwengeza, ukudlala kwakhe okuhle kakhulu kulomqhudelwano kwakubalulekile ekutholeni kwakhe iBallon d'Or yesishiyagalombili ngo-2023.

 Ezinye izenzo kanye nezinkinga zomthetho 
Ngaphandle komkhakha womdlalo, uMessi wayengomunye wezinkanyezi zomzimba ezinkulu emhlabeni. Ngokuhlangene nemiholo yebhola, eyayivame ukuba nezezakhiwo ezimbili ezinkulu kakhulu zabadlali bezemidlalo bonke, waba ngumkhangisi ophumelelayo wemikhiqizo, ikakhulukazi kwenkampani yezimpahla zezemidlalo i-Adidas. Ngo-2013, uMessi kanye no-ubaba wakhe (ophatha izimali zomfana wakhe) babhekene necala lokugwema intela, behlonipha izinkampani zomphakathi zasephesheya ukuze bagweme ukukhokha u-€4.2 million ezintela zaseSpain kumholo wokukhangisa. Nokho, ngemuva kokukhokha €5 million kuMbuso waseSpain, bobabili bakhishwa ukuba babhekane necala ngo-2016. NgoJulayi walowo nyaka, uMessi no-ubaba wakhe bathola isijeziso sokuhlala ezinyangeni ezimisiwe zomlomo wesigwebo esingaphansi kweminyaka emibili, futhi bathola izijeziso zentela zangu-€2 million no-€1.5 million, ngokulandelana.

 Iinkomba 

 Izixhumanisi zangaphandle 
 link=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lionel_Messi?uselang=ty|18x18px Wikimedia Commons inayo amadokhumenti wemidiya ngoLionel Messi.
 link=https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/David_Woodard?uselang=ty|16x16px Wikiquote: Lionel Messi (en)
 link=https://messi.com/|13x13px Isiteji Esisemthethweni
Abahleli beWikipedia