Lionel Messi’s Barcelona dream almost ended at 13 as one coach delivered brutal verdict despite Diego Maradona comparison

Lionel Messi’s journey from a young prospect in Argentina to one of soccer’s greatest players nearly took a different turn before his career had even begun in Europe. When Diego Maradona was already an inspiration to generations of Argentine players, Messi was trying to convince Barcelona that his extraordinary talent could overcome doubts about his physical development.

Messi was just 13 years old when he travelled from Argentina to Barcelona in 2000 for trials at La Masia, the club’s renowned youth academy. Although his technical ability quickly caught the attention of coaches, his small stature and need for growth hormone treatment raised concerns about whether he could compete at the highest levels of youth soccer.

The debate has resurfaced after journalist Florent Torchut of France Football, author of the biography Rey Leo, revealed three internal scouting reports written during Messi’s initial assessment. The documents showed that while some coaches recognised his extraordinary potential, others were reluctant to recommend signing him.

The first report praised Messi’s remarkable technique

The initial evaluation was largely positive, highlighting Messi’s technical completeness and ability to stand out against players his age. The coach praised his vision, agility, intelligence, dribbling and shooting, identifying his physical development as the principal weakness.

“Considering his age, he is a very complete technical player,” the report stated. It concluded: “Very good in the penalty area. His only weakness is his height and lack of physicality. Great player.”

Despite those reservations, the assessment suggested that Barcelona had discovered a player with exceptional natural ability. The challenge was determining whether his talent could translate into success against bigger and physically stronger opponents.

One coach delivered verdict that could have changed history

The second report was considerably more pessimistic, focusing on Messi’s height of approximately 142 centimetres and questioning whether he could progress through Barcelona’s youth categories. The coach believed his physical limitations would make it difficult to compete at higher levels, even if he continued to grow.

“Undeniable technical quality, but his physical limitation (142 cm) is very significant and prevents him from competing,” the report stated. Its conclusion was blunt: “I THINK HE SHOULD NOT BE SIGNED.”

The coach recommended monitoring Messi’s development and reconsidering a possible signing a couple of years later. Had Barcelona followed that advice, the club might have missed the opportunity to secure one of the most influential players in football history.

Maradona comparison changed the conversation

The third evaluation offered a dramatically different perspective, with the coach recognising similarities between the young Messi and Argentine icon Diego Maradona. Rather than treating his physical limitations as a reason to wait, the evaluator believed Barcelona should invest in his potential immediately.

“Allowing for the differences, he is a Maradona (young in age). I would sign him; he has to go much further. We’ll see how he develops,” the report read.

That recommendation captured the extraordinary promise Messi was already showing at 13. While his future remained uncertain, the comparison with Maradona demonstrated that at least one coach could see something special beyond his physical appearance.

Barcelona ultimately decided to take the gamble, with sporting director Carles Rexach becoming a crucial supporter of Messi’s signing. The famous story of Rexach committing to the deal on a restaurant napkin in December 2000 has since become one of the sport’s most recognisable transfer anecdotes.