I always thought I wanted to play professionally, and I always knew that to do that I'd have to make a lot of sacrifices. I made sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. I changed my friends, my people. Everything. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream.

With the Argentinian National team Messi usually plays anywhere along the front line. The money was used to renovate the oncology unit at the Victor J Vilela Children's Hospital as well as paying for doctors to travel to Barcelona for training. Messi was named twice in the Time 100 the magazine's annual list of the most influential people in the world in 2011 and in 2012.

He serves as the captain of his country's national football team. He also won the 2010–11 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. In March 2012 Messi made Champions League history by becoming the first player to score five goals in one match.