He has been known by this nickname since he was a kid. It is believed that two of his elder brothers called him 'La Pulgita' (little flea) which later came to be known as 'La Pulga'. The Rosario native was not one of the biggest kids on the pitch and his small stature earned him the moniker.
Despite being towered over by hulking figures at a young age, Messi still was an artist with the ball at his foot. And his older brothers took notice, calling him La Pulgita — the little flea — as a child. La Pulgita soon became La Pulga over the years.
Spanish outlets went a step further and began calling him 'La Pulga Atomica' [the atomic flea] as a means to describe how, despite being physically unimposing, still manages to have significant upper-body strength that allows him to physically dominate his opponents in challenges - while his quick footwork allows him ...
Messi's nickname The 'Atomic' Flea had seemed like the perfect subject matter. However, with only a limited knowledge of physics (Grade: C) I didn't really fancy my chances.
During one such game, Spanish sports broadcaster Manolo Lama coined the term 'El Bicho' during a radio commentary early in his time in La Liga. This means "The Bug' in Spanish which can frighten and devour opposition defenders.
Lionel Messi of Argentina is undoubtedly the GOAT of football in the 21st century. The acronym GOAT stands for Greatest of All Time and Messi is unquestionably the greatest of all time when it comes to football in the modern era.
Pulgas, also known as a Tianguis (which is the grammatically correct word in Spanish), is an open outside market with vendors selling new and used items for low prices.
Yet in Rosario, this has been banned after a resident gave his son the first name Messi. In order to avoid confusion, and not have hundreds of Messi's running around Rosario, the authorities have passed a law saying that the surname is banned from being used as a first name.
Messi's native language is obviously Spanish, with the Argentinian staunchly proud of his Rosario accent, despite spending many years in Spain. During his time in Catalonia he also learned Catalan, with certain Barcelona teammates speaking it as their first language.
He has been known by this nickname since he was a kid. It is believed that two of his elder brothers called him 'La Pulgita' (little flea) which later came to be known as 'La Pulga'. The Rosario native was not one of the biggest kids on the pitch and his small stature earned him the moniker.
He was nicknamed O Rei (The King) following the 1958 tournament. With 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil, Pelé held the record as the national team's top goalscorer for over fifty years. At club level, he is Santos's all-time top goalscorer with 643 goals in 659 games.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was nicknamed “cry baby” by his childhood teammates due to the temper tantrums he threw when the team lost or if he did not receive the ball.
GOAT is an acronym often used in sports. It stands for Greatest Of All Time. Many soccer fans view Ronaldo as the greatest player of all time, though Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona also feature regularly in soccer's GOAT debates.
1. Richest Footballer in the World: Faiq Bolkiah. Faiq Bolkiah holds the title of the world's wealthiest football player, boasting a staggering net worth of $20 billion, primarily stemming from his family's substantial inheritance. He is a scion of Brunei's royal lineage, being the son of the Brunei Prince.
Messi is the second highest-paid athlete in the world as of 2023, and has earned an estimated $1.15 billion in his career so far, according to Forbes. Messi owns a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio, holds lucrative brand partnerships, and even owns a hotel chain.
But the major difference, statistically at least, is that Messi has played over 100 fewer games than his rival – not a surprise given he is two years younger than the Portuguese icon. And when it comes to goals or assists per game or per minute, Messi boasts a superior record.
