My favourite sportsman is Lionel Messi, who is one of the best footballers of nowadays and one of the best players of all times! He was the best player in the world in the years 2009-2012.
Lionel Messi was born in June 1987 in the city of Rosario, in Argentina. He has two brothers and a sister. Two of his cousins are also footballers. His father's family comes from Italy, but the ancestors moved to Argentina in 1883.
Messi stared playing football when he was 5 years old. His father, a factory worker, was his first coach. Messi's grandmother wanted him to become a footballer and she herself brought Lionel to sport club trainings. Later on Lionel often devoted his first goals to her.
When the boy was 11 his family moved to Barselona. At 13 Lionel became a member of "Barselona" club team to which he belongs up to now.
Lionel Messi is married and has two sons.
Together with his team he won a lot of Europian and World Championships.
As the best player he was awarded 5 times the prize "The Gold Ball" and one prize "The Diamond Ball". The newspapers wrote: "...His legs are like Maradona's, his speed is like Crowford's and he passes like Ronaldinio".
