A Messi Story

Lionel Messi –  one of the most successful  sportsmen in the world. Even if you don't know his name, you may know his face. His image can be seen on billboards, in magazines, on TV. And the reason is, quite simply, because despite being only 24 years old he is the greatest footballer on the planet. On January 9th this year, he was awarded an unprecedented* 3rd consecutive Ballon D'Or (Golden Ball), for being the world's best player. To be the best for so long is astonishing! 

But what you might not know is what he had to go through to reach the pinnacle of stardom. When Lionel Messi was 11 years old, he was diagnosed with "growth hormone deficiency". This meant he didn’t grow properly, the way other children did. At the age of 13 he was only the height of the average 8 year-old!

Obviously it was clear that he was a very talented footballer, but due to his condition it didn’t look likely that he would ever make it as a pro. His local clubs in Argentina knew he was very good – but he was just too small to be of any value to them. ‘Thanks but no thanks’ was their attitude.

Despite these setbacks, the young Messi continued to work hard and indulge in his passion. He didn’t grow in size, but thanks to his determination and self-belief, he kept working hard at improving his game, and was optimistic that his chance would come.

Eventually, it did. FC Barcelona, who had heard of his talents but also his condition, saw in Messi a young man who wasn’t just highly skilled – he was also utterly committed to being the best – and that’s the kind of player they wanted. So they flew him and his family from Argentina to Spain, gave them somewhere to live, and paid for his medical treatment to help him grow.

And we all know who is he is now.

 

 

 

*Between 1983 and 1985, Michel Platini also won 3 in a row but back then, only European players were involved. Messi is from South America, so the first global winner .