Age: 39
male
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won a record eight Ballon d'Or awards, a record six European Golden Shoes, and was named the world's best player for a record eight times by FIFA. Until 2021, he had spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, and the UEFA Champions League four times. With his country, he won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals (474), hat-tricks (36), and assists in La Liga (192). He has the most international goals by a South American male (106). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and the most goals for a single club (672).
Over the past decade, Alex Morgan has risen from an unknown college athlete to one of the most famous female soccer players in the world. She went to Diamond Bar High School where she played soccer, volleyball, and ran track. Then she attended the University of California, Berkeley to play soccer. Morgan led the team in scoring in all four seasons with the California Golden Bears. They reached the NCAA Tournament four years in a row behind her. In 2008, she first played for the under-20 US national team. By 2010, she was called up to play for the senior US national team. She was the youngest player on the US team that finished second in the 2011 World Cup. In the final match against Japan, she became the first player to ever record a goal and an assist in the World Cup final. The US won silver in the final after losing to Japan in a shootout. In the 2012 London Olympics, Morgan scored a winning header in the semifinal game against Canada in the 123rd minute. Morgan was named to the US Soccer's All-Time Women's National Team Best XI in 2013. Morgan was the youngest player selected at 24 years old. Morgan injured her knee playing for the Portland Thorns. She spent long time leading up to the World Cup recovering and played in all seven matches. Morgan recorded only one goal throughout the tournament, but helped win penalties for the team and raised the trophy after their 5-2 championship victory over Japan.
