Thread by @FrenkieStats, | Lionel Messi - Most iconic pictures/moments during his time with FC [...]

| Lionel Messi - Most iconic pictures/moments during his time with FC Barcelona.

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A thread:

The man who discovered 12-year-old Lionel Messi made him sign a contract on a paper napkin because he 'couldn't let him get away' The man who helped Barcelona discover Lionel Messi said he signed him on a paper napkin at just 12 years old because he was too good to let go.

When Leo Messi arrived at La Masia, the other players couldn’t believe how small he was. Messi was also a shy one and was nicknamed El Mudo (the mute one). But they soon came to realise that although he was quiet in the dressing room, Messi’s feet did the talking on the pitch.

On 16 October 2004, Barcelona played a Catalan derby against Espanyol. He had barely turned 17 and debuted for the first team.

Messi: “I will remember those 10 minutes my whole life”, after the his first game with the first team.

On 16 October 2004, Barcelona played a Catalan derby against Espanyol. He had barely turned 17 and debuted for the first team. Messi: “I will remember those 10 minutes my whole life”, after the his first game with the first team.

In 2005, Messi celebrates his first goal with a beautiful assist from his idol, Ronaldinho.

The Camp Nou roared its approval, not just because of the ingenuity of the move but because a star was born.

A 20 year old Leo Messi scores a very similar goal to Diego Maradona’s ‘Goal of the Century’ against Getafe back in 2007.

Lionel Messi winning his first Ballon d’Or back in 2009 at the age of 22.

In May 2009, Guardiola worked day & night to find a chink in Real Madrid’s armour ahead of El Clasico & one night he found his answer. Guardiola picked up the phone and asked Messi to come meet him, showing him the area between Real’s defence and ‘The Messi Zone.’

Barça won 6-2.

A 19-year-old kid by the name of Leo Messi announced himself to the world of football with his first ever hat-trick for the club in the biggest game of all, El Clásico.

Messi's first Champions League Final goal.

Messi’s 91 goals in 2012 was an insane achievement, and will probably remain the record for a long time.

In 2012, Messi played a total of 69 games for club and country. That means he scored about 1.32 goals per game. A goal every 68 minutes. Unreal.

Three successful seasons later in 2012, Messi wins four consecutive Ballons d'Or, making him the first player to win the award four times AND in a row.

In 2014, Leo Messi broke the La Liga record for goals by surpassing Telmo Zarra’s 251 goals.

*Messi has 444 goals in La Liga at the moment.

Barcelona winning the treble back in 2015 when Barcelona arguably had the best forward line in the history of the game (Messi, Suarez & Neymar).

One of the most if not the most iconic picture of Lionel Messi after a historical remontada against PSG in the Champions League.

Messi’s 500th goal for Barcelona back in 2017 came via an injury-time winner in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Scripts cannot be written any better that this.