In 1987, Messi weighed 6 catties when he was born.
At the age of 4, Messi joined the local football club Grandoli in his hometown, coached by his father Jorge.
Jorge said that when Messi was 4 years old, he could let the ball lie on his sneakers, and when he was a little older, he began to fight against his two older brothers.
Later, Gatorade, which cooperated with Messi, made this story very vivid in an animated short film.
In 1992, when Messi was 5 years old, he was shooting endlessly around the block. The other children had gone home for dinner, but he was still kicking at the door of the house alone. The neighbors came to complain and asked him to be quieter.
When he was a child, the best way for his mother to punish him was to give him a “ball ban”, and he would immediately beg for mercy.
Besides football, he has a sweet tooth like any other child, especially chocolate and candy-filled biscuits.
“Until I met football, my life changed completely. I clearly remember the appearance of my first football. In my heart, it is like a candy.”
But God did not favor him. When he was 10 years old, Messi followed his parents to the endocrine clinic of the hospital and found that he was suffering from growth hormone deficiency. The incidence of this disease is only 1/20000. The doctor said that without treatment, it is difficult to exceed 1.4 meters in height.
If treated, it will cost 12,000 euros a year.
At the age of 11, he told his brother Rodrygo that he wanted to win the Golden Globe Award-in 2021, he won the Golden Globe Award 7 times, the most in the world.
That year, Messi’s grandmother Celia passed away, and her grandmother often accompanied him during Messi’s training and competitions. Since then, Messi will look up and point his finger to the sky every time he celebrates a goal, in memory of his grandmother.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Barcelona’s most famous scout, Mingulia, received a video tape. He immediately sent the tape to the top management, hoping that the team would sign the teenager named Messi.
In 2000, Messi and his family moved to Spain. At the age of 13, Messi was only 125 cm tall.
On the pitch, some boys started pointing at Messi: “This guy is a midget.”
But soon, Messi shocked everyone with his dribbling and shooting, and he won the respect of the young players.
Back at the hotel, whenever the night was quiet, he would take out the syringe before going to bed, and inject the medicine for dwarfism by the light by the bedside.
Barcelona invited Messi to the team for trial training. In one game, he scored 5 goals and 1 goal was blown offside.
Barcelona youth coach excited: “We have to sign this kid!”
But Messi has been waiting for a long time since then.
Because some high-level officials in Barcelona objected to signing Messi-he is not a Spaniard, and the law does not allow foreign children to play at the Spanish national level;
In order to take care of his daily life, at least one of his parents must accompany him, and the club has to help his parents find a job;
Moreover, Messi’s “short stature” needs treatment, and the club has to pay for medical expenses.
When Barcelona hesitated, AC Milan and Real Madrid all threw an olive branch to Messi.
In December 2000, in a small bar, Messi’s agent had a showdown with Barcelona’s technical director Sally Rexach: “You are going to commit to signing Messi today. If you don’t, that’s fine.” , we parted ways.”
Sally didn’t know how to draw up a contract: “Give me a piece of paper.”
The waiter brought a ballpoint pen, but no paper.
Sully drew a napkin from the tin box on the bar.
“On December 14, 2000, Sally Rexage, the technical director of FC Barcelona, promised that I would sign Lionel Messi, even if there were some objections.”
In order to show seriousness, they also found a notary.
The Macy family never saw the paper, but Macy’s father got a call that night and learned the story of the “napkin contract.”
At that time, what Barcelona wanted most was not a 13-year-old kid, but two or three players who could beat Real Madrid.
But Rexach said categorically in the game with the board members: “If you sign him, you have the future.” No one would have thought that 3 years later, Messi would become a player in the Barcelona first team.
Barcelona paid the rent for Messi’s family, found his father a job in a security company, and paid for Messi’s growth hormone treatment. Nearly a year of treatment has increased Messi’s height by 16 centimeters.
But the Messi family can only be separated from each other.
Because his youngest sister Maria could not integrate into Barcelona, his mother could only take her and his brothers back to live in Argentina, while his father Jorge would take the underage Messi alone to complete his football dream. From that day on, the 14-year-old Messi no longer had a retreat.
For him, success is no longer an option, but something he must accomplish.
If he doesn’t become a great football player, then he will live up to the sacrifices his family has made for him.
After each training session, when others left, Messi asked the coach if he could kick a few free kicks.
Assistant coach Ten Carter said: “Some players you have to urge him all the time and let him be active. But for Messi, you have to put a rope around his neck to pull him back.”
On Saturdays and Sundays, when others rest at home, he watches videos of other teams in the club.
Once, coach Rudolph stopped Messi and said to him: “You may enter the first team, or you may not enter. But you can definitely become a professional player, because the kind of love you have is different. ordinary.”
In the 2002~2003 season, Messi played 30 league games on behalf of the Barcelona youth team and scored 36 goals, including 3 hat-tricks and 1 “big four”.
In a game at the end of 2003, several members of the coaching staff were watching Messi’s performance, and they were a little excited.”We have to put him with Ronaldinho.”
“He was as sharp as a bullet.”
One day, Ronaldinho went to the coaching staff directly and said: “Boss, Messi should come to our team and fight with us.”
But Messi’s personality is relatively introverted. When he first entered the Barcelona first team from the youth team, it was not easy for him to integrate into everyone.
He said: “In the Barcelona dressing room, we, the players who have been promoted from the B team, sit together, and the stars of the first team sit on the other side, and it looks very different.”
But at one point, Ronaldinho came up out of the blue and let Messi go and sit with them. Messi recalled: “I didn’t have the guts at first.
But Ronaldinho told him: “It’s okay, I’m here.”
The difference between the two is 7 years old. At that time, Ronaldinho was in his golden heyday, and he was also named the World Footballer.
But Ronaldinho said in an interview with the media: “Don’t say I am the best in the world, even in Barcelona I am not. Because there is a little Messi in the second team, he is much better than me.”
Once the basketball superstar Kobe met Ronaldinho. When the two exchanged greetings, Kobe said: “You are the best.”
At this time, Messi came from a distance, and Ronaldinho said excitedly: “Look, the best person is here!” Messi was only 17 years old at the time.
In May 2005, the 17-year-old Messi played for Barcelona and became the youngest player in Barcelona’s official game.
In the game against Albacete, with 3 minutes left in the game, Barcelona led 1-0, and the coach replaced Messi.
Ronaldinho walked up to Messi: “I will pass you the ball to help you score, so that you will be on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow.”
Ronaldinho passed the ball behind the opponent’s defender with the back of his foot from the midfielder position. After the ball bounced, Messi broke through the opponent’s goal with an exquisite lob and scored his first goal in La Liga.
He ran with open arms, and Ronaldinho ran over, bent down, and let Messi jump on his back.
The goalkeeper of the Albacete team had a premonition that Messi would grow into a superstar in the future, so he deliberately saved the football of that game.
At noon the next day, Messi was eating lunch at home, and suddenly received a congratulatory call from Maradona himself. This was the first time the two talked on the phone.
A year later, Maradona told the media: “I see an Argentine football player who can succeed me, and his name is Messi.
“The goal! Messi’s goal, he passed Getafe and other 4 defensive players, and then passed the goalkeeper, scored with his right foot, and the right foot is not Messi’s dominant foot! Remember this goal Goal, in the 28th minute of the first half, without a doubt, the best goal of the season!”
On April 18, 2007, when Barcelona played against Getafe, Messi staged a wonderful performance with five players in a row, which reminded many fans of Maradona’s best goal of the century in 1986.
On foreign websites, some people even specially made videos to analyze the way Messi and Maradona scored goals, offensive routes, and extraordinary ways frame by frame. There are striking similarities.
Messi then scored a handball against Espanyol. This “Hand of God” goal brought the discussion of the similarities between the two to an all-time high.
Marshal Wenger commented: “Messi is Maradona, but with a turbocharger on his feet.”
“Sports Illustrated” reporter interviewed Maradona: “Can Messi catch up with you?”
Maradona said: “If it is for Argentine football, let Messi surpass me!”
From this year, Messi, who is regarded as Maradona’s successor, began a 15-year cooperation with Gatorade.
At the beginning, people just regarded this as a regular endorsement of football rookies and sports drink brands, but it soon became clear that this cooperation meant much more to Messi.
In a game in March 2008, Messi tore the biceps femoris in the third joint of his left leg and was injured for 6 weeks.
This is his third serious injury in two years. Why? What happened to his body? Is it related to his eating habits?
Barcelona set up a special committee for this purpose, trying to figure out the reasons behind Messi’s repeated injuries.
Team doctors discovered that his muscle mass was composed of explosive fibers, much like a sprinter’s muscle mass: These muscles gave him speed, but there was always a risk of sudden rupture.
None of these muscle injuries were the result of a coincidence. At that time, Messi still loved pizza, hamburgers, chicken fried steak, and sweet cakes.
Messi’s personal physiotherapist Juanjo Brau said to Messi: “At a certain stage, you need to change your eating habits. When your needs increase, your ‘fuel’ also needs to be improved. To achieve every At 50 mph, your normal lifestyle is enough; but to go faster, you have to get your body working perfectly, and that requires adjusting your lifestyle.”
The Barça committee has tailored a daily stretching routine for him to help him strengthen his muscles. He has to practice very rigorously every day in order to develop his abilities to the fullest.
Messi, free from injury, discovered the benefits of changing his habits, and eventually these new habits became his way of life.
When Guardiola was in charge of Barcelona, Messi rarely got injured.
In 2009, Messi put on the No. 10 jersey left by the departed Ronaldinho and became the leader of the new generation of the Red and Blues.
Messi won six crowns for Barcelona and achieved an unprecedented Grand Slam. He also beat Ronaldo to win the European Footballer of the Year and the World Footballer of the Year.
In 2012, Messi’s state shocked the world. This year he is almost omnipotent: long-distance attacks and free shuttles, the edge of the penalty area moves like a rabbit, difficult shots are done in one go, and even free kicks, Messi has begun to do well. Fans are starting to realize that Messi seems unstoppable and has gotten to the point where he can do as he pleases:
22 goals scored twice + 6 hat-tricks + 2 big fours + 1 five sons admitted…
That year, the 25-year-old Messi set a world record of 91 goals in a single year, becoming the player with the most goals in a single year in the history of world football. He also surpassed Maradona’s career scoring record of 345 goals.
According to statistics after the event, nearly half of Messi’s 91 goals were scored in the last half hour of the game, which is related to the opponent’s lack of physical strength at the end of the fight. When the opponent’s defense is weakest, it is often the moment when Messi explodes.
As early as 1965, Florida had a Gators American football team known as the “second half team” because they always overtook their opponents in the second half.
In order to help the Grators players replenish water and nutrients during fierce confrontation, some researchers at the University of Florida in the United States invented the sports drink Gatorade, allowing them to maintain a high level of performance during long-term strenuous exercise and quench their thirst , more thirsty.
With the help of Gatorade, instead of cooling down, Messi’s state in the second half can enhance his fiery state.
In order to in-depth research on sports supplements, Gatorade established the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) in 1988.
GSSI has different exercise plans, diet plans and rehydration plans for athletes in different fields. According to the results of the physical fitness test, GSSI has formulated a training and competition supplement plan for Messi, and also provided Messi with nutrition and energy sources through technological research and development.
Generally speaking, one week before the game, Messi began to control his diet strategically, try not to eat high-fat and high-protein foods, reduce his intake of carbohydrates for 3 days before the game, and then gradually increase it every day.
GSSI scientists suggested that Messi supplement Gatorade in small amounts and multiple times (drinking 50-100ml each time) during daily training, and take in the electrolytes and energy lost by the body during exercise before body thirst occurs, so as to balance the loss of sweating . Electrolytes prevent fatigue build-up and muscle cramps, improving athletic performance.
One hour before the game, he started to drink the sports drink customized by Gatorade to keep his blood sugar index stable.
This “super compensation” method can allow Messi to store 50% more glycogen than usual during the game, better improve sports performance, and face the second half full of energy.
In November 2014, Messi scored the 253rd goal through a hat-trick in La Liga, breaking the record of total goals for a single player in La Liga for nearly 60 years.
In the semi-finals of the 2015 Champions League, Messi knocked down the defender and lobbed into the net, and then successfully crowned the triple crown of the season.
After this campaign, Gatorade became a global partner of the UEFA Champions League to jointly promote the development of football.
“I have been in Barcelona for 15 years and Gatorade was here 15 years ago,” Messi said.
In 2016, in Barcelona’s game against Gijon, Barcelona got 3 penalty kicks, but Messi gave the first 2 goals to Suarez, who was competing for the European Golden Boot, and the 3rd goal to Neymar, who was not doing well recently. Hope he gets back to his best form, which has been praised by many. Messi ceded Barcelona’s top scorer for six consecutive seasons to Suarez.
“I have been in Barcelona for 15 years and Gatorade was here 15 years ago,” Messi said.
In the 2014 competition, the 2015 America’s Cup and the 2016 Centennial America’s Cup, Messi missed the national team champion three times in a row.
“It’s very sad for everyone to get to the final and not win the championship. I tried hard to be the champion, but I just couldn’t.”
Messi, who suffered a severe blow, announced his withdrawal from the national team after the game, which triggered the whole country of Argentina to persuade him to stay. The new coach went to Barcelona to lobby, and the president personally called to persuade him to stay.
In order to cheer for Messi, Gatorade launched an inspirational promotional video “Don’t Go Down” (Don’t Go Down), which contains a few very burning lines:
Some people say that Messi doesn’t talk much, and they are wrong. Messi talks to us all the time. You can hear him when you see him. He said: Brothers and sisters, don’t fall! Don’t fall! If life hits you hard, don’t fall! If you feel stuck, short of breath, don’t fall! Even if you have a million excuses, don’t fall down! Once you fall, the difficulty is like a mountain; once you fall, the belief will be blown away by the wind. Messi always shows a kind of spirit: the strength of the heart is stronger than all difficulties and dangers. He who will never fall, the heaven and the earth will work with him!
In 2017, Messi came out of the haze. He scored the 526th goal he joined Barcelona, surpassing his predecessors in football and becoming the player with the most goals for the same club in the history of the five major leagues.
In 2018, Messi set the longest unbeaten record (43 games) in La Liga history for Barcelona. Messi is also affectionately called “GOAT” by fans, because this is the English abbreviation of “Greatest Of All Time”.
In 2019, Messi became the only player to break through 400 goals in La Liga and the European Single League. Due to Iniesta’s departure, Messi took over the captain’s armband.
In 2020, Messi increased the total number of goals scored in Barcelona’s career to 644 goals, breaking Pele’s single-club scoring record and becoming the player with the most goals for a single club.
In 2021, Messi won seven Golden Globe Awards, the most in history.
In July of that year, Messi led the Argentine team to defeat the host Brazil 1-0 in the final of the Copa America in Brazil, winning his first major championship in his senior national team career. This is also the first major championship of the Argentine senior national team in 28 years.
In the 2022 Champions League group stage, Messi set a record for the most goals in the history of the Champions League with 23 goals outside the penalty area.
Messi’s life legend has 15 years of consistent support from Gatorade. No matter what stage of their career they are in, no matter whether they win or lose the competition, Gatorade and Messi’s legendary journey across the ages will never stop.
Messi’s mentor Guardiola once said to reporters: “Don’t try to describe Messi, this is an impossible task, and appreciate it seriously.”
because he taught us
Effort can remove all stumbling blocks. Body is never a measure of talent. Unity is strength.
Always face the situation on the field with love, The greatest legend can be passed down from generation to generation.
Of course, the most important thing is that no matter how many mountains and seas you have crossed, he taught us to never stop.
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