Date: May 9, 2005Setting: Barcelona, TV3 Studio — Night before UCL Semifinal First LegCompetition Up Next: UEFA Champions League Semifinal, 1st Leg — Barcelona vs. AC Milan
May 9 – A New Kind of Pressure
Messi sat on a studio set under bright lighting. TV3, Catalonia's most-watched channel, was filming a special on the rising phenomenon of Barcelona's #30.
It was his first major sit-down.
The host smiled warmly.
"Leo, tomorrow… the Champions League semifinals. Did you ever imagine this?"
"Only in dreams," he said softly.
"And now that it's real?"
"I'm not sleeping."
The crew laughed. Messi smiled politely. But inside, he was already on the pitch.
The Interlude – Barcelona's New Journey
Let's rewind briefly to understand how we got here.
⚔️ UEFA Champions League – Barcelona's Path to the Semis:
Round of 16: Defeated Chelsea 4–3 on aggregate (rewritten).
Quarterfinals: Outclassed Bayern Munich 3–1 (agg).
Now: Semifinal vs AC Milan, first leg at Camp Nou on May 10.
"We changed history," Messi wrote to Antonella. "Now let's paint it."
🏆 Copa del Rey – Into the Final:
Quarterfinal: Beat Real Zaragoza
Semifinal: Edged out Sevilla in a thriller
Final Opponent: Real Betis
Final Date:Scheduled for May 21
May 9 – Evening Training at Camp Nou
The final pre-match session was intense. Rijkaard knew what Milan meant—tactical discipline, Pirlo's passing, Shevchenko's threat.
He called Messi aside.
"Tomorrow, they'll try to lock you in a cage."
"Good. I've been practicing how to pick locks."
Ronaldinho chuckled nearby.
"Leave the first one to me. You take the second."
Later That Night – A Message from Rosario
Before bed, Messi opened an email.
"Everyone in Rosario will be watching tomorrow. Doesn't matter what happens, we're proud of you already. Play like the streets taught you."— Uncle Jorge
Messi folded his phone shut. He put on his boots—not for training, but to feel the weight of tomorrow.
Notebook Entry – May 9, 2005
Anto,They call it the Champions League. It sounds so heavy. So serious.But when I close my eyes, it's still just a ball and a goal.I'll see you after the match. I'll try to bring you a goal.— Leo
Lionel Messi – Updated Stats (as of May 9, 2005)
Season (Club):
Matches: 42
Goals: 35
Assists: 36
Free Kick Goals (Match): 4
Free Kick Goals (Training): 34
Dribbles Completed: 223
Fouls Suffered: 108
Career Totals (Club + Country):
Matches: 44
Goals: 38
Assists: 39
Dribbles Completed: 240
National Team Caps (Senior): 0
National Team Goals: 0