The Complete Journey from Rosario to Barcelona. How Messi Rose to Football Glory

From the Streets of Argentina to the Throne of Barcelona. The Rise of Lionel Messi

The alien came down from his planet to entertain us and take us on a journey. We are truly fortunate to have witnessed this story, which is filled with moments of despair and moments of victory. It is a tale of the greatest talent in the history of football, from a sick child with a growth hormone deficiency to an icon placed on the cover of the book of football forever.

• And after years and years, the new generations will take this as a reference and source to develop their talent, but they still won’t reach a quarter of what this being has accomplished.

• In this article, we will discuss Messi's complete story, from his birth in Rosario to lifting the coveted title at Lusail Stadium in Qatar and winning his eighth Ballon d'Or.

• Lionel Andrés Messi was born to Lionel's father, Jorge Messi, who was supposedly upset because he had a son, having already had two boys before, and he hoped for a girl after his two sons.
• Just imagine if the world had gone according to Jorge's wishes; we might not have seen the joy and miracle that Lionel Messi brought to football.

On the other hand, his mother, Celia, saw him as a special child, different from his siblings. Messi's father was passionate about football and a fan of the legend Diego Armando Maradona, who was experiencing his prime. This is where Lionel's love for the world of soccer began, and it wasn't just his father who loved the game; the whole family, from his mother to his siblings to his grandmother, were all fans.

His grandmother seemed to have a glimpse of the future and had a terrifying confidence in Lionel Messi. She told him, "You will be the best player in the world." One day, he went with his grandmother to watch a match for the local team Grandoli, where his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matheus, were playing.

Overcoming Odds. Messi's Rise to Stardom

But his grandmother insisted that he should participate, saying to the coach, "Put him in, and you'll see." After this statement, Lionel stepped onto the pitch and decided to give the people of Rosario a glimpse of the terror that history would witness in the coming years.

The coach later said, "I gave him the jersey, and it was way too big for him; he looked like he was wearing a dress. He stood there shyly in his spot, but as soon as his foot touched the ball, I saw something extraordinary with my own eyes. He was dribbling past the players and scoring as well.”

• His family noticed that all the other children his age were growing normally; their heights were increasing, and their bodies were developing. 

• However, Messi, who was ten years old, still had the body of a five-year-old. This concerning situation led them to conduct tests, and that’s when the shock hit Jorge and Celia.

• His father and mother discovered that Messi had a growth hormone deficiency, which meant that his body would remain stunted no matter how old he got. 

• Imagine if Messi were like the Turkish child Koksal; the best description of Leo’s situation at that time was that his talent was immense but trapped in a limited body.

The only solution to this problem was to inject him with external growth hormones. This treatment would be very expensive, costing around $1,000 a month, and the family’s financial situation was weak, making it impossible for them to cover the costs entirely.

A Journey of Talent and Tenacity. Messi’s Transformation into a Football Icon

In 1998, the shocking news came: the death of his grandmother, the person he loved most and the first to believe in his talent. It was truly a big shock for him, and from that moment until now, every goal Messi scores is dedicated to his grandmother, raising his hands to the sky as a sign for her.

Meanwhile, the father was struggling to cover Lionel's treatment costs, and the situation was becoming increasingly difficult over time. The last resort was to ask the management of Newell's Old Boys to cover the entire treatment. However, since the club was local and its financial capacity was somewhat limited, plus the fact that Messi was still under 12, this posed a significant risk for the club’s management.

In a second attempt, Jorge presented an offer to the largest club in Argentina, River Plate, to sign Messi in exchange for the cost of treatment. The club was very impressed with Messi, and their offer was to cover half of the treatment costs, which still wasn’t enough. At this point, everything was on the verge of ending.

• Until a brilliant idea struck Jorge: Europe, the place where he had relatives who spoke the same language, Spanish. At that time, in Spain, one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities was Barcelona, famous for its beaches, football, and Johan Cruyff.

• In the late 1980s, Johan Cruyff took over as the coach of Barcelona with a unique style and introduced the Dutch school of football to Spain for the first time. He played a significant role in shaping Barcelona's style, which still exists today and has spread across the continent.

• Cruyff left the biggest mark in the history of the Catalan club. During this period, he paid great attention to the youth players at Barcelona. There was a large empty farm behind the club, and the word "farm" in Catalan means La Masia.

• Cruyff decided that the youth team would train there, and over time, the farm became known as La Masia, the youth academy of Barcelona. The development of La Masia was one of the club’s main objectives. 

• The boy was incredibly skilled, but his illness worried the club’s management, and the fact that he was still only 13 years old meant his father had to accompany him as a guardian, which would naturally increase the costs for the club.

• The deal was on the verge of falling through, but on the other hand, the coach who had tested Messi said, "If we don’t sign this boy, we will regret it for the rest of our lives."

Chasing Greatness. Messi's Inspiring Ascent in Football

This is where one of the most important figures in Messi’s life, Carlos Rexach, came in. The club’s management said that the last chance for the deal was for Messi to play a trial match in front of the sporting director, Carlos Rexach. That’s exactly what happened Messi stepped onto the pitch, dribbled past all the players, and began spreading his magic from his very first touch. It was clear that, even at just 13 years old, he was different from everyone else.

The sporting director, Carlos Rexach, said that Messi was incredibly talented, and from his very first touch, I immediately took Jorge, his father, to a restaurant near La Masia. In my haste, I didn’t have any paper, so I wrote a contract for Jorge on a napkin, stating that Messi would play for Barcelona no matter what anyone objected to, and that the club would cover all the costs of his treatment from A to Z. Rexach remarks, "I still keep that napkin to this day."

• The coach tried Messi in every attacking position, but the spot where Messi truly unleashed all his potential was playing just behind the striker. 

• His dribbling, passing, and ability to score whenever he reached the goal made him a perfect fit. As Messi remained committed to his treatment, which proved to be highly effective, his growth gradually returned to normal. By the time he turned 14, his treatment was successfully completed.

• The club then provided him with specialized diets and training programs to complement his extraordinary talent. 

The club’s amazement with the Argentine boy grew by the day, and they knew that his rise to the first team was only a matter of time. And when Lionel Messi would eventually join the first team, let’s just say, you can imagine what would happen.

After three years at the academy, Barcelona’s first-team coach, Frank Rijkaard, came down to watch the academy’s training sessions to select a few names for promotion. After witnessing the training, there was no debate Lionel Messi was chosen to join the first team in November 2003.