It all started with a piece of napkin.
Two and a half decades ago, a 13-year-old boy from Rosario, Argentina, took his first steps in the city of Barcelona with only raw talent, a dream, and a growth hormone deficiency which made many clubs turn him down. Barcelona’s sporting director at the time, Carles Rexach, saw something in the Argentine that no one else did. On a piece of napkin, a promise was made, history was created, and dreams came to life.
The Rise
Lionel Messi joined Barcelona’s prestigious youth academy and quickly began to turn heads. Messi’s low center of gravity, electrifying dribbling, and razor-sharp vision set him apart from all. He was different. When Messi made his debut in 2004 under Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard, everyone knew Barcelona had got hands on a gem.
Messi didn’t take long to become a sensation. On May 1st, 2005, he scored his first senior goal against Albacete, assisted by none other than Ronaldinho. It became a symbolic moment in football history. Passing of torch from one generation to another.
The Pep Era
The arrival of Pep Guardiola in 2008 was an era that redefined football. It wasn’t an orthodox arrival, Pep was a Barcelona player who rose from the ranks of La Masia and understood the Barcelona philosophy of Johan Cruyff. When Pep arrived, he knew he had to protect Messi. Pep sold players like Ronaldinho and Deco to remove their partying influence on Messi.
With Messi at the heart of the team, Barcelona played football which was poetry in motion. The blend of tiki-taka and Messi’s brilliance was a cheat code for Pep’s side. The 2008–09 season was beyond historic. Barcelona won the treble — La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. In the final against Sir Alex’s Manchester United, Messi scored a rare header, on the world’s biggest stage. He would repeat the Champions League triumph twice in 2011 and 2015, both times playing instrumental roles.
Under Pep, Messi played from the right flank being instructed to push deep into the False 9 position which was a masterstroke by Pep. From that point Messi became a beast, scoring the most goals in a calendar year (91 in 2012), breaking Gerd Muller’s record and being the all-time top scorer for both Barcelona and La Liga, and a winning endless list of individual accolades.
The Emotional Connection
Beyond the numbers and awards Messi achieved, the beautiful relation between him and Barcelona was like Romeo Juliet. For fans, Messi wasn’t just a player, he was a joy to them. The feeling fans had when Messi touched the ball is indescribable. The feeling when Messi stood for free-kicks in dying moments. The feeling when Messi kept his interests aside during Barcelona’s darkest period. The feeling when we knew Messi is the carrier of our seasoned team, his silent dominance was unmatched.
Messi played with passion and humility for us. Representing us with the captain’s armband and always being with us in difficult times tells about his loyalty for this club. While others might have found glory elsewhere, Messi’s heart was always in the Camp Nou.
The Painful Goodbye
Not all stories have a fairytale endings.
But in 2021, after nearly two decades of excellence, the greatest to ever play for this club was forced to walk away not because he wanted to, but because the club couldn’t afford him. This failure was the result of La Liga’s strict financial fair play regulations, combined with Barça’s mismanagement and staggering debts which led to this unthinkable goodbye. Fans cried Messi, players cried, and the club was left with a wound no one could ever heal. This showcased a harsh reality, no player is immune to financial reality. But this harsh reality was hidden from the world due to a famous cover-up statement: “No player is bigger than the football club.”
The departure hurt like losing a part of your soul. It all started with a napkin, it all ended with one.
Whenever we Barcelona fans hear about a rumor of Messi returning, it’s a hope, a hope we know we shouldn’t attain. It was beautiful until it lasted.