Every transfer window, thousands of players change clubs. Some are chasing big money, others want to collect titles and triumphs.
“What if?” is what many football fans are probably asking themselves when they think about their club’s biggest near-transfers. Fans of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid may also be thinking the same thing. Superstar Lionel Messi (37) could have started his career with the “Galacticos”.
Lionel Messi decided against Real Madrid and Arsenal FC
This was revealed by the Argentine’s former advisor, Horcio Gaggioli, in an interview with the Arabic portal “Kooora”. “Real Madrid were interested at the time when Messi was young, between 16 and 17 years old, but Leo never wanted to leave Barcelona,” he said.
In addition, Arsenal FC was also very interested in signing the talented dribbler at the time. But just like Real Madrid, the “Gunners” and the then coach Arsène Wenger (74) also received a rejection from Messi and his agent.
Instead, the Argentinian decided to stay in the now infamous “La Masia”, FC Barcelona’s youth academy. As a reward, Messi made his debut at the age of 17 under coach Frank Rijkaard (61) on October 10, 2004 in a match against Espanyol Barcelona.
What followed was one of the most impressive careers in football history. Eight Ballon d’Ors, four Champions League trophies and the 2022 World Cup title as the icing on the cake. It’s hard to imagine how Lionel Messi’s career would have turned out if he had signed for Real Madrid at a young age.
The 37-year-old is currently winding down his career at Inter Miami in the American MLS. The Argentinian has scored twelve goals and provided nine assists in twelve games for the Florida club this season. However, Miami has been without Messi since the beginning of June due to the Copa América and a ligament injury.
