Barcelona have released a video compilation of a young Lionel Messi showing off his skills during his time at the club’s La Masia academy.
Messi joined the academy in 2001, and has since risen to become one of the world’s greatest footballers.
The video gives a glimpse how this journey took shape, with some of Messi’s great runs and goals scored during his stint in Barcelona’s youth setup.
There are also a few clips of a young Messi speaking about his experiences. After a successful game, a teenage Messi reflects, “I have scored five goals, and I hope to keep on scoring a lot more.”
In November this year, he reached 500 goals in club football. Still 29, Barcelona and football fans will hope he keeps scoring a lot more.