Lionel Messi: The Greatest (2020) Movie Script
[crowd cheering]
[upbeat music]
- [Narrator] Lionel
Andres Messi,
considered the best
player of all time
by not only football fans,
not only football pundits,
but by fellow
professional footballers
and managers all
around the world.
- He doesn't have the ball,
it's unbelievable the character,
how he plays, how he
work for the team.
He's one of the god
of the football.
- [Narrator] He has won a record
breaking six Ballon d'Ors,
six European Golden Boots,
and holds the record
for most goals scored
and assisted in La Liga.
- [Narrator] After an almost
career-ending diagnosis
when he was just 11 years old,
Messi went against all the odds
and blew the world away with
his incredible football skills.
- Statistics and history
go out the window
the way he's playing.
- [Narrator] Witness
the life and career
of one of the greatest
players of all time,
and immerse yourself in the
journey of Argentina's icon.
- [Narrator] This is the
magician known as Lionel Messi.
[gentle music]
Born on the 24th of June, 1987,
Lionel Andres Messi was raised
in the football-loving city,
Rosario, the largest city
in the Central Argentina
province, Santa Fe.
Messi was brought
up by his father,
a steel factory manager and
part-time football coach,
and his mother, who worked
in a magnet
manufacturing workshop.
His family were
passionate about football,
frequently watching
it every week
and getting involved with
it every chance they could.
- Well, Messi was born
into a football family.
Hid dad was a coach, and he
was born in a football city.
Rosario, in Argentina,
was one of the host cities
for the World Cup in 1978,
almost 10 years
before Messi was born.
This is a city that
loves the game,
and it's a family
that loves the game,
that is steeped in the
game through his father.
And, Lionel Messi, his
first influence is through,
of course, his father's
love of football,
but also his
grandmother's willingness
to take him anywhere
that football takes him
as he begins to make his way
in the local football scene.
- [Narrator] Messi
quickly developed
a passion for the sport, as
he was surrounded by it 24/7.
He constantly played
with his older brothers,
Rodrigo and Matias,
and by the age of four
was determined to
join a local team.
And sure enough, in 1991,
messi joined his
first team, Grandoli,
which was coached by his father.
- His father, who is a coach,
takes him to the
local club, Grandoli,
and looks after him there and
influences his first steps
as a very young player,
four years old when
he goes to Grandoli.
But, of course, Newell's
Old Boys is a Rosario club
and the club that Messi
has supported all his life.
And, you know, very
quickly they become aware
of any emerging talents
on their doorstep.
And little Lionel Messi is
very much an emerging talent.
- [Narrator] Messi moved clubs
when he was six years old,
joining the Newell's Old Boys,
a local club located in Rosario.
Here, he played
for over six years,
developing his skills even more,
garnering more match experience
and surrounded himself with
other future prospect players.
Whilst as Newell's, Messi was
already showing off what type
of player he was
going to become.
In the six years at the club,
he went on to score
almost 500 goals
and became a member
of The Machine of '87,
who were named that
due to the fact
that they were the near
unbeatable youth side
since their birth in 1987.
Audiences loved
watching Messi play,
as he was not only
scoring regularly,
he would also perform
tricks at halftime.
- [Narrator] It seemed
like his career in football
was going to blossom.
But at the age of 11,
Messi received some news
that would put his professional
football career at risk.
[somber music]
- He's an outstanding
footballer, the
best of his group.
Newell's Old Boys
know all about him.
However, there comes an
age when kids start to grow
and little boys shoot up.
Can never quite predict
when that age will be.
But with Lionel Messi,
it just didn't happen.
The problem for Lionel Messi
is that it becomes apparent
by the age of 11 that he's
not really growing at all,
and he's diagnosed with this
growth hormone deficiency,
which casts his whole
future into doubt.
- [Narrator] Messi
underwent the treatment,
despite the fact that
it cost his family
almost $1,000 a month.
During his treatment, he
continued to play for Newell's,
putting in great
performances every week.
But things were about to change
for the young Lionel Messi.
- So Messi, at this stage,
is still with Newell's,
he's still trying to
tackle this problem
of will he grow enough
to be a footballer.
Some people say, "He's never
going to amount to anything."
River Plate are interested
in signing him as well.
But the family
looked beyond that,
he has connections in
Spain, in Catalonia.
And he ends up at the age of 13
having a trial with Barcelona.
And Barcelona immediately
want to sign him.
- [Narrator] The Messi
family traveled to Barcelona
after receiving the
go-ahead for the trial.
Almost immediately
during the trial,
Barcelona's first team
director, Charly Rexach,
wanted to sign him, as
he saw an instant talent.
But unfortunately,
due to his age
and the fact he
wasn't from Catalonia,
the board of directors were
hesitant to bring him in.
- If you try and imagine,
the 13 year olds at a
trial with Barcelona,
these are not the ordinary kids
that you and I play
with on the street.
These are already the
creme de la creme.
But when Lionel Messi
walks into this trial,
nobody at Barcelona is
under any illusions at all,
he is the cream of that already
very, very exclusive club,
and they have to have him.
- [Narrator] A few months
later, Barcelona were given
a final chance to sign
the Argentine prodigy.
And on the 14th of December,
Messi was offered his contract
which was written
on a paper napkin.
Barcelona was his new home,
and in February 2001, the
Messi family relocated
to an apartment in the city.
[gentle music]
[upbeat music]
Despite being signed to one of
the biggest clubs in Europe,
Messi was finding it hard to
integrate into the youth squad.
Due to the Spanish
footballing law,
he was unable to play any
games apart from friendlies
and Catalan league games.
Because of this,
his relationship
with other teammates
was almost nonexistent,
with some of them
labeling him a mute.
On top of that, his mother
moved back to Rosario
with his brothers
and little sister,
leaving him with
just his father,
causing him to feel
constantly homesick.
Eventually, in 2002,
Messi was enrolled
in the Royal Spanish
Football Federation,
meaning he was now eligible
to play in all competitions.
He had also befriended some
of his junior teammates.
Those included Cesc
Fabregas and Gerard Pique.
Now eligible to play
in all competitions,
Messi displayed his true talent
to all the Barcelona staff.
In that year, Messi became
part of the youth team
known as the Baby Dream Team,
Barcelona greatest
ever youth side.
During his first
season in 2002, 2003,
Messi ended up the top scorer
with 36 goals in just 30 games.
Because of this phenomenal
season for the Cadetes A,
Messi was getting
recognized all over Europe.
In 2003, he received an offer
from Arsenal to join their team.
But despite the fantastic offer,
Messi decided he wanted to
stay loyal to Barcelona.
The 2003, 2004 season
became an iconic season
for Lionel Messi.
Within this season,
he shot up the ranks,
debuting for a record five
teams in a single campaign.
During this, he played
for the Juveniles B,
Juveniles A, Barcelona
C, and Barcelona B teams.
Because of this quick
rise through the rankings,
players from the Barcelona
A team were starting
to recognize him in
training sessions
and insisted that he was given
a chance in the first team.
- Before he'd even got into
Barcelona's first team,
all the first teamers
were aware of him.
There'd been this occasion
where a lot of them were away
on an international break,
and so they needed players
to come in and take part
in first team training,
and Messi was one of those.
And Ludovic Giuly
of the Barcelona,
French international player,
who was part of this
training session,
tells this story about
how this little kid
who is absolutely
destroying people.
And grown men were
being embarrassed
by this little 15, 16 year
old kid on the training pitch,
and Frank Rijkaard
could not ignore him.
And very, very quickly the
Barcelona first team was saying,
"This boy has to be involved."
[upbeat music]
And at that time, Ronaldinho
was the man at Barcelona
and Ronaldinho saw
Lionel Messi train,
and he picked him out as
being the next Ronaldinho,
the next big thing
for Barcelona,
and was insisting, more
or less, that Lionel Messi
became part of the first
team, seen at the club.
- [Narrator] Although Messi
didn't officially play
for the A team in this season,
he did finish that
campaign having scored
for four of his five
teams with a total
of 36 goals in all
official competitions.
Going into the
2004, 2005 season,
Messi finally made his debut
for the Barcelona first team,
coming onto the field
in the 82nd minute.
- So when he was 17
and three months old,
Lionel Messi became the
youngest ever player
to play in Barcelona's
first team,
coming on as a substitute
against Espanyol.
And his first goal
followed soon after.
Also the youngest player
ever to score a goal
for Barcelona's first
team against Albacete
at the end of that season,
which finished in 2005.
[crowd cheering]
So now Lionel Messi, at he
insistence of his teammates,
is in the Barcelona side.
- [Narrator] Messi
clocked over 77 minutes
in just nine matches
for the Barcelona team
during this season.
He was also a regular
player for the B team,
and a key one as well.
But by the end of the
season, it was clear
to both staff and fans that
Messi was the next superstar
in the making, and was
going to become a key player
inn the 2005, 2006 season.
[gentle music]
In the 2005, 2006 campaign,
Lionel Messi was a
full-time first team player.
He had been fully
promoted from the B team
and was training with the
A team on a daily basis.
Within the first few games,
Messi was blowing away fans
on both sides of the stadiums.
His skills were truly on show
and his abilities were becoming
renowned everywhere he went.
- While still a teenager,
the world is taking
note of Messi
and recognizing that he is
one of the greatest
players already in the game
at this very tender age.
And what he has, I think,
is this incredible low center
of gravity, such acceleration,
such tremendous pace, he
can glide across the ground.
But he's also got an incredible
physical strength which,
despite his size,
you wouldn't imagine
that he could be
as strong as he is.
But he is literally kicked
from pillar to post,
game in, game out, and it
doesn't seem to affect him.
He just gets back onto his feet
and dribbles around
people again.
And it never seems to knock him.
- [Announcer] Here's
the other two fullbacks,
Belletti and Van Bronckhorst.
Here's the youngest--
- [Announcer] Oh
ho, look at that!
Poetic for Messi.
- And it's that
kind of persistence
and incredible strength to
go with the pace and skill,
which singles him
out at this age
as being something
really, really special.
- [Narrator] Messi
was starring in some
of the biggest games Barcelona
played in this season.
He played four games against
their biggest rivals,
Real Madrid and La Liga,
and Chelsea in the semifinal
of the Champions League.
Together with players like
Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho,
Messi was easily becoming
a key player for Barcelona,
and helped strengthening
their attacking force.
But unfortunately, near
the end of the season,
Messi suffered from
a hamstring injury,
which would put him out of
the first team completely,
meaning he would go on to miss
the Champions League final
against Arsenal in Paris.
Messi was devastated by this,
so much that he didn't
even celebrate their win,
something that he
later came to regret.
[subdued music]
After fully recovering going
into the 2006, 2007 season,
Barcelona were gradually
declining in La Liga
and European tournaments,
but this didn't stop
Messi's performance
and actually helped him top
develop more as a player.
And despite the
poor Barcelona form,
this was actually Messi's most
groundbreaking season so far.
During this season, he
went on to score 17 goals
in just 36 games across
all competitions.
He also got his first
hat trick for the club,
scoring against their
closest rivals, Real Madrid,
in the Clasico match.
This hat trick meant that
Messi was the first person
to score one in an El Clasico
match in over 12 years.
- [Announcer] It's time for
an equalizer for Barcelona.
That's what label
Messi has him mind.
Messi takes everybody
on, Messi has got it!
[crowd cheering]
This is the game that
is gonna be remembered
as the Lionel Messi match.
- [Narrator] It was clear
that Messi was becoming
an extremely important
asset for the club,
and was actually being compared
to his fellow countryman
and footballing
legend, Diego Maradona.
This comparison was made
clear to fans in April 2007,
when Messi went on to score
what could only be described
as a Maradona-esque goal
against Getafe in the first leg
of the Copa del
Ray's semifinals.
- There probably isn't a
football fan in the world
that hasn't seen the
Diego Maradona goal
against England in the
World Cup quarter-final
of 1986 in Mexico,
when he runs from inside
his own half of the field
pretty much through
the whole England team
and glides around Peter Shilton
and tucks the ball into
the back of the net.
- [Announcer] Maradona
turns like a little eel
and comes away from trouble.
Little squat man comes inside
Butcher, leaves him for dead.
Outside Fenwick,
leaves him for dead,
and puts the ball away.
[crowd cheering loudly]
And that is why Maradona is
the greatest player
in the world!
- Absolutely certain
that there's no Argentine
who hasn't seen that goal a
countless number of times.
And, of course, Lionel
Messi would have grown up
with that goal from
the great Maradona.
So then, in the Copa
del Ray against Getafe,
Messi picks the ball up inside
his own half of the field.
I wonder at what
point he realizes
that he's almost scoring
the exact same goal,
because it is extraordinary,
from almost the same
area of the pitch,
beating players in
exactly the same way,
finishing in virtually
the same way,
Lionel Messi replicates
one of the greatest
goals we've ever seen.
- [Announcer] Messi,
oh, brilliant skill
from Lionel Messi.
[crowd cheering]
Surging forward with
real menace here.
Brilliant from Messi,
oh, what a goal that is!
- [Narrator] This goal sent
shock waves all over the world,
as it was not only a good goal,
it was a world-class goal
that could only be
achieved by a few people.
[upbeat music]
Messi was being regarded as
the best player in the world
and still at only the age of 19.
With Ronaldinho out of the
squad in the following season,
he had become the star
player for the squad.
At the 2007 Ballon d'Or,
Messi made the podium alongside
Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He unfortunately finished
in the third spot,
but it was still an incredible
achievement for him.
He also got nominated for
FIFA World Player of the Year,
coming second again behind Kaka,
but beating Cristiano Ronaldo.
He had finally had a
taste of what it was like
to be an award-winning player.
But his mission to becoming
the best player ever
was still not over.
[gentle music]
Going into 2008,
Barcelona were failing
to achieve any form of success.
Their past two seasons
had seen them trophy-less,
and not even contenders for
top position in La Liga.
Ronaldinho had
dramatically lost all form
and was not even considered
one of the best players
in the world anymore.
And on top of that, Rijkaard,
the Barcelona manager
who had previously led
Barcelona to win the league
two times in a row, had
lost control of his team.
Things needed to
change, and in 2009
Barcelona were appointed
with their new manager,
the former Barcelona
captain, Pep Guardiola.
Messi continued at the start
of this 2009 season
to play on the wing.
During this first
season under Guardiola,
Messi finally won
his first Ballon d'Or
and FIFA World Player
of the Year award,
winning the awards by the
greatest voting margin
in each trophy's history.
But going into the 2010
season, Guardiola would go on
to change his role, a decision
that would actually
make Messi the player
that he is known for today.
- I think when you have
a player like Messi,
it's very difficult to
tie down to one position.
But Rijkaard had mostly
used him with Barcelona
on the right-hand
side as a winger
with license to
roam and cut inside.
And when Guardiola
took over at Barcelona,
that's where Messi
started off as well.
But it was Guardiola
probably who had the vision
to see that maybe that was a
position which restricted him.
And actually to get the
Lionel Messi unleashed
he had to move him
into the middle.
And that's what he did.
In all matches in the
Clasico against Real Madrid,
Messi pops up as a kind
of a false nine position.
And suddenly we see
that Messi is capable
of even more than
we've seen from him
on the right-hand
side of midfield.
- [Announcer] Looks very good
for both sides up front, Rob.
You know you can't rest on
your laurels, and he's in!
- [Announcer] No, you can't.
This could be a killer goal.
Lionel Messi takes his
time, and walks it in!
[crowd cheering]
Start shining the trophy now.
The league may well
be Barcelona's.
- [Narrator] The
false nine position
became Guardiola's trademark.
And for Messi, it's helped him
become much more of a threat
in front of goal.
During the 2009, 2010
season, Messi went on
to break the goal scoring
record for Barcelona,
a record that had
been set previously
by the legendary Barcelona
striker Ronaldo in 1996.
- So in 2009, 10, Messi
manages to equal this record
of 47 goals scored by
the Brazilian Ronaldo,
the man that they
called The Phenomenon.
And Messi manages to
equal that 47 goals
in a season for Barcelona.
A football club who's just
had as many great strikers
as Barcelona have, and have had,
Ronaldo, the great Brazilian,
Messi comes along and
equals what he's done.
I mean, it is
extraordinary to do that.
Season in, season out,
Messi begins scoring goals
at ridiculous numbers.
Under Pep Guardiola,
Barcelona were thriving again.
Messi also went on to win
his second Ballon d'Or
and FIFA World Player
of the Year award.
Throughout the next few seasons,
Messi continued to
be a key play maker
and goalscorer for Barcelona.
They went on to win the
La Liga title once again,
and in 2011, Messi finished
the season with 53 goals
and 24 assists,
becoming Barcelona's
all-time single
season top scorer,
and the first player
in Spanish football
to reach the 50 goal benchmark.
On top of that, he once
again won the Ballon d'Or,
making this his third win,
allowing him to become the
fourth player in history
to win the Ballon
d'Or three times.
Bu going into the next season,
his previous
groundbreaking record
of 53 goals in a season
would seem just like
a drop in the ocean compared
to his 2012, 2013 campaign.
[upbeat music]
- Messi's not just a
goalscorer, of course,
he does so much more than that,
but he was shattering records
set by the greatest
goalscorers of all time.
Guys who did not much more
than just score goals,
so their records fall to
a guy who did so much more
than just score goals.
In 1972, Gerd Muller
had scored 85 goals
in that calendar year for
Bayern Munich and Germany.
Well, in 2012, Lionel Messi
scored 91, breaking that record.
An extraordinary feat, 91
goals in a calendar year
averaging more than 1 1/2
goals per game in La Liga.
It's insane.
- What I can say about Messi
more than I was talking,
or the people is talking,
he is one of the
god of the football.
It's unbelievable the desire,
it's unbelievable the capacity
to fight with the
ball on the feet,
to fight without the
ball on the feet.
What happen when
he touch the ball,
when doesn't have the ball,
it's unbelievable the character,
how he plays, how he
work for the team.
- [Narrator] Scoring 91 goals
is a single calendar year
got acknowledged by the
Guinness World Records,
and he continues to
hold that record.
Due to this phenomenal season,
Messi also went on to win
his fourth Ballon d'Or,
becoming the first player
to ever win four trophies,
displaying to
everyone that Messi
was the greatest of all time.
[players yelling]
Heading into the
2013, 2014 season,
Barcelona seemed to
be heavily reliant
on Lionel Messi to win
games and trophies.
- Celona is arguable the
greatest club side of all time,
and that alone would
be daunting enough,
until you factor in this man,
the incomparable, the maestro,
the unmarkable Lionel
Messi is simply the puzzle
that Chelsea have to solve.
- Statistics and history
go out the window
the way he's playing.
It's solely about us
performing in these two games
to try and stop him.
And with the ability he's got,
we have to be at our best.
- [Narrator] Pundits were
labeling the side's error
as Messidependencia.
However, going into
the 2014, 2015 season
under the new management
of Luis Enrique,
new faces appeared within
the Barcelona squad.
These new faces would be
Neymar and Luis Suarez,
and together they were the
incredible strike force
known as MSN.
[upbeat music]
- Always throughout time,
there's been forward lines
that have excited people
and gone down in legend,
and Barcelona obviously
had one of those
in the MSN combination,
Messi, Suarez, Neymar,
which came a few years
after Royal Madrid's BBC
with Bale, Benzema,
and Cristiano.
It was a wonderful,
wonderful setup,
Neymar, Suarez, and
Messi in the same side,
Messi with his incredible
goal scoring attributes,
but also the wonderful assists
that he brings to the
side and to the other two,
Suarez, absolutely
deadly in front of goal,
a finisher supreme, and Neymar,
the kind of maverick
on the other side,
unpredictable, can be
performing at a level
below the other two
quite often, but can also
on his day be
absolutely sensational.
And who would not want to
be part of that front line?
[dramatic music]
- [Narrator] MSN were
terrifying in front of goal
and racked up statistics
never seen before
in the world of football.
Together, they scored
a staggering 270 goals
in just the one season.
They also helped
assist each other,
achieving a total of 133
assists between them.
They also went on to win
back-to-back La Liga titles,
two Spanish Cups, a
Spanish Super Cup,
a Champions League,
a European Super Cup,
and a FIFA Club World Cup,
totalling eight incredible
trophies in just two seasons.
- [Narrator] With Messi,
Suarez and Neymar at the wheel,
Barcelona were achieving
record-breaking seasons.
It seemed like the
dependency on Messi was gone
and they could all
work together to win
as many league
titles as possible.
[upbeat music]
[singing in foreign language]
- [Narrator] Whilst Messi's
time at Barcelona seemed
to be filled with
record-breaking moments
and constant league titles,
his career playing for Argentina
was telling a different story,
one that was up for
constant criticism.
- In contrast, really,
to his time at Barcelona,
where silver ware and trophies
just seemed to have come in
a constant and steady flow,
his career with Argentina
has seen him finish
runner-up so many times,
Copa America, World Cup,
it's almost been one
disappointment after another.
And somehow, Messi has never
really stamped his personality
on a World Cup Finals.
He did win the vote
for the best player
in the World Cup of 2014,
but Argentina lost the
final, of course, to Germany.
And it felt like it
was a consolation prize
for Messi as an individual,
because he deserves
to be on that podium
for what he's achieved
throughout his career.
Whereas, actually,
in that World Cup,
was he the best player
at the 2014 World Cup?
Many people would say not.
Again, a World Cup
passing by without Messi
being able to enlighten it in
the way he has with his club.
- [Narrator] Since playing
for Argentina's first team,
Messi had only gone on to get
to one World Cup Grand Final.
And although he was the captain,
the strength of the side
always seemed to be questioned
going into every
international competition,
despite having some
of the best attacking
players in the world.
- Probably one of the
problems for Messi
with Argentina is that
it is all about Messi.
And great though he is,
Barcelona have always
fantastic players around him
and behind him, in
Xavi and Iniesta
or in Neymar and Suarez,
whereas basically
Argentina is Lionel Messi
and has been for a long time.
Despite the fact that there's
DyBala and there's Aguero
and other terrific players,
if you stop Messi,
you stop Barcelona.
And that has counted
against them.
- [Narrator] In 2016, after
yet another disappointing
display at Argentina
at the World Stage,
Lionel Messi
announced he was going
to be retiring from
international duty
and not be performing for
Argentina in the next World Cup.
However, leading up
to the 2018 World Cup,
Messi found himself going
back into training sessions
and taking up the role
of captain once again.
Maybe this World Cup would
be the one for Argentina,
a chance for Messi to
show that he could prove
that Argentina
weren't a dying force
when it came to
international tournaments.
In the 2018 World Cup, Argentina
were under the management
of Jorge Sampaoli, who had
previously worked wonders
for Chile in 2012, up to 2016.
But unfortunately for
Argentina and Messi,
this would be yet
another disappointing
year for the squad.
But it would also
go on to be a year
that was filled with drama.
- So the 2018 World Cup Finals
were yet another
disappointment, really,
for Argentina and Lionel Messi.
Messi missed a penalty
in the opening game,
a draw with Iceland,
massive disappointment.
And then they were
absolutely crushed
in Nizhny Novgorod by Croatia,
where it seemed like the wheels
were falling off completely.
- [Announcer] Kovacic, Rakitic,
they're gonna walk it in!
Job done in style for Croatia.
Argentina a bit draggled,
rugged, desperate.
And with real, real work to do.
- Coach Sampaoli at this point
seemed to lose the squad.
And there were
rumors flying around
all over the place
that Messi would then
virtually take over
the coaching position,
that the players selected the
team for the last group game,
which was against
Nigeria in St Petersburg,
which was one they had to win.
There were five changes
to the starting 11,
and it appeared even that
during that Nigeria game
that the coach was consulting
with Messi about substitutions.
Messi scored a brilliant goal,
Nigeria equalized, Marcos
Rojo actually scored the goal
that squeaked Argentina
out of the group.
- [Announcer] A brilliant
bowl from somebody,
they got their goal!
[crowd cheering]
Argentina lives on!
What a moment here!
- They came that close to not
even getting out of the group.
- [Narrator] Tensions seemed
high within the Argentina camp
during this World Cup,
with a lot of pundits
labeling this side
Messi's Argentina.
Even though they just got
through the group stages,
their next match against
France was hit with,
yet again, more disappointment.
But alongside that,
it's also showed signs
that Messi may not
be the best player
the world had ever seen
when it came to performing
on the world stage.
- And having got out of the
group just with a narrow victory
against Nigeria, Argentina
came up against France
in the first knockout game.
And Messi was almost
outshone by Kylian Mbappe,
who is bright young
thing in the French side,
went on to have a
fantastic World Cup.
It was a thrilling game,
which Argentina lost.
And at the end of it,
it just felt slightly
that the mantle was
being passed on.
- [Announcer] Good ball,
Giroud, helped on here,
and Mbappe, he's
got another one!
[crowd cheering]
4-2!
- [Narrator] Argentina's final
performance in the World Cup
certainly wasn't the
worst they had ever seen,
and they did show some promise
compared to previous games.
But unfortunately, France
were the better team,
and Argentina's
World Cup campaign
was put to rest once again.
They failed to achieve
an international win,
and once again, Messi had
failed to prove himself
on international duty.
[upbeat music]
[players chattering]
- [Narrator] Back at camp Nou,
Messi was still achieving
record-breaking seasons.
During the 2015, 2016
season at Barcelona,
Messi went on to win
his fifth Ballon d'Or,
breaking yet again
another record
for most Ballon d'Ors achieved,
an achievement that
has only ever been done
by one other player,
Cristiano Ronaldo.
[upbeat music]
- There's obviously never any
question that Lionel Messi
wouldn't win the Ballon d'Or.
He did it for the
first time in 2010,
he was 22 years old only.
For Messi to be on that list
is, of course, important.
Any footballer is going
to look at their legacy
in terms of titles won.
And those include
individual titles
as well as club titles.
So if you are to be considered
as one of the best
we've ever seen,
you have to win the Ballon d'Or.
You don't have to win it five
times, but you might as well.
- [Narrator] Moving
on to the 2016, 17
UEFA Champions League,
Barcelona went on to win
one of the best comebacks
ever seen before
in Champions League history.
Barcelona beat Paris
Saint-Germain 6-1
in their second leg,
after losing 4-nil
in the first leg.
MSN showed their true
strength during this game
with Suarez opening
the match with a goal
within the first three minutes,
Neymar scoring two goals,
and Messi scoring a penalty.
- [Announcer] Neymar,
chips it forward
and it's Sergi Roberto!
He's done it, can
you believe this?
[crowd cheering]
Oh my, goodness me.
This is fantasy standard.
Pinch yourself, that
really happened.
- [Narrator] This game
displayed their true skill
as a squad, and
despite losing out
during the Champions League
quarter-final to Juventus,
that one game stood out as
one of the best displays
of Barcelona's strength and
determination as a squad.
- [Announcer] Barcelona,
it was mission impossible,
but it wasn't impossible.
They pulled off one
of the greatest wins
in European history.
- [Narrator] In 2017,
Barcelona lost Neymar to PSG.
It was the end of the MSN trio.
But despite the recent loss
of one of their
strongest strikers,
Barcelona still went on to win
the 2017, 2018 La
Liga Championship,
making this their 25th trophy.
[dramatic music]
[singing in foreign language]
- [Narrator] To this date,
Messi's carer at Barcelona
continues to thrive.
In the season of 2018, 2019,
Messi became the top scorer
in Europe once again, earing him
his sixth Europe Golden Shoe,
an achievement that
only he has achieved,
with Cristiano Ronaldo
behind him with four.
[audience applauds]
[audience applauds]
- There've been so many
brilliant Messi goals
over the years, obviously
the one against Getafe,
the sort of Maradona-esque goal.
He scored a fantastic goal
in the 2014 World Cup Finals,
which saved Argentina, actually,
in a 3-2 win over Nigeria
right at the end of the game,
brilliant, brilliant goal.
- [Announcer] Messi strikes.
[crowd cheering]
Extraordinary!
- But I think it's gotta
be in a Barcelona shirt
that you look back on Messi
in the Champions League Finals
that he won with them,
particularly probably the
one at Wembley in 2011
against Manchester United when
he was the outstanding player
on the pitch, as he so often is.
And Barcelona just
toyed with United
in with was a very,
very long evening
for Alex Ferguson's team.
And Messi just
conjured and created
and conducted what was a
fantastic Barcelona display.
- [Announcer] Into
the feet of Messi.
[crowd cheering]
Still in, oh Messi!
2-1 Barcelona, and who
else but Lionel Messi.
- [Narrator] Lionel
Messi is the best player
Barcelona has ever had the
pleasure to have in their squad.
And despite having constant
offers from other clubs
around the world, he
has always stayed loyal
to the Barcelona squad and
frequently calls it his home.
- Barcelona and Messi have
been together for so long now
that it seems
almost inconceivable
that they could ever part.
It may happen.
But I think the reason that
he's always turned down
approaches from any
other club is partly,
if you go back to his childhood,
he's from a family that has
some roots in Catalonia.
He's very aware of what
Barcelona did for him
with his medical problems
as a very young player.
He only really speaks Spanish,
and he is very, very
comfortable in the city,
in the environment of Barcelona,
who have given him
everything he could ever want
in terms of trophies
and success,
working under the
likes of Guardiola,
winning just about
everything there is to win.
Barcelona have given
him all of that,
there have been no
disappointments in
his club career.
All the disappointments
have been
with Argentina in his
international career.
So I think it would
be a tremendous wrench
for Messi to walk
out on Barcelona.
- [Narrator] At the age of
32, Messi is still regarded
as one of the best players to
have ever graced the sport.
He is still breaking records
and still putting in
monumental performances
week in, week out at Barcelona.
In December 2019, Lionel
Messi once again shattered
another world record
as he went on to win
his sixth Ballon d'Or trophy,
beating Liverpool's
Virgil Van Dijk
and Juventus's Cristiano Ronaldo
for the title of the
World's Greatest Player.
This sixth win pushed
him ahead of Ronaldo
and made him the only player
to receive six
Ballon d'Or trophies
in the history of football.
- I think many people
thought we'd never see
anybody like Diego Maradona,
and out of the same
country came Lionel Messi,
and has done everything
that Maradona did and more,
in terms of club success.
And I think to be able to to
do it for a decade and a half,
being kicked week in,
week out is something
that even Maradona's body
couldn't stand up to.
And Messi has done that.
It's the sheer consistency,
the incredible numbers of goals,
every season, not just a
season every now and again,
but every season, which actually
has to probably put Messi
even above Maradona.
And that is really
saying something.
- [Narrator] But although
he is known for his skills
on the pitch, he is also
known for his brand deals.
Since 2006, Messi has had
an ongoing partnership
with adidas, supplying him
with boots and clothing.
In 2017, the brand took this
relationship a step further,
pushing forward a lifetime
sponsorship deal with him.
To this date, he is
frequently promoting
their merchandise and
hosting their events.
- [Narrator] Alongside
that, he has also worked
with brands such as
Pepsi and EA Sports,
having his face on the
front of their products
and having him star
in their commercials.
But in 2019, he also opened
up his own clothing brand.
The store, known
as The Messi Store,
sells branded clothing
that has been endorsed
and selected by Messi himself.
[crowd cheering]
Because of these
intelligent business deals,
Messi has now become the second
wealthiest football player
in the world, just
behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
But Messi is also known for
more than just his brand deals.
He also does a lot
of work for charities
and has set up his
own foundation,
called the Leo Messi Foundation,
which has helped
support children
from less fortunate backgrounds,
children with cancer
and children with
live-changing disabilities.
[uplifting music]
it's safe to say that
he has inspired millions
all over the world.
And although he is one of the
quietest and reserved players
in the sport, everyone
knows the name Lionel Messi
because of his
incredible performances
on the pitch and his
community work off the pitch.
- A whole generation of
kids, boys and girls,
have been absolutely
inspired by Lionel Messi
to play the game and
to pretend to be Messi
in the back garden, in
the streets, in the yard.
And that's probably his
legacy around the world.
I think his legacy in Argentina
is probably quite a
burden for him to bear,
because for all that he's
done, he's done it in Europe.
He hasn't really done
it with a national team.
They haven't won a World
Cup or a Copa America
while he's been a
part of that squad.
So while he satisfied the world,
perhaps back in Argentina
they're still hungry
for the next Messi
who can do even more.
- [Narrator] Messi's legacy
will live on for years to come.
And although he is
approaching retirement age,
his ability is still
at a world standard.
He is the captain of Barcelona
and one of the most idolized
players of all time.
No matter how long
he keeps playing for,
he will always be remembered
as one of the greatest
players of all time.
- Well, it's really
difficult to imagine
that there's anything
about Lionel Messi's life
in Barcelona and with
Barcelona football club
that isn't very nice indeed,
however he's never played
in his native Argentina,
he's never played a senior
game in that country.
It may be that he
goes back to Rosario
and decides he wants to
play for Newell's Old Boys,
the club he supported in the way
that Diego Maradona was always
linked with Boca Juniors,
and couldn't resist
going back there.
It may be that Messi decides
that he does want to go back
and play for his public
in his city with his club.
- [Narrator] He is the magician.
And the name Lionel Messi
will forever live in
the history books.
[upbeat music]
[upbeat music]
- [Narrator] Lionel
Andres Messi,
considered the best
player of all time
by not only football fans,
not only football pundits,
but by fellow
professional footballers
and managers all
around the world.
- He doesn't have the ball,
it's unbelievable the character,
how he plays, how he
work for the team.
He's one of the god
of the football.
- [Narrator] He has won a record
breaking six Ballon d'Ors,
six European Golden Boots,
and holds the record
for most goals scored
and assisted in La Liga.
- [Narrator] After an almost
career-ending diagnosis
when he was just 11 years old,
Messi went against all the odds
and blew the world away with
his incredible football skills.
- Statistics and history
go out the window
the way he's playing.
- [Narrator] Witness
the life and career
of one of the greatest
players of all time,
and immerse yourself in the
journey of Argentina's icon.
- [Narrator] This is the
magician known as Lionel Messi.
[gentle music]
Born on the 24th of June, 1987,
Lionel Andres Messi was raised
in the football-loving city,
Rosario, the largest city
in the Central Argentina
province, Santa Fe.
Messi was brought
up by his father,
a steel factory manager and
part-time football coach,
and his mother, who worked
in a magnet
manufacturing workshop.
His family were
passionate about football,
frequently watching
it every week
and getting involved with
it every chance they could.
- Well, Messi was born
into a football family.
Hid dad was a coach, and he
was born in a football city.
Rosario, in Argentina,
was one of the host cities
for the World Cup in 1978,
almost 10 years
before Messi was born.
This is a city that
loves the game,
and it's a family
that loves the game,
that is steeped in the
game through his father.
And, Lionel Messi, his
first influence is through,
of course, his father's
love of football,
but also his
grandmother's willingness
to take him anywhere
that football takes him
as he begins to make his way
in the local football scene.
- [Narrator] Messi
quickly developed
a passion for the sport, as
he was surrounded by it 24/7.
He constantly played
with his older brothers,
Rodrigo and Matias,
and by the age of four
was determined to
join a local team.
And sure enough, in 1991,
messi joined his
first team, Grandoli,
which was coached by his father.
- His father, who is a coach,
takes him to the
local club, Grandoli,
and looks after him there and
influences his first steps
as a very young player,
four years old when
he goes to Grandoli.
But, of course, Newell's
Old Boys is a Rosario club
and the club that Messi
has supported all his life.
And, you know, very
quickly they become aware
of any emerging talents
on their doorstep.
And little Lionel Messi is
very much an emerging talent.
- [Narrator] Messi moved clubs
when he was six years old,
joining the Newell's Old Boys,
a local club located in Rosario.
Here, he played
for over six years,
developing his skills even more,
garnering more match experience
and surrounded himself with
other future prospect players.
Whilst as Newell's, Messi was
already showing off what type
of player he was
going to become.
In the six years at the club,
he went on to score
almost 500 goals
and became a member
of The Machine of '87,
who were named that
due to the fact
that they were the near
unbeatable youth side
since their birth in 1987.
Audiences loved
watching Messi play,
as he was not only
scoring regularly,
he would also perform
tricks at halftime.
- [Narrator] It seemed
like his career in football
was going to blossom.
But at the age of 11,
Messi received some news
that would put his professional
football career at risk.
[somber music]
- He's an outstanding
footballer, the
best of his group.
Newell's Old Boys
know all about him.
However, there comes an
age when kids start to grow
and little boys shoot up.
Can never quite predict
when that age will be.
But with Lionel Messi,
it just didn't happen.
The problem for Lionel Messi
is that it becomes apparent
by the age of 11 that he's
not really growing at all,
and he's diagnosed with this
growth hormone deficiency,
which casts his whole
future into doubt.
- [Narrator] Messi
underwent the treatment,
despite the fact that
it cost his family
almost $1,000 a month.
During his treatment, he
continued to play for Newell's,
putting in great
performances every week.
But things were about to change
for the young Lionel Messi.
- So Messi, at this stage,
is still with Newell's,
he's still trying to
tackle this problem
of will he grow enough
to be a footballer.
Some people say, "He's never
going to amount to anything."
River Plate are interested
in signing him as well.
But the family
looked beyond that,
he has connections in
Spain, in Catalonia.
And he ends up at the age of 13
having a trial with Barcelona.
And Barcelona immediately
want to sign him.
- [Narrator] The Messi
family traveled to Barcelona
after receiving the
go-ahead for the trial.
Almost immediately
during the trial,
Barcelona's first team
director, Charly Rexach,
wanted to sign him, as
he saw an instant talent.
But unfortunately,
due to his age
and the fact he
wasn't from Catalonia,
the board of directors were
hesitant to bring him in.
- If you try and imagine,
the 13 year olds at a
trial with Barcelona,
these are not the ordinary kids
that you and I play
with on the street.
These are already the
creme de la creme.
But when Lionel Messi
walks into this trial,
nobody at Barcelona is
under any illusions at all,
he is the cream of that already
very, very exclusive club,
and they have to have him.
- [Narrator] A few months
later, Barcelona were given
a final chance to sign
the Argentine prodigy.
And on the 14th of December,
Messi was offered his contract
which was written
on a paper napkin.
Barcelona was his new home,
and in February 2001, the
Messi family relocated
to an apartment in the city.
[gentle music]
[upbeat music]
Despite being signed to one of
the biggest clubs in Europe,
Messi was finding it hard to
integrate into the youth squad.
Due to the Spanish
footballing law,
he was unable to play any
games apart from friendlies
and Catalan league games.
Because of this,
his relationship
with other teammates
was almost nonexistent,
with some of them
labeling him a mute.
On top of that, his mother
moved back to Rosario
with his brothers
and little sister,
leaving him with
just his father,
causing him to feel
constantly homesick.
Eventually, in 2002,
Messi was enrolled
in the Royal Spanish
Football Federation,
meaning he was now eligible
to play in all competitions.
He had also befriended some
of his junior teammates.
Those included Cesc
Fabregas and Gerard Pique.
Now eligible to play
in all competitions,
Messi displayed his true talent
to all the Barcelona staff.
In that year, Messi became
part of the youth team
known as the Baby Dream Team,
Barcelona greatest
ever youth side.
During his first
season in 2002, 2003,
Messi ended up the top scorer
with 36 goals in just 30 games.
Because of this phenomenal
season for the Cadetes A,
Messi was getting
recognized all over Europe.
In 2003, he received an offer
from Arsenal to join their team.
But despite the fantastic offer,
Messi decided he wanted to
stay loyal to Barcelona.
The 2003, 2004 season
became an iconic season
for Lionel Messi.
Within this season,
he shot up the ranks,
debuting for a record five
teams in a single campaign.
During this, he played
for the Juveniles B,
Juveniles A, Barcelona
C, and Barcelona B teams.
Because of this quick
rise through the rankings,
players from the Barcelona
A team were starting
to recognize him in
training sessions
and insisted that he was given
a chance in the first team.
- Before he'd even got into
Barcelona's first team,
all the first teamers
were aware of him.
There'd been this occasion
where a lot of them were away
on an international break,
and so they needed players
to come in and take part
in first team training,
and Messi was one of those.
And Ludovic Giuly
of the Barcelona,
French international player,
who was part of this
training session,
tells this story about
how this little kid
who is absolutely
destroying people.
And grown men were
being embarrassed
by this little 15, 16 year
old kid on the training pitch,
and Frank Rijkaard
could not ignore him.
And very, very quickly the
Barcelona first team was saying,
"This boy has to be involved."
[upbeat music]
And at that time, Ronaldinho
was the man at Barcelona
and Ronaldinho saw
Lionel Messi train,
and he picked him out as
being the next Ronaldinho,
the next big thing
for Barcelona,
and was insisting, more
or less, that Lionel Messi
became part of the first
team, seen at the club.
- [Narrator] Although Messi
didn't officially play
for the A team in this season,
he did finish that
campaign having scored
for four of his five
teams with a total
of 36 goals in all
official competitions.
Going into the
2004, 2005 season,
Messi finally made his debut
for the Barcelona first team,
coming onto the field
in the 82nd minute.
- So when he was 17
and three months old,
Lionel Messi became the
youngest ever player
to play in Barcelona's
first team,
coming on as a substitute
against Espanyol.
And his first goal
followed soon after.
Also the youngest player
ever to score a goal
for Barcelona's first
team against Albacete
at the end of that season,
which finished in 2005.
[crowd cheering]
So now Lionel Messi, at he
insistence of his teammates,
is in the Barcelona side.
- [Narrator] Messi
clocked over 77 minutes
in just nine matches
for the Barcelona team
during this season.
He was also a regular
player for the B team,
and a key one as well.
But by the end of the
season, it was clear
to both staff and fans that
Messi was the next superstar
in the making, and was
going to become a key player
inn the 2005, 2006 season.
[gentle music]
In the 2005, 2006 campaign,
Lionel Messi was a
full-time first team player.
He had been fully
promoted from the B team
and was training with the
A team on a daily basis.
Within the first few games,
Messi was blowing away fans
on both sides of the stadiums.
His skills were truly on show
and his abilities were becoming
renowned everywhere he went.
- While still a teenager,
the world is taking
note of Messi
and recognizing that he is
one of the greatest
players already in the game
at this very tender age.
And what he has, I think,
is this incredible low center
of gravity, such acceleration,
such tremendous pace, he
can glide across the ground.
But he's also got an incredible
physical strength which,
despite his size,
you wouldn't imagine
that he could be
as strong as he is.
But he is literally kicked
from pillar to post,
game in, game out, and it
doesn't seem to affect him.
He just gets back onto his feet
and dribbles around
people again.
And it never seems to knock him.
- [Announcer] Here's
the other two fullbacks,
Belletti and Van Bronckhorst.
Here's the youngest--
- [Announcer] Oh
ho, look at that!
Poetic for Messi.
- And it's that
kind of persistence
and incredible strength to
go with the pace and skill,
which singles him
out at this age
as being something
really, really special.
- [Narrator] Messi
was starring in some
of the biggest games Barcelona
played in this season.
He played four games against
their biggest rivals,
Real Madrid and La Liga,
and Chelsea in the semifinal
of the Champions League.
Together with players like
Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho,
Messi was easily becoming
a key player for Barcelona,
and helped strengthening
their attacking force.
But unfortunately, near
the end of the season,
Messi suffered from
a hamstring injury,
which would put him out of
the first team completely,
meaning he would go on to miss
the Champions League final
against Arsenal in Paris.
Messi was devastated by this,
so much that he didn't
even celebrate their win,
something that he
later came to regret.
[subdued music]
After fully recovering going
into the 2006, 2007 season,
Barcelona were gradually
declining in La Liga
and European tournaments,
but this didn't stop
Messi's performance
and actually helped him top
develop more as a player.
And despite the
poor Barcelona form,
this was actually Messi's most
groundbreaking season so far.
During this season, he
went on to score 17 goals
in just 36 games across
all competitions.
He also got his first
hat trick for the club,
scoring against their
closest rivals, Real Madrid,
in the Clasico match.
This hat trick meant that
Messi was the first person
to score one in an El Clasico
match in over 12 years.
- [Announcer] It's time for
an equalizer for Barcelona.
That's what label
Messi has him mind.
Messi takes everybody
on, Messi has got it!
[crowd cheering]
This is the game that
is gonna be remembered
as the Lionel Messi match.
- [Narrator] It was clear
that Messi was becoming
an extremely important
asset for the club,
and was actually being compared
to his fellow countryman
and footballing
legend, Diego Maradona.
This comparison was made
clear to fans in April 2007,
when Messi went on to score
what could only be described
as a Maradona-esque goal
against Getafe in the first leg
of the Copa del
Ray's semifinals.
- There probably isn't a
football fan in the world
that hasn't seen the
Diego Maradona goal
against England in the
World Cup quarter-final
of 1986 in Mexico,
when he runs from inside
his own half of the field
pretty much through
the whole England team
and glides around Peter Shilton
and tucks the ball into
the back of the net.
- [Announcer] Maradona
turns like a little eel
and comes away from trouble.
Little squat man comes inside
Butcher, leaves him for dead.
Outside Fenwick,
leaves him for dead,
and puts the ball away.
[crowd cheering loudly]
And that is why Maradona is
the greatest player
in the world!
- Absolutely certain
that there's no Argentine
who hasn't seen that goal a
countless number of times.
And, of course, Lionel
Messi would have grown up
with that goal from
the great Maradona.
So then, in the Copa
del Ray against Getafe,
Messi picks the ball up inside
his own half of the field.
I wonder at what
point he realizes
that he's almost scoring
the exact same goal,
because it is extraordinary,
from almost the same
area of the pitch,
beating players in
exactly the same way,
finishing in virtually
the same way,
Lionel Messi replicates
one of the greatest
goals we've ever seen.
- [Announcer] Messi,
oh, brilliant skill
from Lionel Messi.
[crowd cheering]
Surging forward with
real menace here.
Brilliant from Messi,
oh, what a goal that is!
- [Narrator] This goal sent
shock waves all over the world,
as it was not only a good goal,
it was a world-class goal
that could only be
achieved by a few people.
[upbeat music]
Messi was being regarded as
the best player in the world
and still at only the age of 19.
With Ronaldinho out of the
squad in the following season,
he had become the star
player for the squad.
At the 2007 Ballon d'Or,
Messi made the podium alongside
Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He unfortunately finished
in the third spot,
but it was still an incredible
achievement for him.
He also got nominated for
FIFA World Player of the Year,
coming second again behind Kaka,
but beating Cristiano Ronaldo.
He had finally had a
taste of what it was like
to be an award-winning player.
But his mission to becoming
the best player ever
was still not over.
[gentle music]
Going into 2008,
Barcelona were failing
to achieve any form of success.
Their past two seasons
had seen them trophy-less,
and not even contenders for
top position in La Liga.
Ronaldinho had
dramatically lost all form
and was not even considered
one of the best players
in the world anymore.
And on top of that, Rijkaard,
the Barcelona manager
who had previously led
Barcelona to win the league
two times in a row, had
lost control of his team.
Things needed to
change, and in 2009
Barcelona were appointed
with their new manager,
the former Barcelona
captain, Pep Guardiola.
Messi continued at the start
of this 2009 season
to play on the wing.
During this first
season under Guardiola,
Messi finally won
his first Ballon d'Or
and FIFA World Player
of the Year award,
winning the awards by the
greatest voting margin
in each trophy's history.
But going into the 2010
season, Guardiola would go on
to change his role, a decision
that would actually
make Messi the player
that he is known for today.
- I think when you have
a player like Messi,
it's very difficult to
tie down to one position.
But Rijkaard had mostly
used him with Barcelona
on the right-hand
side as a winger
with license to
roam and cut inside.
And when Guardiola
took over at Barcelona,
that's where Messi
started off as well.
But it was Guardiola
probably who had the vision
to see that maybe that was a
position which restricted him.
And actually to get the
Lionel Messi unleashed
he had to move him
into the middle.
And that's what he did.
In all matches in the
Clasico against Real Madrid,
Messi pops up as a kind
of a false nine position.
And suddenly we see
that Messi is capable
of even more than
we've seen from him
on the right-hand
side of midfield.
- [Announcer] Looks very good
for both sides up front, Rob.
You know you can't rest on
your laurels, and he's in!
- [Announcer] No, you can't.
This could be a killer goal.
Lionel Messi takes his
time, and walks it in!
[crowd cheering]
Start shining the trophy now.
The league may well
be Barcelona's.
- [Narrator] The
false nine position
became Guardiola's trademark.
And for Messi, it's helped him
become much more of a threat
in front of goal.
During the 2009, 2010
season, Messi went on
to break the goal scoring
record for Barcelona,
a record that had
been set previously
by the legendary Barcelona
striker Ronaldo in 1996.
- So in 2009, 10, Messi
manages to equal this record
of 47 goals scored by
the Brazilian Ronaldo,
the man that they
called The Phenomenon.
And Messi manages to
equal that 47 goals
in a season for Barcelona.
A football club who's just
had as many great strikers
as Barcelona have, and have had,
Ronaldo, the great Brazilian,
Messi comes along and
equals what he's done.
I mean, it is
extraordinary to do that.
Season in, season out,
Messi begins scoring goals
at ridiculous numbers.
Under Pep Guardiola,
Barcelona were thriving again.
Messi also went on to win
his second Ballon d'Or
and FIFA World Player
of the Year award.
Throughout the next few seasons,
Messi continued to
be a key play maker
and goalscorer for Barcelona.
They went on to win the
La Liga title once again,
and in 2011, Messi finished
the season with 53 goals
and 24 assists,
becoming Barcelona's
all-time single
season top scorer,
and the first player
in Spanish football
to reach the 50 goal benchmark.
On top of that, he once
again won the Ballon d'Or,
making this his third win,
allowing him to become the
fourth player in history
to win the Ballon
d'Or three times.
Bu going into the next season,
his previous
groundbreaking record
of 53 goals in a season
would seem just like
a drop in the ocean compared
to his 2012, 2013 campaign.
[upbeat music]
- Messi's not just a
goalscorer, of course,
he does so much more than that,
but he was shattering records
set by the greatest
goalscorers of all time.
Guys who did not much more
than just score goals,
so their records fall to
a guy who did so much more
than just score goals.
In 1972, Gerd Muller
had scored 85 goals
in that calendar year for
Bayern Munich and Germany.
Well, in 2012, Lionel Messi
scored 91, breaking that record.
An extraordinary feat, 91
goals in a calendar year
averaging more than 1 1/2
goals per game in La Liga.
It's insane.
- What I can say about Messi
more than I was talking,
or the people is talking,
he is one of the
god of the football.
It's unbelievable the desire,
it's unbelievable the capacity
to fight with the
ball on the feet,
to fight without the
ball on the feet.
What happen when
he touch the ball,
when doesn't have the ball,
it's unbelievable the character,
how he plays, how he
work for the team.
- [Narrator] Scoring 91 goals
is a single calendar year
got acknowledged by the
Guinness World Records,
and he continues to
hold that record.
Due to this phenomenal season,
Messi also went on to win
his fourth Ballon d'Or,
becoming the first player
to ever win four trophies,
displaying to
everyone that Messi
was the greatest of all time.
[players yelling]
Heading into the
2013, 2014 season,
Barcelona seemed to
be heavily reliant
on Lionel Messi to win
games and trophies.
- Celona is arguable the
greatest club side of all time,
and that alone would
be daunting enough,
until you factor in this man,
the incomparable, the maestro,
the unmarkable Lionel
Messi is simply the puzzle
that Chelsea have to solve.
- Statistics and history
go out the window
the way he's playing.
It's solely about us
performing in these two games
to try and stop him.
And with the ability he's got,
we have to be at our best.
- [Narrator] Pundits were
labeling the side's error
as Messidependencia.
However, going into
the 2014, 2015 season
under the new management
of Luis Enrique,
new faces appeared within
the Barcelona squad.
These new faces would be
Neymar and Luis Suarez,
and together they were the
incredible strike force
known as MSN.
[upbeat music]
- Always throughout time,
there's been forward lines
that have excited people
and gone down in legend,
and Barcelona obviously
had one of those
in the MSN combination,
Messi, Suarez, Neymar,
which came a few years
after Royal Madrid's BBC
with Bale, Benzema,
and Cristiano.
It was a wonderful,
wonderful setup,
Neymar, Suarez, and
Messi in the same side,
Messi with his incredible
goal scoring attributes,
but also the wonderful assists
that he brings to the
side and to the other two,
Suarez, absolutely
deadly in front of goal,
a finisher supreme, and Neymar,
the kind of maverick
on the other side,
unpredictable, can be
performing at a level
below the other two
quite often, but can also
on his day be
absolutely sensational.
And who would not want to
be part of that front line?
[dramatic music]
- [Narrator] MSN were
terrifying in front of goal
and racked up statistics
never seen before
in the world of football.
Together, they scored
a staggering 270 goals
in just the one season.
They also helped
assist each other,
achieving a total of 133
assists between them.
They also went on to win
back-to-back La Liga titles,
two Spanish Cups, a
Spanish Super Cup,
a Champions League,
a European Super Cup,
and a FIFA Club World Cup,
totalling eight incredible
trophies in just two seasons.
- [Narrator] With Messi,
Suarez and Neymar at the wheel,
Barcelona were achieving
record-breaking seasons.
It seemed like the
dependency on Messi was gone
and they could all
work together to win
as many league
titles as possible.
[upbeat music]
[singing in foreign language]
- [Narrator] Whilst Messi's
time at Barcelona seemed
to be filled with
record-breaking moments
and constant league titles,
his career playing for Argentina
was telling a different story,
one that was up for
constant criticism.
- In contrast, really,
to his time at Barcelona,
where silver ware and trophies
just seemed to have come in
a constant and steady flow,
his career with Argentina
has seen him finish
runner-up so many times,
Copa America, World Cup,
it's almost been one
disappointment after another.
And somehow, Messi has never
really stamped his personality
on a World Cup Finals.
He did win the vote
for the best player
in the World Cup of 2014,
but Argentina lost the
final, of course, to Germany.
And it felt like it
was a consolation prize
for Messi as an individual,
because he deserves
to be on that podium
for what he's achieved
throughout his career.
Whereas, actually,
in that World Cup,
was he the best player
at the 2014 World Cup?
Many people would say not.
Again, a World Cup
passing by without Messi
being able to enlighten it in
the way he has with his club.
- [Narrator] Since playing
for Argentina's first team,
Messi had only gone on to get
to one World Cup Grand Final.
And although he was the captain,
the strength of the side
always seemed to be questioned
going into every
international competition,
despite having some
of the best attacking
players in the world.
- Probably one of the
problems for Messi
with Argentina is that
it is all about Messi.
And great though he is,
Barcelona have always
fantastic players around him
and behind him, in
Xavi and Iniesta
or in Neymar and Suarez,
whereas basically
Argentina is Lionel Messi
and has been for a long time.
Despite the fact that there's
DyBala and there's Aguero
and other terrific players,
if you stop Messi,
you stop Barcelona.
And that has counted
against them.
- [Narrator] In 2016, after
yet another disappointing
display at Argentina
at the World Stage,
Lionel Messi
announced he was going
to be retiring from
international duty
and not be performing for
Argentina in the next World Cup.
However, leading up
to the 2018 World Cup,
Messi found himself going
back into training sessions
and taking up the role
of captain once again.
Maybe this World Cup would
be the one for Argentina,
a chance for Messi to
show that he could prove
that Argentina
weren't a dying force
when it came to
international tournaments.
In the 2018 World Cup, Argentina
were under the management
of Jorge Sampaoli, who had
previously worked wonders
for Chile in 2012, up to 2016.
But unfortunately for
Argentina and Messi,
this would be yet
another disappointing
year for the squad.
But it would also
go on to be a year
that was filled with drama.
- So the 2018 World Cup Finals
were yet another
disappointment, really,
for Argentina and Lionel Messi.
Messi missed a penalty
in the opening game,
a draw with Iceland,
massive disappointment.
And then they were
absolutely crushed
in Nizhny Novgorod by Croatia,
where it seemed like the wheels
were falling off completely.
- [Announcer] Kovacic, Rakitic,
they're gonna walk it in!
Job done in style for Croatia.
Argentina a bit draggled,
rugged, desperate.
And with real, real work to do.
- Coach Sampaoli at this point
seemed to lose the squad.
And there were
rumors flying around
all over the place
that Messi would then
virtually take over
the coaching position,
that the players selected the
team for the last group game,
which was against
Nigeria in St Petersburg,
which was one they had to win.
There were five changes
to the starting 11,
and it appeared even that
during that Nigeria game
that the coach was consulting
with Messi about substitutions.
Messi scored a brilliant goal,
Nigeria equalized, Marcos
Rojo actually scored the goal
that squeaked Argentina
out of the group.
- [Announcer] A brilliant
bowl from somebody,
they got their goal!
[crowd cheering]
Argentina lives on!
What a moment here!
- They came that close to not
even getting out of the group.
- [Narrator] Tensions seemed
high within the Argentina camp
during this World Cup,
with a lot of pundits
labeling this side
Messi's Argentina.
Even though they just got
through the group stages,
their next match against
France was hit with,
yet again, more disappointment.
But alongside that,
it's also showed signs
that Messi may not
be the best player
the world had ever seen
when it came to performing
on the world stage.
- And having got out of the
group just with a narrow victory
against Nigeria, Argentina
came up against France
in the first knockout game.
And Messi was almost
outshone by Kylian Mbappe,
who is bright young
thing in the French side,
went on to have a
fantastic World Cup.
It was a thrilling game,
which Argentina lost.
And at the end of it,
it just felt slightly
that the mantle was
being passed on.
- [Announcer] Good ball,
Giroud, helped on here,
and Mbappe, he's
got another one!
[crowd cheering]
4-2!
- [Narrator] Argentina's final
performance in the World Cup
certainly wasn't the
worst they had ever seen,
and they did show some promise
compared to previous games.
But unfortunately, France
were the better team,
and Argentina's
World Cup campaign
was put to rest once again.
They failed to achieve
an international win,
and once again, Messi had
failed to prove himself
on international duty.
[upbeat music]
[players chattering]
- [Narrator] Back at camp Nou,
Messi was still achieving
record-breaking seasons.
During the 2015, 2016
season at Barcelona,
Messi went on to win
his fifth Ballon d'Or,
breaking yet again
another record
for most Ballon d'Ors achieved,
an achievement that
has only ever been done
by one other player,
Cristiano Ronaldo.
[upbeat music]
- There's obviously never any
question that Lionel Messi
wouldn't win the Ballon d'Or.
He did it for the
first time in 2010,
he was 22 years old only.
For Messi to be on that list
is, of course, important.
Any footballer is going
to look at their legacy
in terms of titles won.
And those include
individual titles
as well as club titles.
So if you are to be considered
as one of the best
we've ever seen,
you have to win the Ballon d'Or.
You don't have to win it five
times, but you might as well.
- [Narrator] Moving
on to the 2016, 17
UEFA Champions League,
Barcelona went on to win
one of the best comebacks
ever seen before
in Champions League history.
Barcelona beat Paris
Saint-Germain 6-1
in their second leg,
after losing 4-nil
in the first leg.
MSN showed their true
strength during this game
with Suarez opening
the match with a goal
within the first three minutes,
Neymar scoring two goals,
and Messi scoring a penalty.
- [Announcer] Neymar,
chips it forward
and it's Sergi Roberto!
He's done it, can
you believe this?
[crowd cheering]
Oh my, goodness me.
This is fantasy standard.
Pinch yourself, that
really happened.
- [Narrator] This game
displayed their true skill
as a squad, and
despite losing out
during the Champions League
quarter-final to Juventus,
that one game stood out as
one of the best displays
of Barcelona's strength and
determination as a squad.
- [Announcer] Barcelona,
it was mission impossible,
but it wasn't impossible.
They pulled off one
of the greatest wins
in European history.
- [Narrator] In 2017,
Barcelona lost Neymar to PSG.
It was the end of the MSN trio.
But despite the recent loss
of one of their
strongest strikers,
Barcelona still went on to win
the 2017, 2018 La
Liga Championship,
making this their 25th trophy.
[dramatic music]
[singing in foreign language]
- [Narrator] To this date,
Messi's carer at Barcelona
continues to thrive.
In the season of 2018, 2019,
Messi became the top scorer
in Europe once again, earing him
his sixth Europe Golden Shoe,
an achievement that
only he has achieved,
with Cristiano Ronaldo
behind him with four.
[audience applauds]
[audience applauds]
- There've been so many
brilliant Messi goals
over the years, obviously
the one against Getafe,
the sort of Maradona-esque goal.
He scored a fantastic goal
in the 2014 World Cup Finals,
which saved Argentina, actually,
in a 3-2 win over Nigeria
right at the end of the game,
brilliant, brilliant goal.
- [Announcer] Messi strikes.
[crowd cheering]
Extraordinary!
- But I think it's gotta
be in a Barcelona shirt
that you look back on Messi
in the Champions League Finals
that he won with them,
particularly probably the
one at Wembley in 2011
against Manchester United when
he was the outstanding player
on the pitch, as he so often is.
And Barcelona just
toyed with United
in with was a very,
very long evening
for Alex Ferguson's team.
And Messi just
conjured and created
and conducted what was a
fantastic Barcelona display.
- [Announcer] Into
the feet of Messi.
[crowd cheering]
Still in, oh Messi!
2-1 Barcelona, and who
else but Lionel Messi.
- [Narrator] Lionel
Messi is the best player
Barcelona has ever had the
pleasure to have in their squad.
And despite having constant
offers from other clubs
around the world, he
has always stayed loyal
to the Barcelona squad and
frequently calls it his home.
- Barcelona and Messi have
been together for so long now
that it seems
almost inconceivable
that they could ever part.
It may happen.
But I think the reason that
he's always turned down
approaches from any
other club is partly,
if you go back to his childhood,
he's from a family that has
some roots in Catalonia.
He's very aware of what
Barcelona did for him
with his medical problems
as a very young player.
He only really speaks Spanish,
and he is very, very
comfortable in the city,
in the environment of Barcelona,
who have given him
everything he could ever want
in terms of trophies
and success,
working under the
likes of Guardiola,
winning just about
everything there is to win.
Barcelona have given
him all of that,
there have been no
disappointments in
his club career.
All the disappointments
have been
with Argentina in his
international career.
So I think it would
be a tremendous wrench
for Messi to walk
out on Barcelona.
- [Narrator] At the age of
32, Messi is still regarded
as one of the best players to
have ever graced the sport.
He is still breaking records
and still putting in
monumental performances
week in, week out at Barcelona.
In December 2019, Lionel
Messi once again shattered
another world record
as he went on to win
his sixth Ballon d'Or trophy,
beating Liverpool's
Virgil Van Dijk
and Juventus's Cristiano Ronaldo
for the title of the
World's Greatest Player.
This sixth win pushed
him ahead of Ronaldo
and made him the only player
to receive six
Ballon d'Or trophies
in the history of football.
- I think many people
thought we'd never see
anybody like Diego Maradona,
and out of the same
country came Lionel Messi,
and has done everything
that Maradona did and more,
in terms of club success.
And I think to be able to to
do it for a decade and a half,
being kicked week in,
week out is something
that even Maradona's body
couldn't stand up to.
And Messi has done that.
It's the sheer consistency,
the incredible numbers of goals,
every season, not just a
season every now and again,
but every season, which actually
has to probably put Messi
even above Maradona.
And that is really
saying something.
- [Narrator] But although
he is known for his skills
on the pitch, he is also
known for his brand deals.
Since 2006, Messi has had
an ongoing partnership
with adidas, supplying him
with boots and clothing.
In 2017, the brand took this
relationship a step further,
pushing forward a lifetime
sponsorship deal with him.
To this date, he is
frequently promoting
their merchandise and
hosting their events.
- [Narrator] Alongside
that, he has also worked
with brands such as
Pepsi and EA Sports,
having his face on the
front of their products
and having him star
in their commercials.
But in 2019, he also opened
up his own clothing brand.
The store, known
as The Messi Store,
sells branded clothing
that has been endorsed
and selected by Messi himself.
[crowd cheering]
Because of these
intelligent business deals,
Messi has now become the second
wealthiest football player
in the world, just
behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
But Messi is also known for
more than just his brand deals.
He also does a lot
of work for charities
and has set up his
own foundation,
called the Leo Messi Foundation,
which has helped
support children
from less fortunate backgrounds,
children with cancer
and children with
live-changing disabilities.
[uplifting music]
it's safe to say that
he has inspired millions
all over the world.
And although he is one of the
quietest and reserved players
in the sport, everyone
knows the name Lionel Messi
because of his
incredible performances
on the pitch and his
community work off the pitch.
- A whole generation of
kids, boys and girls,
have been absolutely
inspired by Lionel Messi
to play the game and
to pretend to be Messi
in the back garden, in
the streets, in the yard.
And that's probably his
legacy around the world.
I think his legacy in Argentina
is probably quite a
burden for him to bear,
because for all that he's
done, he's done it in Europe.
He hasn't really done
it with a national team.
They haven't won a World
Cup or a Copa America
while he's been a
part of that squad.
So while he satisfied the world,
perhaps back in Argentina
they're still hungry
for the next Messi
who can do even more.
- [Narrator] Messi's legacy
will live on for years to come.
And although he is
approaching retirement age,
his ability is still
at a world standard.
He is the captain of Barcelona
and one of the most idolized
players of all time.
No matter how long
he keeps playing for,
he will always be remembered
as one of the greatest
players of all time.
- Well, it's really
difficult to imagine
that there's anything
about Lionel Messi's life
in Barcelona and with
Barcelona football club
that isn't very nice indeed,
however he's never played
in his native Argentina,
he's never played a senior
game in that country.
It may be that he
goes back to Rosario
and decides he wants to
play for Newell's Old Boys,
the club he supported in the way
that Diego Maradona was always
linked with Boca Juniors,
and couldn't resist
going back there.
It may be that Messi decides
that he does want to go back
and play for his public
in his city with his club.
- [Narrator] He is the magician.
And the name Lionel Messi
will forever live in
the history books.
[upbeat music]