After winning his fourth Ballon d’Or—soccer’s most coveted individual award—at the age of 25 in 2012, Lionel Messi cemented himself as one of the all-time greats in the world’s most popular sport. This account examines the reasons behind Messi’s success, analyzing the affects of La Masia, F. C. Barcelona’s legendary training academy, on his career and discussing the crucial role that the three managers for whom he has played at club level—Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, and Tito Vilanova—have played in his development. This is an exhaustive exploration of the career of one of the most influential and celebrated sportsmen ever.