To be where he is today, superstar Lionel Messi had to go through a rare disease in world football.

Many fans of superstar Lionel Messi will know about this striker’s troubled past. Even though he is at the peak of his football career, every time he recalls it, Messi himself feels extremely emotional and cannot even hold back his tears because of what he had to go through.

Messi as a child

Right from birth, the Argentine striker suffered from a strange disease. He was slower to develop than his peers. But it wasn’t until he was 11 years old that doctors discovered the cause of this. Accordingly, the boy who was very fond of football was then diagnosed with a growth hormone disorder.

Messi’s dream of playing football almost ended when his family could not afford to treat him. Even his parent team at that time, River Plate, could not pay nearly $1,000 per month to treat the academy’s most promising talent.

The 11 year old boy is always attached to the ball

Messi’s seemingly closed door was suddenly opened by the hands of a European football “giant”, Barcelona . Barca ‘s sports director at that time, Mr. Carles Rexach, could not hold back when witnessing Messi’s talent and desire to play football. A contract was quickly drawn up to bring Messi to Spain for treatment at the famous La Masia training facility.

In Barcelona, ​​doctors decided to inject growth hormone into Messi to help this boy develop his muscles and bones as well as his physical condition. Of course, all costs for Messi’s treatment are fully paid by Barca. The Nou Camp team’s keen eye for people soon paid off, as Messi gradually developed his muscles and became one of the most notable names in La Masia thanks to his talent.

Messi is always grateful for what Barcelona has done for him

Even with hormone injections, doctors did not expect that Messi would recover so quickly. From a boy who seemed to be just under 1m4 tall, Messi has grown up and even though his height is limited (1m69), it is enough for him to enter the professional path with his natural qualities.

Overcoming difficulties and challenges, the boy who was still upset because he might not be able to play football has reaped the ultimate glory in the career of a football superstar. Barcelona is also Messi’s only professional club up to this point, because this is the place that brought him into the light, the place that supported him when illness surrounded him. Obviously, Messi owes Barcelona a lot and the Spanish team itself is living by the breath of one of the greatest strikers in world football.