Lionel Messi | Olympics

Athlete Name: Lionel Messi
Olympic Event: Men’s Football (Record Medal Holder: Hungary with 3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze)
Olympic team: Argentina
Height/Weight: 5'6" / 147 lbs
2008 Beijing Olympics Expectation: Gold
About Lionel Messi: At the age of just 21 Lionel Messi is already regarded as one of the best football players in the world and is expected to shine at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His style has seen him dubbed by many as ‘the new Diego Maradona’ and his scintillating form for football club Barcelona has ensured that he has been a permanent fixture in Argentina’s national squad since 2005. Having missed out on the 2004 Athens Gold medal won by Argentina at the last Olympics, Messi was the star of the show at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2005, scoring twice in the final against Nigeria. Shortly after this success he made a disastrous debut for the full national side, receiving a red card against Hungary within minutes of coming off the bench. However he managed to put this setback behind him and has achieved much in his short career, including two La Liga titles and a Champions League victory with Barcelona, and a runner-up medal with Argentina in the 2007 Copa America.

(picture by cpozo on flickr.com)