Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players ever to touch the sport. He has broken Madonna’s record in the World Cup alone by scoring against Australia in the preliminary round. He also broke the record of the oldest player to score five goals in the world cup in the semi-finals against Croatia. As this is the last World Cup Lionel Messi will play in, we wanted to create a blog highlighting the hard work and dedication of Lionel Messi and why he is an inspiration to the younger generation. This blog will highlight Lionel Messi’s story before he was one of the greatest of all time and how he inspires the next generation of soccer players.
Lionel Messi’s Story
Lionel Messi may very well go down as the greatest soccer player of all time when he retires, but his hard work and dedication brought him there. When Messi was young, his grandmother inspired him to play soccer, as he wanted to make her proud of him. When he was 10, his grandma passed away, and he almost lost his passion for the sport, as his grandma was the reason he wanted to play so hard. He was convinced to continue playing soccer to make his grandmother proud.
Diagnosed With a Possible Career Altering Condition
However, the year after the death of his grandmother Lionel Messi discovered that he had growth hormone deficiency. This disease prevented the young child from ever physically again without getting special treatment to cure his condition. However, his parents did not have the funding to get the surgery for this disease, as the treatment would span over three years and cost $1500. Since his parents could not fund this surgery, his father went to the Newell Boys Club to request support. Since Messi’s talent was undeniable, the club lent the family a small sum of money. Unfortunately, it was not enough to cover the complete treatment. The family continued to search for a team to support the cost of the surgery so Messi could continue to pursue his dream. He then was scouted by Buenos Aires Club, run by Pablo Aimar, who Messi idolized, but unfortunately, the club was unwilling to cover the expenses. The window of opportunity continued to close on Messi’s dream as the chance of him getting the treatment needed to continue playing soccer at a high level was slim to none. This was until the news about how talented Lionel was made it to Spain, where the coach of FC Barcelona got word of his talent and wanted to see the skills for himself. If Lionel Messi passed the trial the coach had set for him, they would cover his medical bills, but he would have to move to Spain. In September of 2000, the Messi family moved to Spain so Lionel could continue chasing his dreams. At his first appearance with the team, the coach was so impressed with his skill and ability that he had him sign a contract with the club.
Quick Rise In The Rankings
Lionel was thrilled he finally got the opportunity to show his skills, and did he ever. At 13, he had incredible ball-control ability and unbeatable goal-scoring, which earned him the MVP of his first tournament in Spain. After only a year and a half of being there, he had reached the level within the Academy where he could join his first team, and his treatment was completed, so he was a more appropriate height. At the age of 16, he played in his first professional game. He made rapid progress because, at 17, he made his league debut and was the youngest player to represent FC Barcelona. Then at 18, he signed his senior player contract for FC Barcelona, and in the same year, he made his first appearance for Argentina in international play. By the age of 22, he had already won the FIFA player of the year; establishing himself as one of the best players in the world at such a young age is incredible. Despite his condition and constant barricades in the early part of his career, he persevered, and his hard work played out because he is one of the greatest soccer players ever.
How He Inspires The Next Generation Of Soccer Players
Lionel Messi is a massive inspiration to the next generation of soccer players, and deservingly so. Lionel worked incredibly hard to be in his position; nothing was gifted to him. He did not let any early setbacks in his career deter him; he continued to work hard and had to work harder than anyone else because he was undersized. Messi showcases what hard work looks like and preaches that you must work hard for the things you want. He also showcases how success takes time; not everything happened right away for Lionel Messi; it took time and patience. Most importantly, he showcases perfect humility and is overly humble regardless of everything he has achieved throughout his career. When he retires, he will go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, soccer players of all time and inspire soccer players for generations to come globally.
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