Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the best players in the history of football. Having won seven Ballon d’Or awards and a plethora of trophies with club and country, his performances on the pitch certainly back the claim.
The football maestro made a name for himself and established himself as one of the best footballers of all time while standing just 5'7". The average height of men in his country is said to be over 5'8".
It is worth noting that Messi has been known by the nickname La Pulga since he was a kid. The moniker, which translates to ’the flea’, is said to have been given to him due to his small stature.
Messi was notably diagnosed with a rare case of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) at the age of just 11. The forward was thus much shorter than a lot of his kids his age at the time.
Argentinean clubs River Plate and Newell’s Old Boys were impressed with Messi’s footballing abilities. However, they had reservations about forking out a significant amount of money for his treatment.
Barcelona, though, decided to take a punt on Messi, taking him to their La Masia academy. The move has since gone on to become one of the biggest coups in the history of football.
Without the treatment that the Blaugrana provided, the player was only expected to reach a height of about 150 cm. Messi expressed his gratitude towards the club with his exceptional performances on the pitch.
The forward went on to make 778 appearances across all competitions for the Catalans, scoring 672 and assisting 303 goals in the process. He helped the club win 31 trophies during his time with them.
Messi has also established himself as one of Argentina’s greatest players, scoring 90 goals in 164 matches. He helped La Albiceleste win the Copa America last year.
Lionel Messi currently plays for PSG
Lionel Messi was forced to leave Barcelona last year due to the club’s financial constraints. He went on to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on a free transfer, putting pen to paper on a two-year deal.
The 35-year-old has since made 45 appearances across all competitions for Les Parisiens. He has found the back of the net 17 times, while providing 23 assists for his teammates, in those matches.
At 35 years of age, Lionel Messi is gradually nearing the end of his career. It remains to be seen how long he will continue to play before hanging up his boots.
0 votes
