VIP news in the video: The turbulent history of Lionel “Leo” Messi

Lionel or “Leo” Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina.
At the age of five, Messi played for Grandoli FC in his home town in Argentina.
Three years later he switched to the Argentine Atlético Newell’s Old Boys.
At the age of 13, Messi emigrated to Barcelona with his family.
Messi was suffering from a growth disorder at the time.
At the age of 13 he measures only 1.40 meters.
The cost of hormone treatment puts a heavy strain on the family.
His parents hope for affordable and better medical care in Spain.
Because of his height and speed, he was nicknamed “La Pulga”.
Translated it means “the flea”. Messi still bears this nickname to this day.
During a training session, Messi is discovered by a talent scout from FC Barcelona.
In his first season with the youth team, he scored 35 goals in 30 games for Barcelona.
On October 16, 2004, Messi celebrated his league debut with the professionals against Espanyol Barcelona.
This is followed by 21 successful years at FC Barcelona.
During this time he won several titles with the club.
Among other things, he won the Golden Shoe six times as Europe’s top scorer.
In 2019 Lionel Messi wins the “Ballon d’or” for the sixth time.
No footballer before him has received so many “Ballon d’or” awards.
He has also been named FIFA World Player of the Year six times.
In 2021 he won the Copa America and his first title with the senior national team.
Messi is FC Barcelona’s record scorer with 672 goals in 778 competitive games.
In the 2020/21 season, the contract with the record footballer will not be extended.
The reason for this is said to be the high annual salary of more than 100 million euros.
Despite a preliminary agreement –
which says that Messi only receives 50 percent of his previous salary –
he will leave the club in summer 2021.