My Favorite Athlete: Lionel Messi

What were you doing at the age of thirteen? Were you doing as much as Lionel Messi at that age? Lionel Messi at the age of thirteen was all ready on his way to play for one of the most premier clubs in the world, Barcelona. He was not even in high school yet but he was on his way to Spain to get ready to play for the youth team of Barcelona. Messi was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, but didn’t live the dream life you might of thought he did. The reason I chose to write about Messi is because at our age he was going through a lot. He was about to leave his home to go halfway across the world to play soccer. Also Messi was born with a hormone deficiency which is why he is shorter than most players. FC Barcelona said that they would let Messi train at the Barcelona youth center and pay for his medical bills, if Barcelona could keep Messi until he was ready to play professional for Barcelona at the age of 16. He ended up playing his first game with Barcelona on October 16, 2004 according to Barcelona’s website. In Messi’s life time he spent lots of time playing soccer. He would play soccer with his older brothers and their friends, even though he was much shorter. At the age of eight according to biography.com Messi was given the opportunity to play with one of the big clubs in Rosario, Newell’s Old Boys. He played in this team until he was 13 then left for Barcelona, Spain. Messi recently married on June 24, of 2017. Messi has two sons one born in 2012 and one in 2015. Their names are Thiago and Mateo, and both intend to follow the same path as their father.

In 2007 Messi would create a charity called Leo Messi Foundation to help kids like him with hormone deficiency according to Messi’s website. In the years that Messi has been playing he has earned many things and also made many mistakes. Messi scored his first goal on the first day of May in 2005, being the youngest person to this day to score a goal for Barcelona. Also in that same year he won the under-20 world cup by scoring two penalty kicks against Nigeria. Now not everything was good for Messi. According to Biography.com Messi and his father, Jorge, were found guilty of tax fraud in the year of 2016. They were sentenced to 21 months in prison, but since Messi was making so much money he got him and his father out of jail for a total of 3.5 million euros. Messi has also thought of retiring from his international position in Argentina when he had caused the second lost to Chile international team in the Copa America Tournament. So even though Messi was not the tallest, not the biggest, he had the biggest heart, and the best attitude. He pushed past all of it and became one of the best soccer players to ever live. This comes to show that whatever is in your way, if you push past it you can do anything, and everything. To this day Messi is only 30 years old and has way more to show on and off the pitch. So, if you have something in your life that is holding you back, don’t let it and do what you dream to do.