Karen Burshtein - Lionel Messi

To Caitie Burshtein and Charlotte and Sarah Kowall

Published in 2016 by Britannica Educational Publishing (a trademark of Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc.) in association with The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

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First Edition

Britannica Educational Publishing

J.E. Luebering: Director, Core Reference Group

Anthony L. Green: Editor, Comptons by Britannica

Rosen Publishing

John Kemmerer: Executive Editor

Jacob R. Steinberg: Editor

Nelson S: Art Director

Nicole Russo: Designer

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Burshtein, Karen.

Lionel Messi: soccers top scorer/Karen Burshtein.First Edition.

pages cm.(Living Legends of Sports)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-6804-8133-4 (eBook)

1. Messi, Lionel, 1987Juvenile literature. 2. Soccer playersArgentinaBiographyJuvenile literature. I. Title.

GV942.7.M398B87 2015

796.334092dc23

[B]

2014041864

Photo credits: Cover, pp. 1, 3637 Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images; pp. 4, 7, 2223, 3031 AP Images; p. 6 Belgrano; p. 8 wareham.nl (sport)/Alamy; p. 10 Lluis Gene/AFP/Getty Images; p. 13 Rex Features/AP Images; p. 14 Maxisport/Shutterstock.com; p. 15 Natursports/Shutterstock.com; p. 17 Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images; p. 19 Kyodo/AP Images; pp. 2425 AGIF/Shutterstock.com; pp. 2627 Quique Garcia/AFP/Getty Images; pp. 2829, 39 David Ramos/Getty Images; p. 33 Chen Shaojin/Xinhua/Landov; pp. 3435 Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images; p. 40 Emka74/Shutterstock.com; cover and interior pages background images iStockphoto.com/traffic_analyzer (soccer field illustration), iStockphoto.com/Nikada (texture).

CONTENTS

S occer is by far the worlds most popular team sport. Part of that popularity comes from how little equipment is needed to start a game. With just a ball and goal posts (even improvised ones) you can get a game of soccer going pretty much anywhere. This is an important consideration in many less economically developed countries where kids may not have access to expensive clubhouses or sporting equipment.

In an April 2011 match, Lionel Messi dazzled fans at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, with his fancy footwork and superb control of the ballskills that have made him a living legend of soccer.

In Argentina, a soccer player named Lionel Messi showed many of the traits of a standout player from an early age. Among these traits are the intelligence and the athleticism that soccer demands. Also notable is that Messi overcame physical difficulties as a young man and later dominated the sport and surpassed his peers. Today, he is a living legend.

QUICKFACT

Outside of the United States and Canada, soccer is commonly known as football or association football. The word soccer was originally derived from an abbreviation of the word association in association football.

Messi plays forward on both Argentinas national team and for FC Barcelona, a popular team in Spain. His coach has called him the Michael Jordan of soccera player capable of defining an era. Many sports critics even suggest that he may be the best soccer player of all time. He is a skilled playmaker and a thoughtful team player. To be at the top of one of the most popular sports in the world is a big honor but also carries with it huge pressure and responsibility. At only twenty-seven years old, Messi wears these pressures on his shoulders as ably as he handles the ball with his feet.

S occer is in Argentinas roots, and it is the countrys most beloved sport. Most Argentines play soccer from a young age, and many dream of becoming a big league soccer player. Born on June 24, 1987, Lionel Andrs Messi Cuccittini (nicknamed Leo) was no exception.

Located on the west bank of the Paran River in Argentina, Rosario is the countrys third-largest city as well as the hometown of Lionel Messi.

As a young child, Leo grew up in the river port city of Rosario, Argentinas third-largest city. Leos father, Jorge Horacio Messi, was a steelworker. His mother, Celia Mara Cuccittini, worked part-time as a cleaner. Both parents were of Italian originas is a good portion of the population of Argentina. Leo was the Messis third child after older brothers Rodrigo and Matas. His younger sister, Mara Sol, was born when Leo was eight years old.

Fancy Footwork at a Young Age

Like many Argentine children, the Messi boys looked up to Diego Maradona. Maradona was a superstar of Argentine soccer. In the quarterfinal of the 1986 World Cup, he scored the famous Hand of God goalhe illegally hit the ball with his hand, but the referee mistakenly thought he had used his head (which is allowed). After scoring another spectacular goal four minutes later, Argentina won the match.

Argentine soccer superstar Diego Maradona is shown here celebrating his countrys victory at the 1986 World Cup. Maradona is considered a hero by many Argentine fans of soccer and an inspiration for amateur soccer players.

Leo started playing soccer at the age of five. He would follow his brothers to the pitch where Grandoli, the local soccer club, played. At first Leo would kick soccer balls against a wall and imitate the moves of the older boys. However, eventually some of the coaches noticed his flair and effectiveness. They asked him why he didnt join in with the older boys, despite his smaller size.

QUICKFACT

His first big fan, Leos grandmother later passed away when he was only ten years old. To this day, every time Leo scores a goal he points to the sky in a salute to his grandmother.

Leo didnt shy away from the challenge. This was in part due to his grandmothers encouragement. She would convince the coaches to play Leo (who was small even for his young age) against the biggest of the boys.

Estadio Marcelo A. Bielsa, in Rosario, Argentina, is the home of the Newells Old Boys soccer club, where Messi began playing in the youth division at age eight.

By age eight, Leo had joined the youth team of Newells Old Boys, a Rosario-based, top-division soccer club. There he started to show the phenomenal skills that made him a handful for any opposing team. The masterly way he worked the ball with either foot, his strength, and his playmaking all made him a key player. Leo already showed many signs of the Messi that is well known today.