New Delhi, June 24 -- Argentine legend Lionel Messi, arguably one of the greatest ever to play the beautiful game, turned 39th on Wednesday.

The modern-day footballing legend, nicknamed 'La Pulga' (the Flea in Spanish) and 'Messiah', was born in a humble household in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina.

Messi showed early promise at Newell's Old Boys before joining Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, where his rapid rise quickly established him as a generational talent.

He made his senior Barcelona debut in 2004 and went on to spend nearly two decades at the club, becoming its all-time leading scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances across all competitions.

During his Barcelona career, Messi won 10 La Liga titles and 4 UEFA Champions League...