Messi has also invested in youth football in Argentina: he financially supports Sarmiento, a football club based in the Rosario neighbourhood where he was born, committing in 2013 to the refurbishment of their facilities and the installation of all-weather pitches, and funds the management of several youth players at Newell's Old Boys and rival club Rosario Central, as well as at River Plate and Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires.[511] At Newell's Old Boys, his boyhood club, he funded the 2012 construction of a new gymnasium and a dormitory inside the club's stadium for their youth academy. His former youth coach at Newell's, Ernesto Vecchio, is employed by the Leo Messi Foundation as a talent scout for young players.[19] On 7 June 2016, Messi won a libel case against La Razón newspaper and was awarded €65,000 in damages, which he donated to the charity Médecins Sans Frontières.[529] Messi made a donation worth $1 million (€1.1 million) to fight the spread of coronavirus.[530] This was split between Clinic Barcelona hospital in Barcelona, Spain and his native Argentina.[531] In addition to this, Messi along with his fellow FC Barcelona teammates announced he will be taking a 70% cut in salaries during the coronavirus emergency, and contribute further to the club to provide fully to salaries of all the clubs employees.[532]
Tax fraud
Messi's financial affairs came under investigation in 2013 for suspected tax evasion. Offshore companies in tax havens Uruguay and Belize were used to evade €4.1 million in taxes related to sponsorship earnings between 2007 and 2009. An unrelated shell company in Panama, set up in 2012, was subsequently identified as belonging to the Messis in the Panama Papers data leak. Messi, who pleaded ignorance of the alleged scheme, voluntarily paid arrears of €5.1 million in August 2013. On 6 July 2016, Messi and his father were both found guilty of tax fraud and were handed suspended 21-month prison sentences and respectively ordered to pay €1.7 million and €1.4 million in fines.[533] Facing the judge, he said, "I just played football. I signed the contracts because I trusted my dad and the lawyers and we had decided that they would take charge of those things."[534]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 14 August 2020Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCopa del ReyChampions LeagueOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsBarcelona C2003–04[535]Tercera División105———105Barcelona B2003–04[44]Segunda División B50———502004–05[45]176———176Total3211———3211Barcelona2004–05[45]La Liga711010—912005–06[59]1762161002582006–07[62]261422513[a]036172007–08[77]28103096—40162008–09[85]312386129—51382009–10[98]3534311184[b]453472010–11[114]33317713122[c]355532011–12[119]37507311145[d]660732012–13[158]3246541182[c]250602013–14[165]312865782[c]046412014–15[536]3843651310—57582015–16[537]332655764[e]449412016–17[538]3437759112[c]152542017–18[539]3634641062[c]154452018–19[540]34365310121[c]050512019–20[541]332522831[c]14431Total48544475531431152822731634Career total51745575531431152822763645
^ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances in Supercopa de España
^ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance and two goals in Supercopa de España, two appearances and two goals in FIFA Club World Cup
^ a b c d e f g Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
^ One appearance and one goal in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances and three goals in Supercopa de España, two appearances and two goals in FIFA Club World Cup
^ One appearance and two goals in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances and one goal in Supercopa de España, one appearance and one goal in FIFA Club World Cup
International
See also: List of international goals scored by Lionel Messi
As of 18 November 2019Appearances and goals by national team, year and competitionTeamYearCompetitiveFriendlyTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsArgentina U20[287][288]2004—2323200516[a]11—1611Total1611231814Argentina U23[311]20085[b]2—5[α]2Argentina[294][542]20053[c]0205020063[d]14172200710[e]44214620086[c]1218220098[c]12210320105[d]05210220118[f]25213420125[c]54791220135[c]3237620147[d]47414820156[g]12384201610[h]81011820175[c]4207420184[d]1135420196[g]144105Total9136473413870Career total11249493716186
^ a b Does not include an appearance for Argentina U23 against the unofficial Catalonia team in May 2008.[4]
^ Nine appearances and five goals in the 2005 South American U-20 Championship, seven appearances and six goals in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
^ Appearances in Summer Olympics
^ a b c d e f Appearances in FIFA World Cup qualification
^ a b c d Appearances in FIFA World Cup
^ Six appearances and two goals in Copa América, four appearances and two goals in FIFA World Cup qualification
^ Four appearances in Copa América, four appearances and two goals in FIFA World Cup qualification
^ a b Appearances in Copa América
^ Five appearances and three goals in FIFA World Cup qualification, five appearances and five goals in Copa