Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi Cuccittini (Spanish pronunciation: [ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi]) (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine footballer. He plays for Barcelona and the Argentina national team as a forward. He also has Spanish citizenship, meaning he can play for Spain. Many experts and critics consider Messi as one of the greatest football players of all time. Some even say he is the greatest player ever. Messi has sox Ballon d'Or awards, the most of any player, and one more than Cristiano Ronaldo. His playing style and skills are very similar to the Argentine legend Diego Maradona because of their short height. There is much competition between him and Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo because of their similar skill levels.