Lionel Messi’s inexorable rise – from a small boy in Rosario to all-conquering World Cup winner and global superstar – is one of the greatest stories in sporting history. Told and retold over the decades of Messi’s footballing dominance, it has already become the stuff of legend.

This compelling biography reveals the man behind the myth by focusing on the people and the moments that came to define Messi. Each chapter explores a key relationship – with Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Diego Maradona, Lionel Scaloni and others – or a pivotal challenge, from leaving home for Barcelona as a teenager to overcoming career-threatening setbacks, tax troubles and the intense scrutiny he faced when he led Argentina before he finally lifted the World Cup trophy.

Having interviewed Messi on several occasions and watched hundreds of his matches in person, Sergio Levinsky draws on more than twenty years of first-hand reporting to create an authoritative, passionate and inventive portrait of an unmatched icon. Offering unprecedented insight into Messi’s world and bringing his story fully up to date for the first time, including the high-stakes 2026 World Cup, the death of his father, Jorge, and his painful decision to retire from the Argentine national team, Messi and Everything Else presents the footballing legend as you’ve never seen him before.

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Reviews

“I cannot believe I will ever see a better player than Messi. A splendid insight into a footballer who has given the world so much pleasure.”

Christopher Davies, former football correspondent at the Daily Telegraph and author of Behind the Back Page

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