Junior Messias
A Brazilian forward who went from delivering appliances to scoring in the UEFA Champions League for AC Milan in his thirties.
Born 1991 (age 35)·Brazilian footballer·Birthday: May 13·Millennials
Biography
Junior Messias authored one of modern football's most remarkable late-bloomer stories. Unlike most professionals, he never joined a youth academy. In his early twenties, he was playing amateur football in Italy's lower divisions while working as a delivery driver for electrical appliances to support his family. His raw talent was spotted by scouts from fifth-tier Casale, and from there his ascent was meteoric. After a prolific season with Crotone in Serie B, he earned a move to top-flight Genoa. His relentless work ethic and knack for crucial goals caught the eye of AC Milan, who signed him in 2021. The pinnacle arrived swiftly: in November 2021, Messias, then 30, came off the bench to score a stunning winner for Milan against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, cementing his fairy-tale journey from the delivery van to Europe's most prestigious stage.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Junior was born in 1991, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Junior Was Born
The biggest hits of 1991
#1 Movie
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Best Picture
The Silence of the Lambs
#1 TV Show
Cheers
Junior's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1991Born
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1996Started school
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2004Became a teenager
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Could drive
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2009Could vote
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2012Turned 21
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2021Turned 30
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 35 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored a decisive UEFA Champions League group stage winner for AC Milan against Atlético Madrid in 2021.
- Helped Crotone achieve promotion to Serie A for the 2020–21 season, finishing as the club's joint-top scorer.
- Made his professional football debut at the age of 26 after playing amateur football while working a delivery job.
- Played for AC Milan in their 2021–22 Serie A title-winning campaign.
Did You Know?
Before turning professional, he worked delivering refrigerators and washing machines in Turin, Italy.
He played for the amateur club Gozzano in Italy's Serie D, the fourth tier, before being discovered.
He is a devout Evangelical Christian and often speaks about his faith.
He holds Italian citizenship, having lived in the country since moving from Brazil as a teenager.
“I delivered refrigerators. Now I deliver goals.”
