Lionel Messi did not attend college because his potential was identified by FC Barcelona.
When he was 11 years old, Lionel Messi was diagnosed with a hormone deficiency. His parents did not have the money to pay for his medical needs, so they looked around for a soccer club that would be able to do this for them.
River Plate looked into the young player, but did not have the £500 a month that would be required to support his medical needs.
Carles Rexach, the FC Barcelona Sporting Director at the time, was informed of young Lionel’s talent and gratefully agreed to take him on if the family would move to Barcelona Spain.
Messi became a star in his new country, leading his club to championships. In 2012, he set a record for most goals in a calendar year, and in 2016, he was named Europe's Ballon d'Or winner for the fifth time.
In latest buzz, Messi is now Argentina's top goal scorer ever. This is after he broke a 50-year-old goal record with hat trick against Celtic. Find out more at Cbssports.com.
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