Lionel Messi: 10 years of magic
Lionel Messi has been delighting fans and terrorizing defenses for 10 years. On October 16, 2004 the four-time Ballon dOr winner made his debut in…
Leo Messi (L) of FC Barcelona in action during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Panathinaikos at the Camp Nou stadium on November 2, 2005 in in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Luis Bagu/Getty Images)
Lionel Messi has been delighting fans and terrorizing defenses for 10 years.
On October 16, 2004 the four-time Ballon dOr winner made his debut in the Barcelona derby against rivals Espanyol.
La Pulga came on in the 82nd minute of the match, and he has not looked back ever since.
SEE ALSO: #400goles Lio Messis 5 greatest goals of all-time
The Rosario, Argentina native was a standout in Barcelonas famed youth team, but no one could have imagined that the Argentine would blossom into the best player of his generation and one of the best players to ever step on the pitch.
In Messis trophy case you can find four World Player of the Year awards, three Champions League winners medals, six L Liga titles, two FIFA Club World Cup titles, two Copa del Rey titles and over 400 goals for club and country.
Not to shabby for someone who needed special treatments just to grow.
Messi still has goals left to achieve
Despite all of his achievements, he still has room in his trophy room for at least a couple of more trophies and personal awards.
He has yet to take his national team to glory. He has neither won a Copa America or a World Cup. This summers World Cup final appearance is as close as he has gotten with the South American nation. A win on the global stage is the only thing that is holding him back from getting the heights that Maradona got to, according to many fans. He will most likely have one more shot in Russia 2018.
The #10 is only 4 goals behind the all-time leader in Champions League goals Raul Gonzalez Blanco who has 71 scores.
SEE ALSO: Argentina turns its back on Lionel Messi
Messi trails legendary Argentine forward Gabriel Omar Batistuta (55 goals) by 11 goals in the race for the all-time leading goal scorer in national team history.
La Pulga is also just 3 goals behind Telmo Zarra (251 goals) as the all-time leading goal scorer in La Liga history.
Messi, the player with a left foot that resembles Van Gohgs paint brush, has created a career nothing short of legendary. Hopefully for us fans of the beautiful game, he continues to create art on the pitch.
