RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The World Cup success in 2022 was Messi's greatest moment of an amazing career [Getty Images]
Lionel Messi is considering his future in football after the death of his father, Jorge.
The 39-year-old Argentina forward is signed with Inter Miami until 2028.
But, in an emotional tribute to his dad, he hinted at retirement as he said: "I don't know how to carry on. I used to just play football, and now I'm really not sure if I'll carry on doing it for much longer."
He has scored a combined 921 goals for Barcelona, Paris St-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.
BBC Sport looks at some of the most iconic moments of his remarkable career.
Messi unsure he will play 'much longer' after father's death
A rivalry that changed football
'That's why he's the king' - Messi sets up third World Cup final
First hat-trick as teenager shows talent
Messi scored three Clasico equalisers for his first hat-trick [Getty Images]
Messi's first career hat-trick came in one of the biggest fixtures in football - El Clasico.
At the age of 19, he scored all of Barcelona's goals in a 3-3 draw against rivals Real Madrid on 10 March 2007 - his first at the Camp Nou - including a brilliant last-minute finish after beating a couple of defenders.
This was arguably the moment he became a household name.
Sublime solo strike sparks Maradona memories
Messi has scored many outstanding goals but probably none as good as his dribble and finish against Getafe [Getty Images]
Just over a month after that hat-trick, Messi scored a goal he has probably never surpassed in the rest of his glorious career.
It came in a 5-2 win over Getafe in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on 18 April 2007.
In a strike with remarkable similarities to compatriot Diego Maradona's (non-handball) effort against England in the 1986 World Cup, Messi picked the ball up in his own half, beat about five defenders, went around the goalkeeper and slotted home.
First Champions League final goal
Messi did not score many headers - but he picked a good occasion to net one in the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester United [Getty Images]
Ridiculous as it sounds now, back in 2009 some English football fans and journalists questioned whether Messi could do it against English opponents in Europe - having failed to net in 10 Champions League appearances against Premier League sides.
But there were no more doubts when Messi rose highest in the box to head home Xavi's cross in his first Champions League final against Manchester United - and the first game billed as Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo.
Two years later he would score in another final win over Sir Alex Ferguson's men to claim the third of his four Champions League winners' medals.
Hitting four past Arsenal
Messi scored four or more goals on seven different occasions for Barcelona [Getty Images]
Messi scored four goals for the first time in his career as he took Arsenal to the cleaners in the 2010 Champions League quarter-final for a 4-1 home-leg win.
The pick of the bunch was his chip over keeper Manuel Almunia to complete his hat-trick.
An honourable mention goes to his five-goal haul two years later against Bayer Leverkusen in a 7-1 last-16 success.
He is the second top scorer in Champions League history with 129, behind Ronaldo.
Breaking Barcelona's scoring record
Messi is 446 goals clear of anyone else in Barcelona's scoring charts [Getty Images]
Messi broke Barcelona's goalscoring record - aged just 24 - in some style with a hat-trick in a 5-3 victory over Granada on 20 March 2012.
He equalled Cesar Rodriguez's 60-year-old record of 232 goals with his first, broke it with his second and extended the record with a third.
By the time he left Barcelona in 2021 he had extended that mark to 672 goals.
A record 91 goals in a year
Messi scored 1.3 goals per game in 2012 [Getty Images]
A stat so amazing you have to go back to double check to make sure it really happened.
In 2012 Messi hit his 91st goal of the year in Barcelona's 3-1 win at Real Valladolid on 22 December.
It earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
He netted 79 goals for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina - in a total of 69 games for club and country.
It was enough to earn Messi a then-unprecedented fourth consecutive Ballon d'Or - even though he only won the Copa del Rey in 2012 for all those goals.
New La Liga scoring record
Messi broke the La Liga scoring record - and would go on to hit more than 200 further Spanish top-flight goals [Getty Images]
This was the second major record Messi broke with a hat-trick.
He hit three in a 5-1 win over Sevilla on 22 November 2014 to become the top scorer in La Liga's history.
Messi equalled Telmo Zarra's 251-goal mark - set in 1955 by the Athletic Club forward - with a free-kick, before breaking it and stretching it with a third.
He ended up on 474 goals, far clear of Ronaldo's 311 for Real Madrid.
A 500th Barcelona goal - and in another El Clasico
This was one of Messi's most famous celebrations [Getty Images]
All the narratives seemed to come together in Barcelona's 3-2 win at Real Madrid on 23 April 2017.
Messi popped up with an injury-time goal, sweeping home a first-time shot from the edge of the area. It was an El Clasico winner, his 500th Barcelona goal and it sent his side top of the table - although Real would go on to win the league at the end of that season.
For good measure, he pulled out an iconic celebration when he took off his shirt and held it out so the Bernabeu faithful could see his name.
Tears at end of 21-year Barcelona stay
The almost unthinkable happened in August 2021 as Messi left Barcelona on a free transfer.
After 21 years, 672 goals and 35 trophies, he had to leave because the club could not afford to honour the new contract they agreed because of La Liga's salary limit.
In an emotional news...
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