10 Facts about Lionel Messi's personal life.

                                 

• Messi supports a number of charities through his Leo Messi Foundation.

• Lionel rakes in more than 16 million EUR in salary.He is annually among the world’s Top 10 earning athletes.

• He was offered a place in the national team by Spain which he did not accept.He wanted to wear blue-and-white Argentinian jersey, a chance he first got in 2004.

• Barcelona officials were quick to spot his footballing skills.They offered to pay for Messi's medical bills and the family shifted to Spain.

• Lionel is sponsored by Adidas and appears in their television commercials around the globe.

• His family is of middle-class Italian origin.His father Jorge was a factory worker, his mother Celia was a part-time cleaner.

• He was detected with a growth hormone deficiency at the age of 11.

• Lionel’s favorite music styles are Samba and Cumbi.

• Lionel’s nickname is "The Flea".

• Messi shares his birthplace with the Argentinian revolutionary Che Guevera.