The Gamper game against Juventus was after he already passed through Barcelona youth ranks. Messi became the best player ever at Barcelona. Barca developed him. It is not like he was the best player ever when he was a kid and he had growth hormone deficiency is it?
That is what people don't get. He became the best player ever, arguably, also because the set-up in which he was developed was the right one. Without that setup, and that platform that was and still is Barcelona and La Masia, nobody knows what would've happened. And yes, there's a possibility that even a talent like Messi would've been lost. Hell, it's possible that his health problems would've ended his career at an early age. There are talents like Messi in the world that never make it because the elements do not line-up like they did with Messi. Barcelona is responsible for making sure they did line-up the right way.
People trying to imply Messi was destined to become the best ever and we were just lucky he chose us, or that we are nothing without Messi are funny. But I get it, many are Messi fans first and Barca fans second, so it's understandable to a point.
Believe it or not, talent can get lost if some things in their life don't fall into place the right way and at the right time.
Pure speculation.
Sure, injuries and some other things could have made things more difficult but the truth is that at nearly every other club he would have joined he would have dominated and that club would have many trophies more today and Barcelona a lot less.
Of course it's speculation. Thanks for clearing that part out
Everything about Messi screams that he would've made it anywhere.
Sure, he could have made it big at another top team, not as big as at Barcelona anyway
Yea, everything about Messi "screams" he would've made it anywhere. But it didn't "screamed" when we took in La Masia a boy with health problems. And that's the issue. Messi's level now is not an indicator of what would've happened if we didn't get him when he was 14 and didn't pay for his treatment.
Another hollow statement. What is hindsight good for right ? Messi's unique style was there as a 6 year old. Barca protected him well but they knew just how special he was as soon as he started playing as a teenager.
Where did I say anything about his style?
Again, direct me to some articles about how United, Bayern, Real, Ajax, or some other european teams were interested in Messi when Barcelona signed him, and that Barcelona won his signature in front of all these teams who wanted him badly.
Messi has constantly been the best player in his age group, anywhere. He was primed for success. That you can google...
If he was destined for success in his age group anywhere, then why didn't every top team in europe want to sign him from Argentina? Thing is Barcelona discovered him.
It's our scouters that struck gold, and saw real talent in Messi, a talent that was worth the investment to get him healthy and playing football in Barcelona, and we as a club should get a lot of credit for it. This is not a player everybody wanted to sign then. The fact that he turned out to be in contention for the best player to ever played the game, and we got him for nothing, when few if any european teams were connected to him is credit for us.
Good job spinning away from that dumb question. Big clubs didn't come knocking at the door. They had no idea the little dude even existed. That answered your question.
OK. So if they had no idea that the dude even existed, then don't you think maybe he wouldn't have made it if Barcelona didn't get him?
Everything about Messi screams that he would've made it anywhere.