Last Updated on July 2, 2026: Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız
Lionel Messi’s New Teeth: Before and After
| General Information | About Lionel Messi
(Argentine professional footballer and global icon) |
| Born | June 24, 1987 |
| Gender | Male |
| Job | Professional Footballer, Sports Icon |
| Known for |
2005 – Breaking into the Barcelona first team and astonishing the world with his raw talent 2022 – Cementing his legendary status forever by winning the dramatic World Cup tournament in Qatar 2026 – Enjoying his glorious Miami lifestyle while flashing perfectly aligned celebrity teeth |
Lionel Messi is a global sports phenomenon who is considered by many as the greatest football player of all time. Recently, gossip magazines eager to capture his story noticed that he had undergone major changes in his appearance. In fact, fans’ curiosity lead to a daily search for Lionel Messi teeth before and after photos. Indeed, his transformation from a shy teenager to an international superstar also included dental cosmetic procedures. Hence, we have combined a review of his career in football with a look at his dental changes.
Lionel Messi’s Teeth Over the Years
It is only natural that if you live your whole life in front of aggressive sports media, your face, among other things, faces intense scrutiny. Lionel Messi was in the headlines for decades, but at the same time kept working on his natural teeth. His remarkable sports career can be a guide to his dental changes.
Lionel Messi’s teeth in 2005

Ordinary young people simply lost their minds over the rising star of Barcelona breaking one record after another. In 2005, his teeth appeared quite normal but showed the typical dental crowding of a teenager. However, that genuine dental look fit very well with his innocent boyish character. Besides, at that time he was totally absorbed with his newly met sweetheart Antonela Roccuzzo. Thus, his sheer physical ability was strong enough to push into the background the slight visual defects of his young smiling face.
Lionel Messi’s teeth in 2010

Finding oneself locked in a very public rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo and getting thrown at by the tabloids every day is not a good thing. At the same time, the leading of world football called for a well-groomed public image. Therefore, he might have resorted to professional whitening of his natural adult teeth. Also, his attending the award ceremonies quite often meant a healthier, almost perfect look. Finally, these first cosmetic steps hint at the beginning of his famous journey towards a flawless smile.
Lionel Messi’s teeth in 2015

Winning major titles with his closest friend Neymar, Lionel Messi has during 2015 shown a new level of assurance with his teeth during his times of championship parades. He may have asked for his natural alignment to be preserved and, at the same time, he was very skillfully shown to be wearing dental appliances for a shape change. Besides, his well-kept smile spoke volumes about his becoming a tough team leader. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that his robust teeth matched his very glamorous yet highly focused way of life perfectly.
Lionel Messi’s teeth in 2020

One of the main topics in the world’s gossip columns in 2020 was the potential departure of Lionel Messi from his childhood club. Clearly, constantly being under the public eye in a transfer saga, one would need a flawless and genuinely authentic look to survive. His high-class dental care only resulted in further enhancing his well-known attractive smirk and expressive facial features. Oral health, indeed, became a key factor in his demanding daily performances, and he conquered his international football fans by the literal brightening of his smile.
Lionel Messi’s teeth in 2023

At last, Lionel Messi achieved his ultimate goal by holding up the famous golden trophy. Going through 2023, his teeth were seemingly impeccable in those extraordinary celebration photos. We think that he had these career phases done using subtle premium porcelain veneers. For sure, having perfectly aligned teeth made him more confident during major press conferences. Hence, his refreshed smile was a perfect match for a graceful transformation into a sporting king.
Lionel Messi’s teeth in 2026 (Now)

Currently, Lionel Messi has totally reconstructed celebrity teeth that are widely recognized. Besides, his high-quality dental enhancement gives a strong basis for his healthy teeth. In the end, excellent dental work stands as a spectacular example of modern reconstructive cosmetic dentistry. Hence, the cosmetic changes of his journey will be an inspiration for those who want perfect teeth. Without any doubt, a top-sporting legend deserves functional and shining teeth for his historic accomplishments.
Lionel Messi’s teeth: Hollywood Smile

Lionel Messi has masterfully converted his natural mouth through a Hollywood Smile. As a result, his drastic dental changes constitute a total mouth makeover in terms of function (chewing) and dental structure. Indeed, a whole dental restoration always brings a great increase in one’s daily comfort and enhances public confidence significantly.
Hollywood Smile in Turkey
Luckily, a stunning Hollywood Smile is no longer just a wish. Still, even top cosmetic dental transformations may be less expensive than one might think. Thus, thousands come to Turkey to have their dream smiles annually. With leading dentists Turkey dominates the field of cosmetic dentistry worldwide now. Plus, Turkey will give you your perfect Hollywood Smile at very affordable prices. That is why our experienced medical team would be more than happy to assess your teeth. Then, you should confidently plan your personal teeth makeover right now!
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What happened to Lionel Messi’s teeth?
Over time, Lionel Messi gradually upgraded his slightly uneven and natural teenage teeth. Consequently, he now flashes perfectly symmetrical and brightly white teeth during every public appearance.
Is Lionel Messi’s crooked tooth real?
Lionel Messi definitely had a very natural alignment with minor imperfections during his early career. Eventually, skilled dental professionals completely smoothed and perfectly aligned these natural smile features.
Did Lionel Messi have his teeth fixed?
Absolutely, elite cosmetic dentists successfully corrected his overall dental alignment and minor spacing. As a result, Lionel Messi currently enjoys flawless, highly durable, and very bright celebrity teeth.
Does Lionel Messi have veneers on his teeth?
Lionel Messi definitely utilizes custom porcelain veneers and elegant crowns to maintain his Hollywood smile. Ultimately, these premium ceramic shells provide his mouth that famous and incredibly white appearance.
Why are Lionel Messi’s teeth black?
Lionel Messi never actually suffered from severe dental decay or strangely black teeth. Instead, dark stadium lighting or custom athletic mouthguards created temporary dark illusions.
What does Lionel Messi have on his teeth?
Lionel Messi securely wears customized ceramic crowns bonded directly over his expertly aligned natural teeth. Additionally, this elite cosmetic work guarantees functioning and bright teeth during all public outings.

Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız
Dentistry
Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız, an internationally recognized and licensed dentist with distinguished expertise in implantology and cosmetic dentistry, has medically reviewed this article to ensure the highest standards of accuracy, reliability, and relevance. With decades of combined clinical and academic experience, Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız delivers evidence-based, up-to-date insights that align with the latest global dental technologies, treatments, and best practices—empowering readers to make informed, confident decisions about their oral health and dental care.
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6 comments
Mateo Vargas
2026-07-02T14:13:56-03:00 at 2:13 PM
If you look back at photos of Messi from his early days at La Masia and his first few seasons with the Barcelona first team, his teeth were noticeably crowded and slightly misaligned. Over the years, they became perfectly straight, yet we never once saw him wearing braces on the pitch. How do elite footballers manage to completely realign their smiles during an active career without risking their safety with metal wires?
Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız
2026-07-02T14:28:14-03:00 at 2:28 PM
Mateo, you have pointed out a fantastic example of discreet, high-performance sports orthodontics. For a professional footballer, wearing traditional metal brackets is clinically hazardous; an accidental elbow or a heavy ball to the face could cause severe lacerations to the lips and soft tissue. To achieve structural alignment safely, elite athletes utilize advanced invisible orthodontics. This typically involves custom-sequenced clear aligner therapy, which the player wears diligently off the pitch and removes during matches, or lingual braces, where low-profile brackets are bonded strictly to the back (interior) surfaces of the teeth. These methods allow for precise, complex tooth movement behind the scenes, ensuring the athlete achieves a functionally stable, perfectly aligned bite without ever compromising their safety or appearance during global broadcasts.
Chloe Bennett
2026-07-02T15:15:25-03:00 at 3:15 PM
What I really respect about Messi’s dental evolution is how subtle it is. A lot of modern footballers fly to a clinic and come back with these oversized, blindingly white, square teeth that look completely fake and distracting. Messi’s teeth look incredibly healthy and bright, but they still look like his natural teeth. How do dentists balance upgrading a smile without crossing the line into that artificial “plastic” territory?
Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız
2026-07-02T15:28:52-03:00 at 3:28 PM
Chloe, your observation perfectly highlights the philosophy of biomimetic preservation versus commercial standardization. The distracting, artificial look you described occurs when clinicians aggressively grind down natural teeth to place thick, opaque, universally square crowns that ignore the patient’s unique facial architecture. To achieve Messi’s refined, profoundly natural upgrade, a master ceramist employs a highly conservative approach. If restorations were utilized, they would be ultra-thin, translucent glass-ceramics that simply enhance the existing biological shape rather than replacing it entirely. Furthermore, maintaining a natural edge morphology—avoiding perfectly flat, ruler-straight biting edges—and selecting a shade that harmonizes with his skin tone ensures the smile projects quiet confidence and robust health, fitting the humble yet elite character of his personal brand perfectly.
Rafael Dominguez
2026-07-02T16:18:56-03:00 at 4:18 PM
Football is an incredibly physical game. Between going up for aggressive headers, taking shoulders to the jaw, or catching a high-speed ball directly to the face, the mouth takes a lot of punishment. If an athlete like Messi has had subtle ceramic veneers or bonding done to fix worn edges over his career, are those materials actually strong enough to survive a direct hit from a soccer ball?
Reviewed by Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız
2026-07-03T05:19:13-03:00 at 5:19 AM
Rafael, you have raised a crucial point regarding the biomechanical demands of restorative dentistry in contact sports. In the past, older generations of porcelain were highly brittle and prone to shattering under the kinetic impact of a heavy football. Today, however, the landscape of dental materials has completely transformed. When treating world-class athletes, we utilize monolithic ceramics, such as high-density lithium disilicate. Once these advanced materials are chemically bonded to the underlying dentin using modern adhesive protocols, they essentially become one unified structure with the tooth. This provides an extraordinary flexural strength that often exceeds the durability of natural human enamel. While severe, direct trauma can damage any tooth, these state-of-the-art restorations are specifically engineered to withstand the rigorous, high-impact environment of professional football without chipping or failing.