One of the most exciting players around is Lionel Messi, often considered to be the natural successor to Diego Maradona.
Born in Argentina in 1987, he signed for Newell’s Old Boys before being offered a place at FC Barcelona, and since that time Messi has been marked for super stardom.
Leo’s uniqueness is his stunning ability for high speed dribbling, all the time with complete mastery of the ball. Usually playing on the wing, he has the flexibility to play more centrally or deeper in but, whatever his position, when he has the ball at his feet, the fans always expect something special from him.
Since his first goal for FC Barcelona in May 2005 Messi has become a talisman for the team – his modest attitude off the pitch and his constant praising of the work of the rest of the squad ensuring that the fans always regard him highly – you can see him play at the Nou Camp by ordering FC Barcelona Tickets online.
Life wasn’t always easy for Messi, though, despite his prodigious talent. As a youngster, Lionel suffered from a growth preventing hormonal disorder – FC Barcelona helped tempt him to Spain by offering to pay for the specialist medical treatment required. This short stature, ironically, has enabled Leo to have that low centre of gravity that enables him to weave through defences.
Despite being wooed by the Spanish national team, Messi has always been eager to represent Argentina – he was voted player of the tournament in the Under 20 World Cup in 2005, where he was also top goal scorer. In the 2007 Copa America he was voted young player of the tournament. He was not afraid to let it be known how desperate he was to represent Argentina in the 2008 Olympic Games and although Barcelona appeared reluctant at first to release him, he ultimately helped Argentina win the gold medal – creating the only goal of the final in the process.
And in the 2010 Word Cup in South Africa he is showing what can be done under the managership of his idol, Diego Maradona.
