Messi joined Barcelona at the age of 13. Messi joined Barcelona’s infamous La Masia from Rosario; few would have predicted that this short and introverted boy would redefine the essence of football. Fast forward to almost two decades, Messi’s Barcelona career is an epitome of loyalty, success, and a global phenomenon that transcended the sport itself.
It all started in 2004 and the rest is history. Messi made his senior debut against Espanyol on October 16, 2004. In the years that followed, Messi transformed from a generational talent into the core of the squad. Messi was the main reason for Barcelona’s golden era alongside Xavi, Iniesta, and later, Neymar and Suarez. People trolled Messi for having better teammates than others and being carried by them. Messi proved them wrong after carrying Barcelona single-handedly for many seasons.
The 2008-09 season was the start of an era. Messi helped Barcelona win the historic sex-tuple including La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup. Guardiola’s reign at Barcelona was more than dominance, it was poetry in motion. The whole world took notice of their tiki-taka philosophy which was an example of how teamwork is done.
In 2012, Messi shattered Gerd Müller’s long-standing record by scoring 91 goals in a calendar year. Children in Africa wore Messi’s jerseys, while children in Afghanistan wore jerseys made from plastic bags using Messi’s design.
What made Messi’s career so special was never the numbers. It was emotions. Messi stayed loyal to Barcelona for seventeen years. There were times when Messi had lucrative offers from European teams, but he always preferred Barcelona. Messi left millions of unforgettable memories in the minds of Barcelona fans. The last-minute winner against Real Madrid, the solo goal vs Getafe, the spectacular free-kick against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, the teary farewell press conference in 2021. Each moment was historic in world football.
Messi’s influence was beyond the field. His sponsorship, documentaries, interviews, and charity projects followed, but he never lost his humility. He always praises other players, despite how big rivals they are. While other stars looked for fame, Messi did his talking on the field.
Messi transformed Barcelona too. The club’s brand, shirt sales, and revenue were at their peak during the Messi era. Messi was the holding factor between the generations. He started his Barcelona career with Ronaldinho and carried it forward with Xavi and Iniesta. Later defined an era with Neymar and Suarez and was forced out of the club due to financial reasons.
Messi had won every single trophy with Barcelona, the only title he was missing was the World Cup with Argentina. In 2014, Argentina lost the final to Germany. Messi was unsuccessful with Argentina after consecutive losses in Copa America. Messi was criticised and accused of not playing for his country with the same passion he showed with Barcelona. Messi worked hard and won the Copa America twice and lifted the World Cup in 2022. This is the epitome of always working hard and never giving up.
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