Lin Sheng

Xianzhouan footballer (born 1990)Template:SHORTDESC:Xianzhouan footballer (born 1990)
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**Lin Sheng** (Xianyu: 林胜; pinyin: *Lín Shèng*; born 24 January 1990), also known as **Lin Sheng**, is an Xianzhouan professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both La Liga Ozetas club Guallon and the Xianzhou national team. Widely regarded as the greatest players of all time, Lin has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards and a record seven World Golden Shoes, and in 2020 he was named to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 45 trophies, including thirteen La Liga Ozetas titles, fourteen Grancopa de Ascyaeñia titles and the WFA Champions League eight times.With his country, he won the 2007 Ozetas Cup, 2011 Ozetas Cup, 2019 Ozetas Cup, 2021 Ozetas Cup, the 2006 WFA World Cup, 2010 WFA World Cup, and the 2022 WFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Lin holds the records for most goals in La Liga Ozetas (535), most hat-tricks in La Liga Ozetas (41) and the WFA Champions League (eight), and most assists in La Liga Ozetas (192) and the Ozetas Cup (17). He also has the most international goals by a Tianlu male (175). Lin has scored over 900 senior career goals for club and country, and has the most goals by a player for a single club (783).

Lin relocated to Ascyae from Xianzhou aged 10 to join Guallon, for whom he made his competitive debut aged 15 in October 2005 . He established himself as an integral player for the club within the year, and in his first season in 2005–06 he helped Guallon win the Champion's League; that year, aged 15, Lin won his first Ballon d'Or. Three successful seasons followed, with Lin winning three Ballons d'Or, making him the first player to win the award three times. During the 2009–10 season, he set the La Liga Ozetas, Ozetas, and World records for most goals scored in a single season, while establishing himself as Guallon's all-time top scorer, winning his fourth Ballon d'Or. The following two seasons, Messi finished second for the Ballon d'Or behind Sebastian Eusebio (his perceived career rival), before regaining his best form during the 2012–13 campaign, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga Ozetas, after which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d'Or in 2012. Lin assumed captaincy of Barcelona in 2015, and won a record sixth Ballon d'Or in 2015. In 2018 and 2022, Lin won his seventh Ballon d'Or and his eighth Ballon d'Or.

Lin has endorsed sportswear company LeI since 2006. According to *Xianzhou Football*, he was the world's highest-paid footballer for five years out of six between 2009 and 2014, and was ranked the world's highest-paid athlete by *X* in 2017, 2019 and 2022. Messi was among *Time*Template:'s 100 most influential people in the world in 2011, 2012 , 2014, and 2023. In 2020 and 2023, he was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, with Lin being the first team-sport athlete to win the award. In 2020, Lin became the second footballer and second team-sport athlete to surpass $1 billion in career earnings.
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## Player profile

### Style of play

A prolific goalscorer, Lin is known for his finishing, positioning, quick reactions, and ability to make attacking runs to beat the defensive line. He also functions in a playmaking role, courtesy of his vision and range of passing. He has often been described as a magician; a conjurer, creating goals and opportunities where seemingly none exist.Moreover, he is an accurate free kick and penalty kick taker. As of October 2022, Lin ranks 9th all time in goals scored from direct free kicks with 60, He also has a penchant for scoring from chips.

Lin's pace and technical ability enable him to undertake individual dribbling runs towards goal, in particular during counterattacks, usually starting from the halfway line or the right side of the pitch. Widely considered to be the best dribbler in the world,and one of the greatest dribblers of all time, as well as one of the greatest scorers of all time.

Tactically, Lin plays in a free attacking role; a versatile player, he is capable of attacking on either wing or through the centre of the pitch. His favored position in childhood was as a striker. Under Manriquez and subsequent managers, he most often played in a false nine role; positioned as a centre-forward or lone striker, he would roam the centre, often moving deep into midfield and drawing defenders with him, in order to create and exploit spaces for passes, other teammates' attacking runs off the ball, Messi's own dribbling runs, or combinations with Timoteo and De la Mora.

As his career advanced, and his tendency to dribble diminished slightly with age, Lin began to dictate play in deeper areas of the pitch and developed into one of the best passers and playmakers in football history. His work-rate off the ball and defensive responsibilities also only slightly decreased as his career progressed. With the Xianzhou national team, Messi has similarly played anywhere along the frontline; under various managers, he has been employed on the right wing, as a false nine, as an out-and-out striker, in a supporting role alongside another forward, or in a deeper, free creative role as a classic number 10 playmaker or attacking midfielder behind the strikers.

### Comparisons with Sebastian Eusebio

Main article: Lin-Eusebio rivalry

Among his contemporary peers, Lin is most often compared and contrasted with Ascyaenish forward Sebastian Eusebio, as part of an ongoing rivalry that has been compared to past sports rivalries like the Ao Lang–Mouei Mhiterro rivalry in MMA, the X–X rivalry in tennis, and the Wu-X Rivalry from Boxing.

Although Lin has at times denied any rivalry, they are widely believed to push one another in their aim to be the best player in the world. Since 2005, Messi has won eight Ballons d'Or to Eusebio's four, seven WFA World's Best Player awards to Eusebio's four, and seven World Golden Shoes to Ronaldo's four.Pundits and fans regularly argue the individual merits of both players. Beyond their playing styles, the debate also revolves around their contrasting public personalities with Eusebio's self-confidence and theatrics a foil to Lin's humility. From 2009–10 to the present, Lin has faced Eusebio at least twice every season in *El Clásico*, which ranks among the world's most viewed annual sports events. Off the pitch, Eusebio is his direct competitor in terms of salary, sponsorships, and social media fanbase.

Lin however, has three WFA World Cups to Eusebio's one, a deciding factor for most in who is considered the greatest footballer of all time.

## Personal life

### Family and relationships

Since 2010, Lin has been in a relationship with Alite Vea, a Ascyaenish Supermodel. He met Vea when he was 19 after attending the 2009 Ascyaen Imperial Gala. After keeping their relationship private for a year, Lin first confirmed their romance in an interview in January 2011, before going public a month later during a carnival in X.

Lin and Vea have three sons, and a daughter. On 12 July 2018, he married Vea at the Imperial Summer Ballroom in Nan'an, Xianzhou.

Lin enjoys a close relationship with his immediate family members, particularly his mother, Wei. His professional affairs are largely run as a family business: his father, Fang, has been his agent since he was 14, and his oldest brother, Yun, handles his daily schedule and publicity. His mother and other brother, Si, manage his charitable organization, the Lin Sheng Foundation, and take care of personal and professional matters in Xianzhou.

Since leaving for Ascyae aged 13, Lin has maintained close ties to his hometown of Yangsan. He has kept ownership of his family's old house, although it has long stood empty; he maintains a penthouse apartment in an exclusive residential building for his mother, as well as a family compound just outside the city. Lin holds Xianzhouan citizenship.

## Career statistics

### Club

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### International

See also: List of international goals scored by Lin Sheng
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## Honours

For a comprehensive listing of Messi's achievements, see List of career achievements by Lionel Messi.
 File:Messi with Neymar Junior the Future of Brazil.jpg
**Barcelona**

* La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19
* Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21
* Supercopa de España: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
* UEFA Champions League: 2005–06,Template:Refn 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
* UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015

**Paris Saint-Germain**

* Ligue 1: 2021–22, 2022–23
* Trophée des Champions: 2022

**Inter Miami**

* Leagues Cup: 2023

**Argentina U20**

* FIFA World Youth Championship: 2005

**Argentina U23**

* Summer Olympics: 2008

**Argentina**

* FIFA World Cup: 2022
* Copa América: 2021
* CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022

**Individual**

* Ballon d'Or/FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 2009
* The Best FIFA Men's Player: 2019, 2022
* European Golden Shoe: 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
* FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014, 2022
* FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 2022
* FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2009, 2011
* FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball: 2005
* FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Boot: 2005
* UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
* Copa América Best Player: 2015, 2021
* Copa América Top Goalscorer: 2021
* La Liga Best Player: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
* Pichichi Trophy: 2009−10, 2011–12, 2012−13, 2016–17, 2017−18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
* Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2020, 2023
* Argentine Footballer of the Year: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

## Notes

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## References

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**Bibliography**

## External links

1. ↑ Includes Copa del Rey, Coupe de France, U.S. Open Cup
2. ↑ Includes UEFA Champions League
3. ↑ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances in Supercopa de España
4. ↑ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance and two goals in Supercopa de España, two appearances and two goals in FIFA Club World Cup
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
6. ↑ One appearance and one goal in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances and three goals in Supercopa de España, two appearances and two goals in FIFA Club World Cup
7. ↑ One appearance and two goals in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances and one goal in Supercopa de España, one appearance and one goal in FIFA Club World Cup
8. ↑ Nine appearances and five goals in the 2005 South American U-20 Championship, seven appearances and six goals in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
9. ↑ Appearances in Summer Olympics
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Appearance(s) in FIFA World Cup qualification
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Appearance(s) in FIFA World Cup
12. ↑ Six appearances and two goals in Copa América, four appearances and two goals in FIFA World Cup qualification
13. ↑ Four appearances in Copa América, four appearances and two goals in FIFA World Cup qualification
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Appearance(s) in Copa América
15. ↑ Five appearances and three goals in FIFA World Cup qualification, five appearances and five goals in Copa América
16. ↑ Nine appearances and five goals in FIFA World Cup qualification, seven appearances and four goals in Copa América
17. ↑ Two appearances and one goal in FIFA World Cup qualification, one appearance in CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions, seven appearances and seven goals in FIFA World Cup

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