Lionel Andrés Messi[note 1] (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi] (About this soundlisten); born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards