As professional soccer becomes more and more intertwined with commercial interests, it is increasingly rare for a player to spend his entire life in the top giants. However, when Messi's Barcelona career review comes into view, it is not a review of the end of his soccer career, but a precious memory full of red and blue colors, which will also open a new chapter of his career.
Lionel Messi, the genius of the soccer world, has shown amazing soccer talent since his childhood, Barcelona has selected Lionel Messi in the first organization of his trial. Stepping into the Camp Nou, Messi began his soccer legend.
Lionel Messi began his soccer career with Newell's Old Boys in Argentina. At the age of 6, Messi showed amazing talent on the field, scoring nearly 500 goals with Newell's Old Boys as a junior player in 1987. However, at the age of 10, Messi was diagnosed with "Growth Hormone Deficiency" and had to pay about $1,000 a month for treatment, the first challenge of his soccer career.
In 2000, Messi attended a Barcelona trial in September of that year due to having relatives in the Catalonia region of Spain. After watching Messi's performance, Rexach, Barcelona's sporting director at the time, wanted to sign him immediately, but the Barcelona board of directors slowed down the signing on the grounds of signing such a young foreign player.
However, Barcelona's top management eventually approved the plan to sign Messi after much deliberation, and on December 14, 2000, Barcelona sent a letter to Messi informing him that the club was about to sign him. However, as Rexach did not have the proper contract documents on hand, Messi and Barcelona signed the contract on a napkin, and Barcelona would also bear the cost of Messi's treatment for "growth hormone deficiency".
Messi soon showed his talent after joining Barcelona's youth academy, and at the age of 14, he completed the Growth Hormone Treatment Program.The 2002-2003 season was Messi's first full season representing Barcelona's youth team, and he scored 36 goals in 30 matches that season. At the end of the season, Messi received his first offer from a foreign club, but declined an offer from Arsenal.
Messi's footballing talent accelerated at the start of the 2003-2004 season, when he played in all five of Barcelona's youth teams.On November 16, 2003, at the age of 16 years, 4 months and 23 days, Messi came on as a substitute in a friendly against Porto, coached by Jose Mourinho, and although it was only a 15-minute match, Messi's outstanding performance quickly made him a player of Barcelona's B team, and he was able to train with Barcelona's adult team on a weekly basis. He was also able to train with Barcelona's adult team on a weekly basis. While training with Barcelona's adult team, Ronaldinho, then the centerpiece of the Red and Blue Army, directly asserted, "This 16-year-old player will be even better than me." Messi and Junior then became friends.
Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut in the 2004-2005 season, becoming the youngest Barcelona adult player to score a handball in an official match, at the age of 17 years, 3 months and 22 days, when he made his debut in the 82nd minute of a La Liga match against Espanyol on October 16, 2004. In his debut season with Barcelona's adult team, Messi accumulated nine appearances, including his debut against Shakhtar Donetsk Miners. On May 1, 2005, Messi scored his debut goal in Barcelona's adult team against Albacete, receiving a pass from Ronaldinho, and won the La Liga title with Barcelona that season.
On June 24, 2005, the day of Messi's 18th birthday, Barcelona handed him his first adult team contract. The contract deadline was 2010 and Messi's default fee amounted to €150 million. In the same summer, Messi performed well in the Gamba Cup, and then Juve boss Fabio Capello said he wanted to take Messi on loan, but Barcelona faced a bigger problem when Milan of the world wanted to buy Messi out by paying him straight up the default fee and offering him three times his annual salary. Laporta, then president of FC Barcelona, said, "This was the first time Barcelona faced the danger of having to lose Messi, but the player himself agreed to stay." Then on September 16, Barcelona and Messi amended their contract to extend the deadline until the summer of 2014.
Messi officially became an adult Barcelona player in the 2005-2006 season, wearing the No. 19 jersey, when he played as a right winger, forming an attacking trident with Ronaldinho and Eto'o. He scored 8 goals in 25 games, while winning the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League. Messi scored 8 goals in 25 games that season, winning both the La Liga title and the Champions League. However, Messi's biggest regret that season was his prolonged absence in the second half of the season due to a torn thigh muscle, and despite coming back before the Champions League final, Rijkaard ultimately left Messi out of the list, so much so that he did not participate in the celebrations after Barcelona beat Arsenal to win the Champions League.
The start of the 2006-2007 season was the beginning of the collapse of Barcelona's "Dream Team II", but it was also the transition from crown prince to king, but injuries remained a nightmare in the early part of Messi's career.On November 12, 2006, Messi suffered a fractured metatarsal, and when the little flea returned to action, although he was able to catch the knockout stage of the Champions League 1/8 final against Liverpool, Messi was unable to help Barca complete the progression. 1/8 final against Liverpool in the knockout stage, but Messi failed to assist Barcelona to complete the promotion.
But Messi in March 10, 2007 against Real Madrid in the league's national derby played the first Barcelona career masterpiece. In the Camp Nou, Real Madrid took the lead three times, but Messi eventually scored a hat-trick, equalizing the score three times and helping the Red and Blue Army to a 3-3 draw against their centuries-old rivals. This beautiful answer sheet then made Barcelona senior immediately for Messi pay raise.
Although Barcelona collapsed on three fronts this season, Messi played two Maradona masterpieces to match his Argentine predecessor. In the Copa del Rey semifinal against Getafe, Messi completed a streak of five consecutive passes, paying homage to Maradona's masterpiece in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. In the league match against Espanyol, Messi scored a "handball" in tribute to Maradona's Catholic hand.
This season, Ronaldinho's king's scepter was gradually handed over to Messi, with the little flea accumulating a total of 17 goals in 36 games. In the 2007-2008 season, Messi accumulated 16 goals in 40 games, but failed to undo Barcelona's eventual collapse.
