Messi’s past: Horrific childhood memories, almost retiring at 29, to a great moment at 39.
Messi’s tumultuous life before becoming the greatest player in the world.
At 39, Lionel Messi has officially made history as the greatest goalscorer of all time in World Cup history. But to reach this unparalleled pinnacle, the “king” of world football had to endure a long and tearful journey, starting with the urging of his late grandmother, his lack of height, and a fateful contract hastily signed on a napkin.
Messi’s Past
Lionel Messi’s legendary journey began in the impoverished streets of Rosario, Argentina. At the age of four, Messi first encountered football thanks to the determination of his grandmother, Celia Cuccittini. Although she passed away in 1998 and did not live to see her grandson’s success, Messi always maintained that he owed her everything in his career. He reminisced with emotion: “When I was four, the older age group team was short of players, and my grandmother told the coach: ‘Let him join the team.’ The coach said I was too small, but my grandmother kept saying: ‘Just let him play, let him play.'”
His small stature continued to hold him back when he joined the Newell’s Old Boys youth team. His coach at the time, Adrian Coria, recalled his first impression: “At first glance, you’d think this kid could never play football. He was like a dwarf, too fragile and small. But the moment he touched the ball, you’d realize he was born different, he was a phenomenon.”
Messi as a child (Photo: Press Association)
However, at the age of 11, a cruel nightmare struck when doctors diagnosed Messi with Growth Hormone Deficiency Syndrome (GHD). For two years, he couldn’t grow a single centimeter taller and was predicted to never surpass 1.4 meters without medical intervention. The treatment costs, exceeding $900 per month, were an overwhelming burden for his family and club, especially given Argentina’s severe economic crisis.
To find a chance to survive and pursue his passion, his family sent Messi to Spain for a trial at Barcelona. The appearance of the diminutive boy from South America quickly astonished his peers at the La Masia academy, such as Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué. Fàbregas recounted: “The coach told me to kick Messi really hard in one-on-one practice. I saw that he was small, so I thought I could steal the ball in a snap. Foolishly, he tricked me into falling flat on the ground, and I realized he was on a completely different level.”
Barcelona Rescues the Prodigy
The club’s technical director at the time, Charly Rexach, was convinced after just two minutes of watching Messi play. However, the Barcelona board was extremely hesitant due to the unprecedented financial risks of treating a foreign player so young. Faced with the club’s prolonged indecision, Messi’s father threatened to take his son back to Argentina. Unwilling to lose a genius, on December 14, 2000, at a tennis club restaurant, Rexach hastily borrowed a napkin from a waiter to personally draft a contract committing to recruiting Lionel Messi under his personal responsibility. That fateful napkin – which was auctioned off in 2024 for a staggering £762,400 – saved Messi’s career, helped him recover from illness, and allowed him to make his first-team debut at the age of 17.
Messi at age 12
From tragedy to glory
Despite reaping countless glorious achievements with Barcelona, Messi’s journey with the Argentine national team has been a long series of tragedies. The climax came exactly ten years ago, in the summer of 2016, when Messi shocked the world by announcing his retirement from the national team immediately after the defeat against Chile in the Copa América final. It was Argentina’s fourth consecutive major tournament final loss, and Messi himself missed the decisive penalty.
“For me, my journey with the national team is over,” the then 29-year-old superstar shared with tears in his eyes.
“It was difficult, but the decision has been made. Now I will not try anymore and there will be no return.”
At that time, he was surrounded by criticism in his homeland. The public doubted Messi’s loyalty, criticizing him for leaving his homeland at the age of 13 and labeling him as someone who “only shines at the club level.”
But ten years after that heartbreaking night in New Jersey, Messi proved his earlier assessment of “no return” completely wrong. He not only returned to help end his country’s World Cup drought, but now, at 39, he stands alone at the pinnacle of history.
Messi Makes History at 39 (Photo: Getty)
With a spectacular brace in the group stage match against Austria in Dallas, Messi officially broke the record of 16 goals held by German legend Miroslav Klose to become the greatest goalscorer of all time in World Cup history with a total of 18 goals.
The match against Austria perfectly reflected the resilience of the number 10 throughout his career. Despite missing a penalty in the first half, he didn’t lose his composure. In the 38th minute, he scored the opening goal, making it 1-0, before completing his brace in the 5th minute of added time in the second half (90+5′), securing a 2-0 victory and an early ticket to the knockout round for the defending champions Argentina. Previously, in the opening match against Algeria, he also bagged a superb hat-trick.
Messi’s Fulfilling Life (Photo: Getty)
Twenty years after his debut at the 2006 World Cup as a romantic, long-haired teenager, Messi, at 39, remains the soul and the lifeblood of Argentina. From a boy who endured nightly injections to stimulate his growth, Lionel Messi has overcome all adversity and the limits of fate to become the most decorated player and the greatest goalscorer in the history of world football.
