A few weeks ago Lionel Messi left FC Barcelona in tears and moved to PSG in the French capital. While the footballer is enjoying great success today, he has not always been that confident. When he was young, he suffered from a rare hormonal disease.
Messi was gigantic small
After spending several years at FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi took a new turn in his career. The well-paid footballer joins Paris Saint-Germain and moves with his family to the French capital.
The striker seems to be getting used to his new life and is happy to form a sporty trio with Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. The player appears to be in tip-top shape and is a win for PSG. But even if the footballer shines today, that wasn’t always the case. He had a difficult childhood because of a rare illness.
Before Lionel Messi became an international star, he suffered a lot. Although he dreams of playing soccer at the age of 10, the Argentine is not comfortable in his own skin. At that time he was very shy and only 1.11 meters tall.
Doctors discover that he has a hormonal disease that is preventing him from growing. As a child, Lionel Messi is therefore often mocked and called “the dwarf”.
Growth hormones
For several years, Lionel Messi underwent treatments to reach a height of five feet. When he played for the Argentinian club Newell’s Old Boys, he received injections of synthetic hormones.
However, due to the economic crisis, the Argentine association is no longer able to finance its treatment. Lionel Messi has to leave his family and travel to Europe to join FC Barcelona and continue his therapy.
Lionel Messi still made it: he is now 1.69 m tall and (figuratively) one of the tallest players in football. It used to be known as the “dwarf”, today it is known as “La Pulga” (“the flea”), alluding to its small size and maneuverability. So everything turned out fine after all!
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