"I was a kid, but I remember. I had my friends, my school, everything in Rosario. But I was happy, excited, and looking forward to what it would be like to go to Barcelona. I remember how the whole neighbourhood came out to say goodbye. They went to the Rosario airport to see us off. It was impressive. It was like something out of a movie."
"I tell my children to take advantage of it, because I regret not having learned English when I was a kid and had the time. Especially when you meet famous people and say, 'What an idiot, how I wasted my time! ... When you're a kid, you don't realise it."
"The first year was tough because I couldn't play for six months since I didn't have a transfer. When my first game came, I injured my tibia and was out for three more months."
Messi recounts his emotional departure from Rosario at age 13, describing how his entire neighborhood gathered at the airport to bid farewell to his family. He transitioned to Barcelona where he completed secondary school alongside other La Masia academy players. During his early years in Spain, Messi faced significant obstacles, including a six-month period without playing due to transfer complications, followed by a tibia injury that sidelined him for three additional months. Reflecting on this period, Messi expresses regret about not maximizing his educational opportunities, particularly learning English when he had the time as a young student.
Read at Barca Universal
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