Before the global phenomenon, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, or the World Cup hero, Lionel Messi was simply a "tiny magician" whose raw talent already captivated seasoned professionals at just nine years old.
Key Revelations from Messi's Early Days:
- Senior players at Newell's Old Boys would stay after training just to watch Messi's youth games.
- His "Machine of 87" youth squad went unbeaten for three years, cementing his legendary status early.
- Comparisons to football icon Diego Maradona were already being made when Messi was a child.
- Former teammate Matias Fondato eventually reunited with Messi, presenting him with a special painting.
The Unmissable Prodigy: Senior Players Left Awestruck
Even before he departed for Spain and became a household name, the legend of Lionel Messi was already brewing in Rosario. Former Newell's Old Boys player Matias Fondato, now an artist, vividly recalls the surreal buzz surrounding the young talent. It wasn't just the youth coaches talking; the first-team players were equally mesmerized.
Fondato recounted to talkSPORT how he and his senior teammates couldn't tear themselves away. "The whole first team, before going to the hotel, we just stayed watching him," he revealed. "It was just absurd to watch him playing. It's actually the same as now, but when he was like nine years old." The sheer audacity of a child playing with such advanced vision and skill was undeniable.
The 'Machine of 87' and Echoes of Maradona
Messi's legendary youth squad, famously dubbed "The Machine of 87," carved out an incredible legacy, remaining undefeated for three years. This era foreshadowed the greatness to come, with fans already drawing parallels to the revered Diego Maradona. This connection was amplified by the fact that Messi himself was in the stands for Maradona's own Newell's debut in 1993.
By the tender age of nine, the future superstar was already a crowd-pleaser. He'd perform dazzling kick-ups for the adoring fans at Estadio Marcelo Bielsa, who chanted his name in unison. Fondato observed, "He was very, very tiny, but at the same time, it looked like he had like an adult mind... you could see he was like completely different to anything else that you've seen at that age."
From Rosario Prodigy to World Champion: A Timeless Legacy
While Lionel Messi never made a competitive senior appearance for Newell's Old Boys, his formative years there cemented his place in Argentine football folklore. Decades later, his dominance shows no signs of waning. Even now, with his 2022 World Cup victory finally secured, players like Pedri continue to praise his "crazy" form and incredible longevity.
For Matias Fondato, watching Messi lift the coveted World Cup trophy was the ultimate culmination of a journey he witnessed from its earliest, most remarkable stages. "After he won the World Cup, and now, in terms of the things that he's doing now, it's unbelievable how he can keep doing the same for so, so many years," Fondato asserted, his admiration undimmed.
Full Circle: From Sidelines to Canvas
The unique connection between Fondato and Messi eventually came full circle, but not on the pitch. Fondato, who lived in Newcastle for eight years and became an "adopted Geordie," transitioned from football to a successful career as an artist, painting for several Premier League stars. Yet, the subject of his most significant work remained the boy he once watched with such awe.
"Actually, he has one painting [from] me," Fondato proudly revealed. He presented the artwork to Messi and the entire Argentine squad before the 2018 World Cup. It was a poignant reunion, bridging two paths that began decades ago: one as a football prodigy, the other as an observer, both now immortalized in art and memory.
