The Argentine is a well-known Newell's Old Boys fan and played for them before joining Barcelona - but a new video reveals he also played for a tiny club called Central Cordoba
Lionel Messi scored hundreds of goals for Newell's Old Boys' youth teams before joining Barcelona but few knew that he also turned out for a tiny Rosario club called Central Cordoba.
Footage has emerged demonstrating the Barcelona star's ability to draw crowds even at age eight, as he takes part in a match at a children's football championship in his hometown.
As is often still the case today in La Liga and the Champions League, Messi teases his opponents with his speed and skills before they eventually realise the only way to stop him is to foul him.
That does not prevent 'the Flea', however, from hooking the ball over a defender's head and volleying home from distance - as powerfully as his tiny stature will allow him to.
- Goal