Lionel Messi Had a Hunger for Goals and a Drive to Succeed Even at a Young Age; Video

• Lionel Messi was a shy youngster, but he was always determined to score and be the best he could be
• Messi joined Barcelona when he was 13, but never allowed bigger players to bully him off the ball
• Destined for greatness at a young age, Messi went on to win 7 Ballon d'Ors and is on his way to his eight

Lionel Messi is a handful for any player to try and stop.

The Argentinian superstar is 35 but is still performing at the highest level.

Following his World Cup win, many have pencilled in Messi to win the Ballon d'Or in 2023.

While some may be surprised that Messi is still outperforming many modern-day stars, when one looks at his early career, it's easy to see why he's so good now.

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Goal recently shared a video of Messi as a youngster and one thing that stands out is his determination.

The video was from when Messi first joined Barcelona. The Paris Saint-Germain star joined Barca as a 13-year-old in 2000.

Young Messi was confident and wouldn't be bullied off the ball. He showed great speed and fancy footwork and had a thirst for goals.

He also looked destined for greatness and that's exactly what he's achieved now.

Messi has played 855 games in his professional career and scored 702 goals, Transfermarkt reported. He's also notched up 333 assists and has only been sent off twice in his whole career. He's also won the Ballon d'Or a record seven times.

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Lionel Messi is a legend in football, especially at his former side, Barcelona.

The Argentinian superstar spent 20 successful years at the club and cemented his place as one of the greatest players in the world, Sports Brief reported.

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While much is known about Messi’s legendary career, the story of his signing for the Spanish side is something that is often forgotten. Messi signed his first professional contract with the Catalan club when he was just 13 years old.

When Messi met Fabregas

Lionel Messi went from a shy youngster who didn’t talk much to one of the greatest footballers of all time.

That’s how Messi’s friend and former teammate, Cesc Fàbregas describes the rise of the Argentinian superstar, Sports Brief reported.

The duo met when Messi attended his first training session at just 13 years old. Fàbregas and Messi were born a few months apart and became good friends at Barcelona's academy.