Kimberly Gatto - Lionel Messi: A Soccer Star Who Cares

A Soccer Star Who Cares

When people mention Lionel Messi, many think of him as the best soccer player in the world. Messi is so good at soccer that when he was thirteen years old he signed his first official contract with FC Barcelona on a napkin! By age twenty-six he won the Ballon dOr four times and an Olympic gold medal. He has also become FC Barcelonas all-time leading scorer, and set the record for goals scored in a year. But being the best has not stopped Messi from giving back to people in need, especially young children.

About the Author

Kimberly Gatto is is a writer specializing in equestrian and sports books. Her published books thus far include several horse-related titles, as well as several athlete biographies. A lifelong horseback rider, she is the proud owner of a beautiful horse named Grace.

Lionel (Leo) Messi is often called a giant on the soccer field. That is because he makes a huge difference to his team. But Leo is not a tall man. He stands 5 feet, 6-and-a-half inches. Leo plays for the La Liga club FC Barcelona in Spain. He is also the captain of the Argentine national team. Argentina is a country in South America.

Many fans call Leo by his nickname, La Pulga. That means the flea in Spanish. Like a flea, Leo is small and quick. He is able to squeeze into tight places. He can wriggle by the strongest defenders. Leo is not afraid of the bigger players. In fact, he always keeps them guessing! Leos teammate Gerard Piqu once said, Leo simply goes one way with his body and another with the ball. You have to either guess right or foul him.

Leo Messi is a versatile player. He can play any of the forward positions. Forwards are sometimes called strikers. They play nearest to the opposing teams goal. Forwards are usually responsible for scoring goals. Leo is sometimes called a ghost center forward. Like a ghost, he floats around rather than staying in one position. He can also play the false nine spot. The false nine plays deep in the midfield. This makes it difficult for the opposing center backs. If they stay with him, there is an open space for other players to break through. But if they do not cover him, he may dribble or pick out a pass.

Leo is one of the greatest soccer players in the world. He has already been named Player of the Year four times. Many people believe he is one of best players in the history of soccer. Arsne Wenger, coach of the Arsenal team in England, said, (Messi) is (like) a PlayStation. Once hes on the run, (he) is unstoppable. He is the best player in the world by some distance.

Lionel Andrs Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario, Argentina. He was the third child born to Jorge and Celia Messi. Leo has two older brothers, Rodrigo and Matas. He also has a younger sister, Mara Sol. Leos parents worked hard to support their family. Jorge worked at a metals company. Celia helped out by working as a house cleaner.

Soccer has always been a popular sport in Argentina. It was also a favorite pastime in the Messi family. Rodrigo and Matas played for the local club, Grandioli. Rodrigo played as a center forward. Matas was a defender.

Messi was honored alongside his mother (right) by Mayor Mnica Fein as Honorary Citizen of his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.

At first, Leo seemed more interested in playing with marbles than soccer balls. That changed when he was only three years old. While watching his brothers play, Leo decided to join in. Rodrigo and Matas were impressed. Leo was fast and could kick the ball hard. Soon he became a part of the neighborhood matches.

One day, Leos grandmother spoke with Ricardo Aparicio, Grandiolis soccer coach. Aparicio needed another boy for his team. Leos grandmother told Aparicio how well Leo could play. But the coach was not sure if Leo was ready to join the team. Leo was very small for his age. At age five, he was also a year younger than the other boys. Aparicio worried that Leo might get hurt.

Leos family convinced Aparicio to watch the little boy play. Aparicio was amazed. He agreed that Leo could join the team. Aparicio later said, The second (the ball) came to his left foot, he latched onto it, and he went past one guy, then another and another. There was no question that Leo belonged on the team.

Messi mainly plays for FC Barcelona, but he also gets to play for Argentina, his home country.

Messi dribbles past a defender from Brazils Santos FC. Many believed Messi was too small to play soccer at an elite level. Then they watched him fly by defenders with moves like this.

That season, Leo helped his team win many games. They won both the local friendlies and the bigger league tournaments. The next year, Grandioli won the year-end championship. At six years old, The Flea was on his way to soccer stardom.

By the time he was seven years old, Leo Messi was making a name for himself. People talked about the little boy who could score many goals. Soon, the coach of a club called Newells Old Boys heard about Leo. The club had one of the best boys soccer teams in all of Argentina. Their team, called the Lepers, had won many national championships. Even the superstar Diego Maradona had once played for the Lepers. At one time, Maradona was the greatest soccer player in the world. In 1986, he led Argentina to victory in the World Cup.

Newells Old Boys was well known to the Messi family. Jorge had played there when he was a boy. Rodrigo and Matas followed. One day, the boys coach invited Leo to join his brothers at practice. The coach wanted to see for himself if Leo was that good. Over the next month, Leo was allowed to play in many of the teams matches. Sometimes he played as a forward. Other times he was asked to defend. Leo handled all these tests like a pro. Soon he became an official member of the team.

Argentina head coach Diego Maradona (left) mentors Messi. Maradona was once viewed as the best soccer player alive.

Leo played in many tournaments with the Lepers. To get himself ready for matches, he often did tricks with the ball. Leo especially liked to play keepy uppy. This is a type of juggling the soccer ball, with the object being to not let it reach the ground. Other players enjoyed watching Leo balance the ball with his feet and legs. Soon the managers asked Leo if he would perform these tricks for the crowds. Even though he was shy, Leo agreed. People cheered in the stands as Leo juggled during halftime breaks.