Not to believe: the unexpected revelation that few know about the failed signing of Messi to River

Lionel Messi He was close to having a different start to his career. Before becoming a legend Barcelonahe could have worn the shirt River Plate. However, an unexpected detail thwarted the signing and changed his destiny forever.

Although Lio became a legend in European football, where he wrote historical chapters, his career could have begun in the Monumental. What was missing for this to happen? Here we tell you the story of the frustrated signing that changed the destiny of one of the most important footballers in the world.

What was missing for Messi to be a River player?

In his first years in football, Messi played in the lower divisions of Newell’s Old Boyshis home club in Rosary. At just 12 years old, with the support of some friends, he traveled to Buenos Aires to try himself in the youth categories of River Plate. According to what he himself said in an interview in 2019 with Fox Sports, upon arriving, they only gave him between 15 and 20 minutes on the field in a game full of young hopefuls. “Come back the next day with your category,” they told him after that brief debut.

The next day, the number 10 of the national team once again showed his skill and scored several goals, which aroused the interest of River’s technical team. Given his indisputable talent, they offered him the necessary process to join the club and, most importantly, they promised to help him with the medical treatment he needed for his growth problem. It was a crucial aspect, since Newell’s could not bear that cost.

Eduardo Abrahamianthe coach who evaluated Messi at River, recalled: “They brought him to me with a teammate of his who was at Newell’s. In the test, I put him to play and I was surprised by his ability despite his young age. He must have only been 12 years old, but he was already doing incredible things with the ball.” Abrahamian decided to give him another chance and, on the third day, organized a more demanding test where Messi played against older boys. “I thought: ‘This boy is not leaving River‘”, confessed the coach, convinced that the flea had everything to stay.

On signing day, an unexpected obstacle arose. Abrahamian recalled: “I arrived with him and his father at the office to fill out the form, but the mother was not there. They both signed, but the mother did not appear”. This prevented River from closing the signing, since they required the signature of both parents to complete the process. Although Newell’s did not want to release the pass, River managers were confident they could achieve it through an interleague pass managed by the Santa Fe League.

Finally, Messi’s family returned to Rosario and the move to River was forgotten. Some time later, the Barcelona directors discovered Messi’s talent and, agreeing to finance his treatment, took him to Spain. Messi’s fate was thus sealed in Europeand the rest is history.

The only time Messi played against River

Messi’s only confrontation against River occurred on December 20, 2015 in Yokohama, Japanduring the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. Barcelona faced the millionaire in a match that attracted the attention of fans of both teams. On this occasion, Messi was one of the stars of the match, scoring the first goal that would lead to his team’s victory.

After the game, Messi had a memorable gesture with the River goalkeeper, Marcelo Baroveroto whom he gave his boots. Barovero had made a notable save in the game, and at the end of the match, he expressed his admiration for Messi: “My son will not be able to believe that I blocked a ball from him.” Barcelona won the match 3-0, with a double from the Uruguayan Luis Suarezsealing the triumph of the Catalan team and leaving River with the frustrated dream of a world title.