Lionel Andrés Messi an haife shi ne a ranar 24 ga Yuni, 1987 a Rosario, na uku daga cikin 'ya'ya hudu na Jorge Messi, manajan masana'antar karafa, da matarsa Celia Cuccittini, wanda ya yi aiki a wani bitar kera maganadisu. A bangaren mahaifinsa, shi dan asalin Italiya ne da na Mutanen Espanya, babban jikan baƙi daga yankin Marche na arewacin Adriatic na Italiya da Catalonia, kuma a bangaren mahaifiyarsa, yana da asalin asalin Italiyanci. Lokacin da yake girma a cikin dangi mai kauna, mai son kwallon kafa, "Leo" ya sami sha'awar wasanni tun yana ƙarami, yana wasa koyaushe tare da manyan 'yan uwansa, Rodrigo da Matías, da' yan uwansa, Maximiliano da Emanuel Biancucchi, dukansu sun zama ƙwararrun 'yan wasan ƙwallon ƙafa.
24 ga Yuni, 1987