Lionel Messi signed his first Barcelona contract on a piece of tissue paper, it has been revealed
That, and six other truly remarkable facts you might not have known about the Argentinian superstar
LIONEL MESSI signed his Barcelona contract on a piece of tissue paper, it has incredibly been revealed.
That and six other staggering bits of information feature in seven things you may not know about the Argentine maestro.
1 His tissue contract
Barcelona's then general secretary, Charly Rexach, was so impressed with what he saw from a 13-year-old Messi within seven minutes of his trial he needed to sign him up fast. have reported that the only thing near that he could write on was a napkin, which both sides signed right on the spot.
2 Ink-redible left leg
Dedicated to his craft, Messi has a picture of a football tattooed on that phenomenal left leg of his. Also in his ink collection is a picture of his mother on his back, plus his son Thiago's hand prints.
3 Gone in 44 seconds
Messi's Argentina debut lasted just 44 seconds. Yes, 44 seconds. Aged 18, Messi came on as a substitute in the 63rd-minute against Hungary but was almost immediately dismissed after elbowing Vilmos Vanczak.
4 Growing pains
Messi suffered from a growth hormone deficiency when he was young caused by malnutrition. His family could not afford the treatment but Barcelona would pay for the treatment when he moved to the Catalan giants.
Related articles
5 Like father, like son...
Just 72 hours after his birth, Messi's son Thiago, now four, had already been signed to Newell's Old Boys – the same club that his father began his youth career at back in 1994.
There is an incredible coincidence regarding the birth dates of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and the birth dates of their sons
6 The 869 riddle
A truly bizarre coincidence involving the two greatest footballers in the world.
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo is 869 days older than Messi. Astonishingly, Ronaldo’s son — Cristiano Ronaldo Junior — is ALSO 869 days older than Messi’s lad, Thiago. Crazy.
7 Childhood sweetheart
Messi has known his partner and mother of his children, Antonella Roccuzzo, since he was five years old. They grew up together in Rosario, Argentina, meeting through Roccuzzo's cousin, who was a friend of Messi's. Awww.
