Date: April 5–9, 2005Setting: Rosario, ArgentinaMood: Hometown pride, personal reflection, and a whisper of pressure
The car bumped along the cracked road leading into Rosario. Outside the window, murals of Maradona and Kempes were now joined by something new.
A small white wall, painted freshly with blue letters:
"Messi 10 – Nuestro Orgullo"(Our Pride)
April 5 – Short Break, Long Memories
Barcelona had granted players a short four-day international break before their final La Liga stretch. Messi had only one plan:
Go home.
He arrived quietly with his father. No press. No security. Just Rosario.
Antonella greeted him with a warm smile, no words.
They walked together by the river. Children kicked a ball barefoot along the bank.
"They all want to be you now," she whispered.
Messi didn't know what to say. He still felt like the one who wanted to be someone.
April 6 – Back to the Roots
He visited Newell's Old Boys, his first club.
The groundskeeper still remembered him.
"You used to sneak in just to shoot free kicks alone at night."
Messi smiled. Nothing had changed.
He trained there, quietly, with permission. No cameras. Just an old friend feeding him balls.
He hit the net again and again. Left foot. Right foot. Curl. Low drive.
Free Kick Practice Total:
28 attempts
Goals scored: 22
April 7 – The Street Game
Word got out.
Dozens of kids gathered near his home. Not to mob him—just to watch.
That afternoon, he joined a casual street match. Old concrete. Bare goals.
At first, they hesitated.
Then he touched the ball.
And it was as if time stopped.
He danced through them, not to show off, but to remember.
How the game felt before Europe. Before pressure. Before Spain.
April 8 – An Interview in the Local Paper
A reporter from La Capital de Rosario caught him outside a café.
"Leo, you're 17, playing for Barcelona, and about to get your first senior Argentina call. What drives you?"
Messi paused.
"The fear of losing the joy I had as a kid… that keeps me grounded."
"And when will you feel like you've made it?"
"When my country wears my name without hesitation."
The quote hit front pages.
April 9 – Farewell for Now
Before leaving, Messi visited his grandmother's grave—his biggest supporter, now gone for years.
He left a small replica of his Barcelona jersey with her name written inside the collar.
Then he looked up at the Rosario sky.
"They're calling me back to Spain, abuela. But I'll always come home."
Notebook Entry – April 9, 2005
Anto,Rosario hasn't changed. But I have. A little taller. A little stronger. Maybe even wiser.But inside, I'm still the kid who ran barefoot behind you in the backyard.They say Barcelona made me. But Rosario built me.— Leo
Lionel Messi – Updated Stats (as of April 9, 2005)
Season (Club):
Matches: 35
Goals: 25
Assists: 27
Free Kick Goals (Match): 2
Free Kick Goals (Training): 20
Dribbles Completed: 178
Fouls Suffered: 88
Career Totals (Club + Country):
Matches: 37
Goals: 28
Assists: 29
Dribbles Completed: 194
National Team Caps (Senior): 0
National Team Goals: 0
La Liga Standings (Still paused during international break):
1st: FC Barcelona – 69 pts
2nd: Real Madrid – 66 pts
3rd: Sevilla – 62 pts
4th: Villarreal – 59 pts
World Football News – April 9
Premier League: Steven Gerrard rumored to be a summer target for Real Madrid.
Serie A: Inter Milan announce pre-contract with young striker from Argentina – rumors point to Diego Milito.
Bundesliga: Bayern Munich suffer a shock defeat. Schalke extend their lead.
Award Talk: FIFA announces that the 2005 FIFA World Player Gala will be held in Zurich this December, and Ballon d'Or voting will open in October.