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In the section Tribune we present to your attention an article about the "Barcelona" club wonderkid Lionel Messi, written by the website visitor Vytautas, who is already being called the "new Maradona".
Although the Argentinian is only 19 years old, he is already being compared to the world's greatest football stars, which inspired Vytautas to write this article.
"Although I am not a big fan of "Barcelona", this player is simply impossible not to like," - said Vytautas.
Name: Lionel Messi Place of birth: Santa Fe, Argentina Date of birth: June 24, 1987 Height: 169 cm Weight: 67 kg Current club: "Barcelona"
From childhood together with "Barcelona"
The player's career began in 1995, at "Newell’s Old Boys" team, where he played until 2000. L.Messi was only 13 years old when this extraordinary talent was noticed by "Barcelona" scouts, who immediately invited him to play in Spain. So, at the age of 13, he moved across the Atlantic to Spain and played for Barcelona's youth teams.
L.Messi made incredible progress, he improved very quickly, and outperformed his peers. This led him to the "Barcelona" C team, where he quickly progressed and became a member of the first team. He made his debut at the age of just 16, on September 17, 2003, in a friendly match in Porto, Portugal, between "Porto" and "Barcelona" teams.
The next season he made his debut in official matches, wearing the Barcelona jersey. On October 16, 2004, in the Barcelona derby against "Espanyol" at the Olympic Stadium, Messi made his mark. Fast, technical, sharp, with excellent vision - these are the qualities that everyone loves about the young Argentinian, and he only continued to improve.
First goal at the "Nou Camp" stadium
Lionel Messi is the youngest player in the history of the "Primera" league to score a goal in a match. At the age of 17 years, 10 months, and 7 days, he scored his first goal for the first team of "Barcelona." This happened on May 1, 2005, in a Spanish championship match against "Albacete".
After those matches, the coach of the "Barcelona" team, F.Rijkaard, said: "I am very happy for him, he is a great talent." The Barcelona president, J. Laporta, said after the match: "He demonstrated that he is a player who can score in any way. The fact that Messi plays and gains more confidence and responsibility is pleasing."
The young Argentine usually plays in various positions. He is very creative, fast, can outpace defenders, and is technical. Therefore, he can play on the left and right wings as a winger, or even drop back into midfield. He often plays in the forward position. He is short in stature, quick, and agile, so he can even challenge the biggest players. Messi has a good shot, so he takes free-kicks, corner kicks, and penalties. But he often does not have to do it, as "Barcelona" has someone who does it, the best player in the world - Ronaldinho.
As time goes on, Messi continues to improve, his game gets better, and his goal tally grows rapidly. He becomes one of the main players of Barcelona. In the 2005/06 season, he played 17 matches in the Primera Division, scoring 8 goals, played 6 matches in the Champions League, and 2 matches in the King's Cup tournament. Messi continues to improve and becomes one of the most sought-after players in the world. However, he has a contract with the club until 2014, and the release clause is impressive, even 150 million euros.
However, there were reports that this amount did not scare off clubs such as "Real," "Milan," and "Manchester United." However, Messi denied these rumors: "Leo Messi will not only not be bought, but Leo Messi is not for sale, no matter what amounts are mentioned," - said the footballer. Therefore, the Argentine should continue wearing the Barcelona jersey for a long time.
A brief, but already impressive career
L.Messi is now only 19 years old, but even at this age, the Argentine already has awards in his collection that players playing football for many years do not have. Messi has won many titles with "Barcelona." Just to mention the gold medals won in the 2004/05 and 2005/06 Spanish championship seasons, and the titles of the Primera champions. Also, two times they won the Spanish Super Cup in the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons. And undoubtedly the most important tournament that every player wants to win - the UEFA Champions League trophy.
This happened in the 2005/06 season, when "Barcelona" triumphed and defeated "Arsenal" in the final, becoming the strongest team in Europe. Messi did not play in that final due to a thigh injury, which deeply saddened the young player.
Those were supposed to be the most important matches of his career so far. But his teammates won that final without Messi, and "Barcelona" became the strongest club in Europe.
L.Messi has not only achieved impressive victories with "Barcelona." In the 2004/2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands, Messi and his teammates from Argentina wiped out all opponents and became world champions, defeating Nigeria 2-1 in the final. Messi once again showcased his talent in that tournament - the young Argentine national team player swept all personal awards by scoring 6 goals and becoming the top scorer of the tournament, as well as being voted the most valuable player.
After the U-20 World Cup, he was immediately called up to the senior national team, where he made his debut in August 2005, against Hungary. His debut did not go very well as he received a red card. However, the initial unsuccessful match did not affect this young player. He kept improving and established himself in the Argentine national team. He also played in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and together with his teammates reached the quarterfinals, where they lost to the host Germans.
Lionel Messi is rightly called the "new Maradona," already following in the footsteps of his compatriot. He is fast, agile, bold, determined, technical, and has excellent field vision. Leaders and stars have these qualities. We can't even doubt that in the future Messi will be an even bigger star, as he is only 19 years old, and the most beautiful moments, victories, and goals of his career are still ahead. Messi is sure to delight us with his beautiful game and shine on European stadiums for many years to come.
