Lionel Messi is widely considered to be the best player in the world at the moment and some even believe the Argentine is the best to have ever played the beautiful game. At 27 years of age he has accomplished much more than anyone could have hoped for and his life is pretty much an open book for soccer lovers around the globe. However, there are some things that you probably didn’t know about the Barcelona star.
When he was 11, he was diagnosed with a growth hormonal deficiency
He is the brand ambassador of Turkish airlines.
Messi was asked to play for Spain national team, but decided to wait for a call-up from Argentina. Had he accepted a call from La Furia Roja, the Argentine would now have probably owned a World Cup winner’s medal.
His debut for Argentina only lasted for around 40 seconds. That was the time he spent on the pitch before being sent off. The fact that he hadn’t deserved the red card was probably poor consolation at the time.
You may be surprised to hear that not only girls drop their pants in front of Messi, but some guys as well. A man was so desperate to get a picture with Messi that he chased the Argentine around the airport and when he finally thought he had caught him, a clothing failure prevented him from accomplishing his mission.
In March 2010 Messi became UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and he now works with the organization helping children around the globe.
While the whole world loves watching Messi from the comfort of their homes, the Barcelona star once said that he never watched highlights of himself.
In the Champions League game against Panathinaikos, a Greek fan invaded the pitch only to show Messi the middle finger, probably tired of constantly watching the Argentine making fun of PAO’s defence.
He won the 2009 Ballon d’Or award in front of Cristiano Ronaldo, by collecting 473 out of possible 480 votes. How do you think the Portuguese handled the results?
Barcelona signed the Argentine when he was just 13 with the scouts needing just half an hour to realize the player’s massive potential. That will soon prove to be one of the best decisions in the history of football.
He holds the Guinness World record for the most goals (91) scored in a year.
In 2005, he was granted citizenship of Spain
His former Coach Pep Guardiola once said: “Messi is the only player that runs faster with the ball than he does without it”.
Culled from: nairaland and soccernews
