Full name	Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini
Date of birth	24 June 1987
Place of birth	Rosario, Argentina
Position	Forward

Despite being only 27, Lionel Messi is already in the top 5. As long as he continues playing for his country and racking up the trophies and honours, he stands a good chance of topping a future edition of the 11v11 World Player Ranking.

For some, Messi is the best player in football history. It is true that “La Pulga” (“the Flea”) accumulates records with no less than 125 records broken or tied in 2013 including four Ballon d’Or won in a row (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012), three European Golden Shoes (2010, 2012 and 2013), number of goals scored in a championship (50 in 2011-12) and sole author of five goals in a game in the Champions League.

It is his vision of the game and his footballing genius which differentiates Messi. He is able to do things that other players cannot do, partly thanks to a lower centre of gravity.

Despite all his achievements, he still lacks a World Cup with Argentina (losing finalist in 2014).