Tuesday, November 16, 2021
World class for 18 years
Messi’s world fame is based on bankruptcy
Lionel Messi’s great football career comes of age: The Argentine made his first appearance in the professional field 18 years ago. At the beginning there is a defeat, then it quickly goes into profitability. Today the start is a reminder of a marriage that ended in tears.
When the skinny guy came on a quarter of an hour before the end, very few suspected that they were witnessing the beginning of one of the greatest professional football careers. We’re talking about six-time world footballer Lionel Messi, who played his first game for FC Barcelona on November 16, 2003 at the age of 16.
Barça was coached by Orange star Frank Rijkaard, who gave the teenager, who normally played in the Catalans U17, a chance in a friendly against FC Porto. Messi, who trained at the Barça squad school La Masia, was unable to prevent the Catalans from going 2-0.
Not much has been passed on whether the youngster was able to set accents on the pitch in the quarter of an hour. But it is certain that Lionel Messi came up with the number 14 on his back. Oranjes and Barcelona’s football king Johan Cruyff always wore them. Incidentally, the coach in Porto was a certain Jose Mourinho.
Because of his petite physique, Messi is nicknamed La Pulga, the flea. But the little Argentine became an absolute world star in the Catalans’ dress, winning the Champions League four times with Barça, the Spanish championship ten times and the cup seven times. The World Cup triumph with the gauchos was denied to him, however, in the 2014 final at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, the Argentines lost 1-0 to Germany after extra time.
In the summer of 2021, Messi said goodbye to Barça after 21 years, howled snot and water – his body and stomach club simply could no longer pay the superstar, although he had agreed to a 50 percent salary cut. A short time later, Messi was hired by the star ensemble in Paris St. Germain and should ensure that PSG might eventually win the premier class.