View source for Mikheil Meskhi

{{Short description|Georgian footballer}}
{{For|another Georgian footballer|Mikheil Meskhi (footballer, born 1961)}}
{{Family name hatnote|Meskhi|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| image = Meskhi20141911-1.jpg
| caption = Mikheil Meskhi statue at [[Mikheil Meskhi Stadium]]
| name = Mikheil Meskhi
| fullname = Mikheil Meskhi
| height = 1.69 m
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1937|1|12}}
| birth_place = [[Tbilisi]], [[USSR]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1991|4|22|1937|1|12}}
| death_place = [[Tbilisi]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]
| position = [[Winger (association football)|Winger]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = School No. 35 Tbilisi
| youthclubs2 = FShM Tbilisi
| years1 = 1954–1969
| years2 = 1970
| clubs1 = [[FC Dinamo Tbilisi]]
| clubs2 = [[FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi]]
| caps1 = 285
| caps2 = 4
| goals1 = 54
| goals2 = 0
| totalcaps = 289
| totalgoals = 54
| nationalyears1 = 1959–1966
| nationalteam1 = [[USSR national football team|USSR]]
| nationalcaps1 = 35
| nationalgoals1 = 4
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{URS}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[UEFA European Championship]]}}
{{Medal|Winner|[[UEFA Euro 1960|1960 France]]| }}
}}
'''Mikheil Meskhi''' (Georgian: მიხეილ მესხი; Russian: Михаил Шалвович Месхи; born 12 January 1937 in [[Tbilisi]]; died 22 April 1991 in Tbilisi) was a [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] [[football (soccer)|footballer]]. Nicknamed the "Georgian Garrincha" for his dazzling wing play, he was a creative force on the left flank for the Soviet Union. He was invited by the [[World XI]] side via the [[USSR Football Federation]] who replied he was injured and couldn't play— he was not told of the invitation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Biography of Mikheil Meskhi|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlSXIPp_i_s&pbjreload=10|via=YouTube|access-date=9 April 2020}}</ref>

==Career==
He started playing football at the age of 14 in [[Tbilisi]]. Local well-known specialist [[Archil Kiknadze (footballer)|Archil Kiknadze]] was Meskhi's first coach. His unique football talent was soon obvious in the 35th Football Schoolboys team he played in.

During his career he played for [[FC Dinamo Tbilisi|Dinamo Tbilisi]] (1954–1969) and [[Lokomotiv Tbilisi]] (1970). He earned 35 caps for the [[USSR national football team]], and participated in the [[1962 FIFA World Cup|1962 World Cup]].  He also appeared on the Soviet squad for the first-ever [[1960 European Nations' Cup|European Nations' Cup in 1960]], which the Soviets won.

In 1998, Meskhi was voted the best player in the history of [[Football in Georgia (country)|Georgian football]], and a member of the 20th-century Georgian "Dream Team."<ref name="dreamteam">{{cite web|last=Goduadze |first=Lasha |title=Georgian Dream Team |publisher=[[Georgian Football Federation]] website |date=2006 |url=http://www.gff.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=112 |access-date=2008-07-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928003156/http://www.gff.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=112 |archivedate=28 September 2007 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{NFT|19140}}
* {{in lang|ka}} [http://dspace.nplg.gov.ge/simple-search?location=%2F&query=%E1%83%9B%E1%83%98%E1%83%AE%E1%83%94%E1%83%98%E1%83%9A+%E1%83%9B%E1%83%94%E1%83%A1%E1%83%AE%E1%83%98&rpp=20&sort_by=score&order=desc Photo Archive] at [[National Parliamentary Library of Georgia]]
* {{in lang|ka}} [http://www.nplg.gov.ge/bios/en/00008097/ Profile] at Biographical Dictionary of Georgia
* {{in lang|ka}} [http://www.nplg.gov.ge/athletes/en/822/ Profile] at Biographical Dictionary of Georgian Athletes 
* {{in lang|ka}} [http://fcdinamo.ge/en/news?n=505 Mikheil Meskhi] at [[FC Dinamo Tbilisi|FC Dinamo Tbilisi official website]]
* {{in lang|ru}} [http://www.dinamo-tbilisi.ru/personalii/igroki-2/igroki-na-m/mesxi-mixail-shalvovich/ Profile and Statistics] at Dinamo-Tbilisi.ru
* {{in lang|ru}} [http://www.biograph.ru/index.php/whoiswho/2/2125-meshi Biography] at Biograph.ru
* {{in lang|ru}} [http://footballfacts.ru/players/106972 Profile and Statistics] at FootballFacts.ru
* {{in lang|ru}} [http://www.rusteam.permian.ru/players/meskhi.html Profile and Statistics] at Rusteam.Permian.ru

{{USSR Squad 1960 European Nations' Cup}}
{{USSR Squad 1962 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meskhi, Mikhail}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:Men's footballers from Georgia (country)]]
[[Category:Soviet men's footballers]]
[[Category:Soviet Union men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Honoured Masters of Sport of the USSR]]
[[Category:1962 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:1960 European Nations' Cup players]]
[[Category:UEFA European Championship–winning players]]
[[Category:FC Dinamo Tbilisi players]]
[[Category:Meskhetians]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:Footballers from Tbilisi]]

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