Lionel Messi will go down in history as one of the greatest footballers the game has ever seen. But the man’s journey was not an easy one to the top. He has been around for over a decade now, and as he turns 31, one would wonder how he made it this far. Lionel Messi is arguably the best footballer in the world at the moment. He is often compared to football legends like Pele and Maradona and it won’t be a surprise if he overtakes them soon.
Barcelona was so impressed with Messi’s footskills that they offered to pay his medical bills and move the family to Spain just to sign him when he was 13. That probably explains why the contract was first signed on a napkin. During the 2005-2006 season, Messi began being paid as a first team member.
Lionel Messi also made his debut in the Spanish First Division league. Out of his seventeen League appearances he scored six goals. He scored one goal in six for the Champions League.
On March 2013, Lionel Messi donated €600,000 ($812,000) towards the refurbishment of a children’s hospital in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina. The money was used to renovate the oncology unit at the Victor J Vilela Children’s Hospital, as well as paying for doctors to travel to Barcelona for training
1. Lionel Messi shares his birthplace – Rosario – with revolutionary Che Guevera
2. At 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency which was stopping his normal growth rate. His parents could not afford his treatment, which was 900 USD per month
3. Barcelona sporting director Carles Rexach was so impressed with Messi’s skills with the ball, that he offered to pay his medical bills and move his family to Spain and sign him when he was just 13. He first signed on a paper napkin as there were no sheets available at that moment
4. His international debut for Argentina lasted just 47 seconds when he received a red card after coming on as a substitute
5. He was once offered a chance to play for the Spanish national team but he said no
6. Messi is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. He also works in support of people suffering from Fragile X Syndrome which is a kind of autism
7. Whenever he scores a goal, his simple celebration of raising his arms in the air is a gesture of gratitude to his grandmother who passed away when he was 10
