Lionel Messi was born in Argentina and comes from a poor family. His father was a factory worker and his mother was a part-time cleaner, but he grew up, surrounded by love and support. Messi developed a great passion for football very early in his life, so at the age of five he started playing football for a local club coached by his father, and when he was eight, he joined Newell old boys club. Messi grew up very close with his grandmother. So when she passed away, he was in a lot of pain. He was so sad that he didn’t want to play football for weeks, but after his father started pushing him to continue to play. He returned to the field, but he was determined more than ever make his grandmother proud of him.
1. Messi was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency
He dreamed of becoming a professional football player, but that dream started to fall apart when he was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency. This meant that he was physically unable to grow unless he received special, expensive therapy that cost nine hundred dollars per month. And unfortunately, his parents couldn’t afford it and the club that he was playing for refused to pay for the therapy. But even though Messi was the shortest player on his team, his love for football was limitless. So Messi wasn’t discouraged. This obstacle didn’t stop him. Messi’s talent was so undeniable that Football Club started noticing him. River Plate showed big interest in Messi but was denied the money to sponsor his medical treatment. So in the end they rejected him because of his medical condition.
2. Messi was Recognized by Barcelona and they Paid for his Treatment
But soon Messi was noticed by the coach of the football club Barcelona. He sent an offer to Messi’s family. He proposed the trial period, so he could see for himself if Messi is worth the hype. If he passed the trial, the club would cover his medical bills, but on one condition, Messi needs to leave his hometown and move to Spain. When his teammates saw him for the first time, they were very surprised and looked at him in disbelief at how short he was, but when he went onto the field they were shocked at how good and talented he was, and the coach was blown away by Messi’s, abilities and talent. He knew that he was born to play football, so he offered him a contract that would change his life forever. The only thing he had at the moment, was a paper napkin so Messi’s first Barcelona contract was written on a napkin and the rest is history.
3. Messi Became the Goal Machine
Till today he has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona. Messi is a goal machine and he’s often considered the best player in the world. At 22 Messi won the prestigious FIFA World Player of the Year award. He has record-tying 5 Ballon d’Or Awards and a record six European golden shoes, and the Barcelona superstar has been named the highest-paid athlete in the world. Today his net worth is 400 million dollars. There are so many lessons to be learned from his success story, a man who, despite his health problems, despite his poor financial background. Despite all the rejections he faced, he was still determined to achieve his dream and never give up. So what is the secret to his success?
4. Secret of Success
The secret behind his enormous success is that there is no secret. You need to work on yourself every single day. Messi’s remarkable success did not come by accident or from pure luck. He worked extremely hard and had to give up many things to become who he is.
Today. You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it. “I start early and I stay late day after day year after year, it took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success, give everything you’ve got and start working on your dreams today.”