Barcelona, Spain – June 2004
The city was different now.
He used to walk the streets unnoticed — headphones in, hands deep in his hoodie.
Now, cameras followed.
Fans yelled.
Reporters waited outside La Masia's gates, hoping for a quote, a glimpse, a single word from the boy who had danced past defenders and into their hearts.
Lionel Messi was no longer just a promise.
He was a name.A brand.A rising star.
Time Off — A Glimpse of Normal
With the season finished, Rijkaard gave the players a few weeks off before summer training resumed.
Some flew to tropical islands.
Others to Vegas, Ibiza, or Monaco.
Messi?
He flew home.
Rosario.
The streets hadn't changed.The smells, the sounds, the slow afternoons.Kids still kicked balls on the pavement until sunset.
At night, he sat with his family, laughed with his younger brothers, hugged his mother long and tight.
And when he met Antonela again by the riverside…
There were no words needed.
Just a smile. A long look.
"You didn't forget," she whispered.
"I couldn't," he answered.
The Endorsements Begin
Back in Spain, the offers piled in.
Nike. Adidas. Puma. All bidding.
Messi wasn't interested in money. He barely spent what he had.
But Barcelona's media team explained.
"It's part of it now, Leo. Cameras. Contracts. Image."
He signed with Adidas — quietly, humbly — and filmed his first commercial.
He hated it.
The lights, the makeup, the forced smiles.
After take 6, the director asked, "Can you be more… expressive?"
Messi just stared at him blankly.
Deco laughed on set. "That is his expressive face."
Still, the campaign aired.And sales soared.
"A left foot worth millions."
Magazines, Models, and Murmurs
He made his first front-page football magazine cover at age 16.
Then another.
Then… a lifestyle magazine.
They asked him to wear a suit. Then a leather jacket. Then shirtless, wrapped in the Argentine flag.
"No," he said simply.
They adjusted.
He posed once, in jeans and a tee.
No chains. No sunglasses. Just Leo.
But not everyone wanted just Leo.
The Parties He Didn't Attend
As fame grew, so did the invitations.
VIP events. Rooftop bars. Afterparties with celebrities and international stars.
He showed up twice. Stayed for ten minutes each time.
Too loud. Too much perfume. Too many eyes.
"Where's Messi?" someone asked.
"He left."
"Didn't even have a drink?"
"Nope."
The Girls Who Tried
Barcelona was full of beauty.So were the cities they traveled to.
In hotel lobbies, after matches, at events — women approached him.
Some bold. Some subtle.
"You looked amazing tonight.""Want to get a drink?""I could show you around."
Some even offered more.
But Messi always replied the same way.
"Gracias, pero tengo a alguien."
Thanks, but I have someone.
He wasn't married. Not yet.But his heart was taken.
By a girl who once made fun of his small boots.Who stayed with him when he was just Leo from Rosario.Not Messi the rising star.
A Talk with Ronaldinho
One night after training, Ronaldinho found Messi alone, juggling a ball outside La Masia.
"You're famous now, Leo."
"I know."
"Fame changes people."
Messi nodded, still juggling.
"But I won't let it change what I love."
Ronaldinho smiled, then added with a wink:
"Still — if you ever want to try champagne with five models on a yacht, let me know."
Messi laughed.
"I'll pass."
The Injury Warning
During a friendly match in Argentina with the U20 squad, Messi felt it.
A sharp twinge in his left thigh.
He kept playing — didn't want to seem weak.
But by full-time, it had worsened.
Diagnosis: Minor muscle strain. Two weeks rest.
It wasn't serious.
But it was a reminder.
He was human.And his body had limits.
A Visit to the Academy
While recovering, Messi visited his old Rosario youth club.
The kids rushed him like he was a superhero.
He signed autographs on socks, notebooks, even one kid's cast.
Then he stayed for their training — not as a player, but as a teacher.
"You don't need to be tall," he told one boy."Just be fast. Smart. And never afraid."
Notebook Entry – Back at La Masia
Anto,I see my face on ads now. I hear my name on TV. I sign shirts I didn't even wear.Sometimes it feels like I'm watching myself from the outside.But when I touch the ball, it all comes back.That's real. That's mine.I said no to a party yesterday. Said no to a girl the day before.I'll keep saying no to the noise.Because I already said yes to you.—Leo
The World Watches
In Argentina, fans debated:
"When will he debut for the senior national team?""Can he lead us to glory?""Is he the next Maradona?"
In Spain, rivals plotted:
"Stop Messi, stop Barça.""Kick him early, don't let him turn.""Trap him left — no, trap him right."
At Barcelona, Rijkaard gave him a rest — but not for long.
"Next season, you won't be a secret anymore, Leo," he said."You'll be a target."
But Messi Was Ready
Not because he had new boots.
Not because of the money.
But because every time he touched the ball…
He was still the boy from Rosario.
And that boy had a long way to go.