Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi  born 24 June 1987 is an  Argentine footballer  who currently plays for  FC Barcelona  and the  Argentina national team  as a  forward or winger.  Considered one of the  best football players  of his generation,  Messi  received several  Ballon d'Or  and  FIFA World Player  of the Year nominations by the age of 21 and won both by the age of 22. He also won the  2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or  at the age of 23. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to  Diego Maradona,  who himself declared  Messi  his " successor ".