Lionel Messi celebrated his birthday on June 24 with people from all walks of life coming together to pay tribute to arguably the best football player to grace the world.

It has been 38 years since Messi was born to Jorge Messi and Celia Cuccittini in Rosario, Argentina.

Messi, who spent a huge chunk of his professional career with Barcelona, is currently seeing out the last moments of his career in the United States with Inter Miami.

He was, in fact, in action in the wee hours of his birthday as he helped his side reach the Round of 16 of the Club World Cup.

Messi started and lasted the entire 90 minutes of Inter Miami's two-all draw against Palmeiras. The Herons blew away a 2-0 lead after Luis Suarez had rolled back the years to allow the Brazilian side to come back into the game.

As a result, they lost their top spot in the group and will now face Messi's former side, Paris Saint-Germain, in the Round of 16.

"Although we may have won yesterday, the truth is we reached the Round of 16, which means a lot to us as a club. One more historic step, both for Inter Miami and Major League Soccer," Messi said on Instagram after the game.

After the game at the Hard Rock stadium in Miami, Messi returned home to a 'grumpy' cake from his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo and their three sons.

His wife followed up with a heartfelt message on Instagram.

"Happy Birthday, Grumpy Old Man! The best dad, the best partner, the best everything!!! How lucky we are to have you! We love you."

FIFA President Gianni Infantino led in wishing the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner well on his big day.

"Happy birthday to a legend who makes the beautiful game even more beautiful, artistic, and gives joy to millions across the world. Happy birthday.

"Handing over the FIFA World Cup trophy to you in 🇶🇦 Qatar is fresh in my mind, and your achievements on the football pitch are only outweighed by the inspiration you have been and continue to be for everyone with a football dream. Thank you very much for everything."

His former clubs, PSG and Barcelona, also left a message for him.

"You gave us your heart. And you’ll always have ours. Feliç aniversari," posted Barcelona.

"Happy birthday, Leo Messi! See you on Sunday," said PSG.

Messi will now lead his side against PSG on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Round of 16.

Should they get past the European Champions, Javier Mascherano's side will play one of Flamengo or Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

In a separate report, Messi opened up on his relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi stated that he has a great deal of respect for Ronaldo, but they are not friends.

The two players battled hard in Europe when they played at Barcelona and Real Madrid, winning 13 Ballon d'Or awards.

Source: TUKO.co.ke