21 years after: The story of Lionel Messi's journey at FC Barcelona

In what was one of the most significant moves in the history of football, Lionel Messi made his first trip to FC Barcelona about 21 years on 17th September 2000. Just 13 years old at the time, Messi left his native Argentina to join the Spanish team that had promised to sponsor his growth-enhancing procedures. Always being a little shorter than his peers but extremely talented, FC Barcelona took a gamble on the young boy from Rosario and the rest they say is history.

What is Lionel Messi's records at Barcelona?

Lionel Messi is unarguably the greatest player to have played for Barcelona. He played 17 full seasons for the Spanish giants, making 778 appearances for the club and scoring an incredible 672 goals. He holds numerous records at Barcelona including the club's all-time highest goalscorer(672), the all-time highest goalscorer in the Spanish La Liga (474) and the player with the most Ballon d'Or titles (6). 

Lionel Messi won a total of 35 trophies at Barcelona which includes 10 Spanish La Liga titles, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 3 UEFA  Super Cups and 3 FIFA World Club Cups. During his time at Barcelona, the Catalan club experienced its most successful period. They also won the treble (the UEFA Champions League, the Spanish La Liga, and the Copa del Rey) twice in 2009 and 2015.

What is the status of Barcelona after Messi departure?

The iconic Barcelona player left the club in the summer of 2021 after a protracted summer of contract negotiations. The Catalan club ran into debt of over £1.3bn and could not afford to re-sign Lionel Messi when his contract ran out, despite the player taking a 50% pay cut. The Argentine playmaker then moved to French giants, Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer with an annual salary of €35m. 

After his departure, Barcelona has had to rely on an inexperienced side featuring players such as Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and new signings Eric Garcia and Memphis Depay for wins. They also let experienced campaigners like Antoine Griezmann and Miralem Pjanic leave Camp Nou in a summer shake-up.