Unknown Facts of Lionel Messi unknown

Lionel Andrés Messi (born 24 June 1987), better known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and leads Argentina. Messi is widely recognized as one of the best players of all time, having won a record seven Ballon d'Or trophies, six European Golden Shoes, and been nominated to the Ballon d'Or Dream Team in 2020.

Lionel Messi has had so much written about him over the years that you wonder whether there is anything further to learn about him, or if there are any minor facts that have been neglected.

Perhaps there are a few facts that the general public is unaware of.

Over the following six slides, B/R will seek to find something about the world's best footballer that you may not have known previously, either personally or professionally.

Some unknown facts about Messi

Milanesa Napolitana is his favorite food.

Lionel Messi appears to have favored one particular cuisine throughout his life: Milanesa Napolitana.

The meal is popular in Argentina and is made with ham, salt, oregano, fried beef, chopped tomatoes, onions, cheese, and sugar.

Could have represented Spain

Lionel Messi is traveling to Brazil this summer to lead Argentina's charge to glory in their archrivals' backyard.

According to popular belief, if the Albiceleste wins the championship, Messi will go down in history as the greatest footballer who ever lived.

However, things may have gone very differently.

Messi has had dual nationality and is eligible to play for Spain since the age of 13. According to Biography Online, he was requested to play for the Spanish U20 team in 2004 but declined, instead leading Argentina to victory in the FIFA Youth Championship a year later.

After 44 seconds of his Argentina senior debut, he was sent off.

In the 65th minute of a match against Hungary in August 2005, an 18-year-old Lionel Messi replaced Lisandro Lopez to make his senior debut for Argentina.

His contest was done in 44 seconds. Vilmos Vanczak of Hungary has been summoned for a flailing arm.

The incident was captured on video (above), and the child was merely attempting to avoid his opponent's shirt yanking, but referee Markus Merk was all too ready to brandish the red card.

Not exactly how Messi anticipated his debut to go.

His given name is Luis.

According to Biography.com, the footballer known throughout the globe simply as Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina as Luis Lionel Andres Messi.

It's unknown why the athlete or his parents picked the name Lionel, thus several reports—including Sam Kelly's at ESPN—that he was named after American vocalist Lionel Richie are false.

His ancestors are Italian.

Argentina is where I was born and raised. As a naturalized Spaniard, he now has dual nationality. However, Lionel Messi's ancestors are from Italy.

Recanati is a town in the Province of Macerata in the country's east, and it is here where Barcelona's No. 1 son's paternal ancestors originated, according to the town's Wikipedia page.

According to Rajath Kumar of Forza Italian Football, the Messi family was centered in Ancona, with progenitor Angelo Messi immigrating to Argentina in 1883.

Consider that. Messi and Andrea Pirlo face off. Football paradise.

He has a connection to Bojan Krkic.

Lionel Messi and ex-Barcelona player Bojan Krkic are distant relatives, believe it or not.

According to Stefan Courts of Goal.com, an inquiry by Diari Segre revealed that Ramon Perez Llobera, Messi's great-grandfather born in 1859, was the brother of Goncalo, who was born nine years later and is Bojan's great-grandfather.

RECORDS:

The FIFA Ballon d'Or winner is the FIFA Ballon d'Or's youngest two-time and three-time winner (23 and 24 years old).

The overwhelming majority of UEFA Best Player in Europe awards (2009, 2011, 2015).

• The majority of La Liga's Best Player accolades (2009-2013, 2015).

• Top goal scorer for both nation and club in a calendar year (91 goals in 2012).

•  La Liga's leading scorer (312 goals).

• Top scorer in the FIFA Club World Cup (with Luis Suárez and César Delgado).

•  The most hat-tricks scored in a single La Liga season (8 in 2011-2012, shared with Cristiano Ronaldo).

• The only player in La Liga to score consecutively against every opponent (30 goals in 19 matches in 2012–13).

• The only player to win the FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball Award several times.

• In 2013, he became La Liga's youngest player to reach 200 goals.

• The only player in five UEFA Champions League seasons to become the top scorer (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015).

• With five hat tricks in the UEFA Champions League, he holds the record.

• The youngest player to appear in 100 UEFA Champions League matches (28 years, 84 days in 2015).