Lionel Messi is not somebody who needs an introduction - at least not to those who follow football. A five-time FIFA Ballon d’Or winner, Messi has had an impressive record right from the beginning. He has scored 500 goals for FC Barcelona, won eight La Liga and four UEFA Champions League titles.
As his stature grew, so did his fanbase around the would. From the streets of Barcelona to the fields of the war-torn Afghanistan and the narrow gullys of India, the No: 10 jersey is worn with pride and affection. Posters, street paintings, bobble heads, statues - you name it and chances are, someone somewhere has done it in honour of the player who turns 30 today.
A boy sporting a FC Barcelona jersey poses for a photo beside a graffiti portraying Lionel Messi as another one takes photos in Barcelona.
Messi "caganers" figurines are seen in a pottery stall in Torroella de Montgri, near Girona. Catalans hide "caganers", or defecators, in Christmas Nativity scenes to let friends hunt for them during Christmas celebrations. The "caganers", which symbolise defecation and fertilization of the earth, are believed to bring prosperity and luck for the coming year.
A mural of Messi, by Argentine street artists El Marian, Jiant and Martin Ron, painted on the outer wall of a community center in the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to the artists the painting, 12 meters high, is the world’s biggest mural of Messi.
A man grabs and kisses a bronze statue of Messi after it was unveiled in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The statue was unveiled days after the striker announced that he is retiring from the national team following Argentina's defeat by Chile in the Copa America final. A week later, he took back his decision following popular demand.
Hair Artist Rob Ferrel (L), known as "Rob the Original", cuts the likeness of Lionel Messi on the head of customer Vincent Hernandez, ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2014 match between Argentina and Switzerland at his barbershop in San Antonio, Texas.
Fans of Messi put up a flex board of the footballer donning Kerala mundu and jubba at Pulleppady in Kochi.
Argentina supporters decorate a car with photographs of Messi and Diego Maradona in Kolkata ahead of FIFA World Cup 2014. In 2011, the 30-year-old striker took part in a FIFA official international friendly match against Venezuela in Kolkata.
Left: Murtaza Ahmadi (5) poses with his jersey of Messi. Ahmadi gained Internet fame after a touching series of photographs went viral, showing him playing in a shirt improvised from a plastic bag, bearing the name and playing number of his hero. Right: Ahmadi finally got to meet his idol in Doha, where Barcelona played a friendly match against Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli. Murtaza, from the rural Ghazni province southwest of Kabul, walked out onto the pitch as a mascot, hand-in-hand with the Argentinian at the start of the match.