If you are a sports lover, there are times amongst prevailing chaos when one thinks about things that bring one joy, about feelings that transcend the boundaries of the physical realm. They are things that are not tangible like valued possessions or loved ones, but which invigorate one’s being in no less a way, bringing a coveted smile as the moments come crashing through your defences. Things that make you feel like a juvenile and moments you want to relive over and over again. In short, it is something that brings one an instant moment of joy, surprise, bewilderment and gratification; the association one feels when basking in the glory of a hard fought victory or the agony of a defeat in no way less than ones achieved individually or collectively as a team. When it comes to the sport that is considered to be the biggest with the most astute and diversified following on the planet, one man has become the revealing portrait of modern football. He is the one whom everyone, including rivals, acknowledges as the one on the course to become the greatest footballer of all times if not there already: Lionel Andres Messi.
Messi is a sportsman who is a sheer joy to behold in the arena, making one feel elated, awed and at times, thankful to be alive having a mere experience of watching the spectacle of his prolific moves, feigns and dashes at an incredible speed, barring an off day. Messi makes millions of hearts around the globe flutter or wobble (if you are a supporter or the opposition) with a single dodge, or a single feint with the orb that has shaped his life. What makes Messi different from all the former legends of football, the likes of Maradona, Pele, Cruyff, Di Stefano, Best, Platini, Van Basten, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zidane, is his achievements against every considerable odd — both physical and otherwise — to become a global icon through sheer grit , perseverance, spirit and faith.
Born on June 24, 1987, from a mould that had seemed long forgotten since Maradona, in Rosario, Argentina to Jorge and Celia Messi, October 16 marks the eighth anniversary of Lionel Messi’s first appearance for Barcelona FC’s first team, debuting in La Liga in 2004. Barcelona FC has become a benchmark of excellence since his arrival at the tender age of 17 to date. Since Messi, it has won more honours (Liga, five; Copa Del Ray, one; Super Copa, five; Champions League, three; UEFA Super Cup, two; FIFA Club World Cup, two, plus the only club achieving a treble and winning all competitions in a single year) than in any other similar stretch in its 113 years’ history, making him the nucleus of the club as well as the most valuable player on the planet. His personal sporting achievements are far too many to be printed in this brief survey as he is on his way to become the only player in sports history to win the unprecedented fourth consecutive Ballon D’or (FIFA Player of the Year) and that too at the young age of 25. The bad news for all oppositions is that he has not reached the maximum level of his performance.
The left-footed sporting genius stood at 1.27 metres at the age of nine and a half years. To his parents’ grief, he was discovered with a growth hormone deficiency that affects only one in two million humans worldwide. The worst was yet to come as the cost of treatment was 600,000 Argentine Pesos ($ 100,000) in 1997 and Messi’s folks were of meagre means. In 1998, the treatment started with one subcutaneous injection, which had to be administered every day with expenses covered by medical insurance and Acinder social security but they stopped paying after two years citing government bureaucratic reasons. Leo Messi recalls the most painful times of his childhood when he had to deal with the pain of the dreaded needle every day in different joints. Even more painful was to watch his parents’ trauma to meet his medical expenses and make ends meet, the balance that was becoming more difficult to manage with each passing day. Seeing the child’s athletic promise, Newell’s (a local club where he started in the junior team) authorities initially agreed to cover some costs (every other injection) but that promise too fizzled out. Times were hard; no respite seemed to be in sight but then as they say, what is bound to happen eventually finds a way. Along came Barcelona FC. “For a player to attract our interest he has to be absolutely phenomenal as it was not the club’s policy to sign kids from outside Catalonia, let alone a non-EU kid, but the agents assured me that there was no one like him and what made me jump out of my seat was the kid’s age of 12,” recalls Charles Rexach who was then the technical director at the club. At the age of 13 on Sept 17, 2000, Messi arrived at Barcelona without any formal commitments by the club, with only the transcontinental flight and a hotel stay paid for. But when Rexach watched him on the pitch, he wanted to sign him immediately; however, there were considerable handicaps. First, the law did not allow a foreign child to play in any national league. Secondly, the child — however special — came with a rare deficiency that needed expensive treatment and it was assumed he could not have ended up becoming a Barca player due to his illness or injury. Thirdly, his parents had to be rehabilitated. The agreement for Messi was signed on a paper napkin in a restaurant by Rexach in his personal capacity because Barcelona FC authorities were apprehensive about signing him, citing an avalanche of issues, whereas Rexach could not let the wonder boy slip through his fingers. Finally, due to Rexach’s stubborn persuasion and after many local and international negotiations, on February 15, 2001, Leo Messi arrived as a member of the Barca youth team and then was later promoted to the A team where he exploded on the world football scene.
A player like Messi who could be compared with El Diego and Pele at the age of 18 does not come often, and that too in a game that is presently accelerating at a dynamic speed. Everything changes and evolves in a frenetic way, which has become faster, more physical, with more matches, making it difficult for any player to be popping up surprises and surpassing expectations. He does exactly that. At times, the only options seem to be obstructing him from all sides, tying both his bootlaces together or parking a bus in front of the goal post to keep him from scoring. Messi with three markers, with his back to the goal and hemmed in at the corner flag, can be lethal.
A humble, modest and shy artist with the world at his feet, not conditioned by context, stage fright or by the expectations he generates, Messi at 25 has matured into a true global youth icon with his endeavours as a UNICEF ambassador and breaking records, unfazed each time he walks into the arena with the whole stadium shouting his name. Being a philanthropist and the founder of Leo Messi Foundation since 2007, with an initiative that all children should have the same opportunities to make their dreams come true is another way he is bringing smiles to millions. With the FIFA World Cup two years away, he has promised his nation the most coveted trophy of the footballing world that still eludes him. Whatever happens then remains to be seen but one thing is for sure: the world is not watching the unfolding of a new Maradona, it is experiencing the true Messi.
The writer is a businessman and a social activist based in Lahore. He can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter at @Mujahidkmir