Lionel Messi Quiz
Rosario, the napkin, 91 goals in a year and eight Ballons d'Or: 15 questions on Lionel Messi's career.
In which Argentine city was Lionel Messi born in 1987?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rosario
Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina's third largest city, and played for local club Newell's Old Boys as a boy before moving to Spain.
Rosario also produced Ángel Di María and the revolutionary Che Guevara, and the city is dotted with murals of its most famous footballer.
Which club's youth academy did Messi join at 13 after moving to Spain?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Barcelona
Messi moved to Barcelona in 2001 and joined the La Masia academy after the club agreed to pay for the growth hormone treatment his family could not afford in Argentina.
His first team debut came in October 2004 against Espanyol, when he was 17 years and 114 days old.
Which club did Messi join in August 2021 after leaving Barcelona?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Paris Saint-Germain
Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in August 2021 after Barcelona said they could not register a new contract under La Liga's spending rules.
He wore number 30 in Paris, the same number as for his first Barcelona goal, because Neymar already had the 10.
Which Major League Soccer club did Messi sign for in 2023?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Inter Miami
Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023 and won the Leagues Cup within weeks, the club's first trophy, scoring in every round of the competition.
Inter Miami was co-founded by David Beckham, who used an option in his own MLS playing contract to start the franchise.
At which Olympic Games did Messi win a gold medal with Argentina?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Beijing 2008
Messi was part of the Argentina side that beat Nigeria 1 to 0 in the Beijing 2008 final, with the winning goal scored by Ángel Di María from a Messi pass.
Barcelona initially refused to release him for the Games, and new coach Pep Guardiola stepped in to let him go.
Which team did Argentina beat in the 2021 Copa América final, Messi's first senior international trophy?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Brazil
Argentina beat Brazil 1 to 0 at the Maracanã in July 2021 thanks to an Ángel Di María goal, ending a 28-year wait for a senior title and Messi's own long drought with the national team.
Messi had lost four previous finals with Argentina, in the 2007, 2015 and 2016 Copa América and the 2014 World Cup.
In which year did Messi win his record eighth Ballon d'Or?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
2023
Messi collected his eighth Ballon d'Or in Paris in October 2023, after his World Cup triumph, extending his own record. Cristiano Ronaldo is next on the list with five.
There was no Ballon d'Or at all in 2020, when the award was cancelled because of the pandemic-shortened season.
How many goals did Messi score in the 2012 calendar year, a world record?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
91
Messi scored 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina in 2012, passing Gerd Müller's 85 from 1972. Guinness World Records recognises the total as the most goals in a calendar year.
The haul included 79 goals for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina, and Messi scored in 69 different matches.
Who assisted Messi's first senior goal for Barcelona, against Albacete in May 2005?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho chipped the pass that Messi lobbed over the goalkeeper against Albacete on 1 May 2005, moments after an identical goal had been disallowed for offside.
The goal made Messi, then 17, the youngest scorer in Barcelona's league history at the time, a record later beaten by Bojan Krkić and then Ansu Fati.
Which manager gave Messi his Barcelona first-team debut in 2004?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Frank Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard brought Messi on as a substitute against Espanyol in October 2004 and gave him his first goal the following May. Guardiola only took charge in 2008.
Rijkaard's Barcelona won the 2006 Champions League, the first of four Messi would lift with the club.
Which shirt number did Messi wear when he scored his first goal for Barcelona?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
30
Messi wore number 30 in his first season with the Barcelona first team, then took 19 from 2006 before inheriting the 10 from Ronaldinho in 2008.
Ronaldinho left Barcelona for AC Milan in the summer of 2008, which freed up the number 10 shirt for Messi.
How many La Liga goals did Messi score in the 2011/12 season, a record for a single campaign?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
50
Messi scored 50 league goals in 2011/12, the most ever in a single La Liga season, beating his own 2009/10 mark of 34. Cristiano Ronaldo came closest with 48 in 2014/15.
Messi scored 73 goals in all competitions that season, a European record, yet Barcelona finished second to Real Madrid in the league.
Which team did Argentina beat in the 2024 Copa América final?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Colombia
Argentina beat Colombia 1 to 0 after extra time in Miami in July 2024, with Lautaro Martínez scoring in the 112th minute. Messi had limped off injured in the second half in tears.
The win was Argentina's record 16th Copa América title and their second in a row.
How many official goals did Messi score for Barcelona between 2004 and 2021?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
672
Messi scored 672 official goals in 778 Barcelona appearances, a Guinness World Record for the most goals for a single club, passing Pelé's 643 for Santos.
Messi also made 778 appearances for Barcelona, eleven more than Xavi, the next name on the club's all-time list.
On what was Messi's first agreement with Barcelona famously written in December 2000?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
A paper napkin
Sporting director Carles Rexach wrote the commitment to sign the 13-year-old Messi on a paper napkin during lunch at a Barcelona tennis club on 14 December 2000.
The napkin was auctioned by Bonhams in May 2024 and sold for £762,400, about 965,000 US dollars.
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All Sports quizzes →About the Lionel Messi Quiz
Lionel Messi joined Barcelona as a 13-year-old on the strength of a promise written on a paper napkin, and left 21 years later with 672 goals, the most any player has scored for one club. In 2012 he scored 91 goals in a single calendar year, and in 2023 he collected a record eighth Ballon d'Or.
These 15 questions follow his career from Rosario to Inter Miami: his first goal and the man who set it up, his shirt numbers, his Olympic gold, the Copa América wins with Argentina and the records that may never be broken. It suits anyone who has watched football this century, with a few deeper cuts for Barcelona devotees.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
Does the Lionel Messi Quiz include the 2022 World Cup?
The focus is on his clubs, records, Copa América wins and Ballon d'Or awards, since the World Cup is covered in our other football quizzes.
Are the numbers in the quiz up to date?
Yes. Every record and count was checked in October 2026 and the questions are tied to fixed dates so the answers do not change.
How hard is the Lionel Messi Quiz?
It is rated Medium. Most fans will get the early questions, while the last five test detailed knowledge of his Barcelona years.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- In which Argentine city was Lionel Messi born in 1987?
Rosario Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in Rosario, Argentina's third largest city, and played for local club Newell's Old Boys as a boy before moving to Spain. Rosario also produced Ángel Di María and the revolutionary Che Guevara, and the city is dotted with murals of its most famous footballer. - Which club's youth academy did Messi join at 13 after moving to Spain?
Barcelona Messi moved to Barcelona in 2001 and joined the La Masia academy after the club agreed to pay for the growth hormone treatment his family could not afford in Argentina. His first team debut came in October 2004 against Espanyol, when he was 17 years and 114 days old. - Which club did Messi join in August 2021 after leaving Barcelona?
Paris Saint-Germain Messi signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in August 2021 after Barcelona said they could not register a new contract under La Liga's spending rules. He wore number 30 in Paris, the same number as for his first Barcelona goal, because Neymar already had the 10. - Which Major League Soccer club did Messi sign for in 2023?
Inter Miami Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023 and won the Leagues Cup within weeks, the club's first trophy, scoring in every round of the competition. Inter Miami was co-founded by David Beckham, who used an option in his own MLS playing contract to start the franchise. - At which Olympic Games did Messi win a gold medal with Argentina?
Beijing 2008 Messi was part of the Argentina side that beat Nigeria 1 to 0 in the Beijing 2008 final, with the winning goal scored by Ángel Di María from a Messi pass. Barcelona initially refused to release him for the Games, and new coach Pep Guardiola stepped in to let him go. - Which team did Argentina beat in the 2021 Copa América final, Messi's first senior international trophy?
Brazil Argentina beat Brazil 1 to 0 at the Maracanã in July 2021 thanks to an Ángel Di María goal, ending a 28-year wait for a senior title and Messi's own long drought with the national team. Messi had lost four previous finals with Argentina, in the 2007, 2015 and 2016 Copa América and the 2014 World Cup. - In which year did Messi win his record eighth Ballon d'Or?
2023 Messi collected his eighth Ballon d'Or in Paris in October 2023, after his World Cup triumph, extending his own record. Cristiano Ronaldo is next on the list with five. There was no Ballon d'Or at all in 2020, when the award was cancelled because of the pandemic-shortened season. - How many goals did Messi score in the 2012 calendar year, a world record?
91 Messi scored 91 goals for Barcelona and Argentina in 2012, passing Gerd Müller's 85 from 1972. Guinness World Records recognises the total as the most goals in a calendar year. The haul included 79 goals for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina, and Messi scored in 69 different matches. - Who assisted Messi's first senior goal for Barcelona, against Albacete in May 2005?
Ronaldinho Ronaldinho chipped the pass that Messi lobbed over the goalkeeper against Albacete on 1 May 2005, moments after an identical goal had been disallowed for offside. The goal made Messi, then 17, the youngest scorer in Barcelona's league history at the time, a record later beaten by Bojan Krkić and then Ansu Fati. - Which manager gave Messi his Barcelona first-team debut in 2004?
Frank Rijkaard Frank Rijkaard brought Messi on as a substitute against Espanyol in October 2004 and gave him his first goal the following May. Guardiola only took charge in 2008. Rijkaard's Barcelona won the 2006 Champions League, the first of four Messi would lift with the club. - Which shirt number did Messi wear when he scored his first goal for Barcelona?
30 Messi wore number 30 in his first season with the Barcelona first team, then took 19 from 2006 before inheriting the 10 from Ronaldinho in 2008. Ronaldinho left Barcelona for AC Milan in the summer of 2008, which freed up the number 10 shirt for Messi. - How many La Liga goals did Messi score in the 2011/12 season, a record for a single campaign?
50 Messi scored 50 league goals in 2011/12, the most ever in a single La Liga season, beating his own 2009/10 mark of 34. Cristiano Ronaldo came closest with 48 in 2014/15. Messi scored 73 goals in all competitions that season, a European record, yet Barcelona finished second to Real Madrid in the league. - Which team did Argentina beat in the 2024 Copa América final?
Colombia Argentina beat Colombia 1 to 0 after extra time in Miami in July 2024, with Lautaro Martínez scoring in the 112th minute. Messi had limped off injured in the second half in tears. The win was Argentina's record 16th Copa América title and their second in a row. - How many official goals did Messi score for Barcelona between 2004 and 2021?
672 Messi scored 672 official goals in 778 Barcelona appearances, a Guinness World Record for the most goals for a single club, passing Pelé's 643 for Santos. Messi also made 778 appearances for Barcelona, eleven more than Xavi, the next name on the club's all-time list. - On what was Messi's first agreement with Barcelona famously written in December 2000?
A paper napkin Sporting director Carles Rexach wrote the commitment to sign the 13-year-old Messi on a paper napkin during lunch at a Barcelona tennis club on 14 December 2000. The napkin was auctioned by Bonhams in May 2024 and sold for £762,400, about 965,000 US dollars.
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