Synopses & Reviews
A rare glimpse into the life and career of Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players of all time
On May 1, 2005, 17-year-old Lionel Messi scored his first goal for FC Barcelona, becoming, at the time, the youngest player ever to score in a league match for the Catalan club. Since then, his story has been one of meteoric—and seemingly limitless—success. Now, this compelling and perceptive biography by respected soccer journalist Guillem Balague gets to the heart of the mystery and genius that is Messi. From that first, league-winning season to the present, this chronicle details Messis historic feats, analyzing the reasons behind his barely comprehensible success. It examines the integral role he played during the 2008-2009 season, during which Barcelona won the league, the domestic cup, and the Champions League, as well as the drive and determination that saw him score an astonishing 91 goals in 2012, becoming—at the age of 25—Barcelona's all-time top scorer, and win four consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year awards. This account also examines Messis international career, during which, after a slow start, he has become Argentinas second top scorer of all time. This is the story of one of the finest players to ever grace the sport of soccer, the diminutive Argentine who has been named by Diego Maradona himself as his successor and who always plays with a smile on his face at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Synopsis
The story of one of the greatest footballers of all time, Barcelona and Argentina's Lionel Messi.
'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona
Despite all the fame and adulation, remarkably little is known about Lionel Messi, the modest and intensely private footballing genius. Just how did the boy from Rosario, Argentina, become the world's greatest player?
Guillem Balague has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle: his coaches, team-mates and family. In addition, Pep Guardiola has provided exclusive analysis of the player. The result is an authoritative and compelling account of the wonderful mystery that is Messi.
'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola
Synopsis
UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2018 WORLD CUP
The story of one of the greatest footballers of all time, Barcelona and Argentina's Lionel Messi.
'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona
Despite all the fame and adulation, remarkably little is known about Lionel Messi, the modest and intensely private footballing genius. Just how did the boy from Rosario, Argentina, become the world's greatest player?
Guillem Balague has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle: his coaches, team-mates and family. In addition, Pep Guardiola has provided exclusive analysis of the player. The result is an authoritative and compelling account of the wonderful mystery that is Messi.
'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola
About the Author
Guillem Balague is a soccer journalist and a regular columnist for the Spanish sports daily AS and UEFA Champions magazine. He has also contributed to the Observer and the Times. He serves as the Spanish soccer expert for Sky Sports in the UK, and is the author of Pep Guardiola: Another Way of Winning and A Season on the Brink.