Messi’s prodigious decade

From Lionel to Leo. From '30' to '10'. From Ronaldinho to Messi. From a young gun to a master. Paradoxically, the first appearance of the skilful Argentinian came in the Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys. On 16 October 2004 a Liga BBVA legend made his debut. The forward picked up the baton from the player who was then FC Barcelona’s star, Ronaldinho. Ten years ago today, Lionel Messi’s career was born.

In that match against the eternal rival, Espanyol, the Azulgrana player was already showing signs of the great player he would turn out to be. Endless runs, unbelievable skills and motivation that have taken him to within two goals of the 251 mark set by Athletic Club forward, Telmo Zarra, the competition’s all-time record goal-scorer.

The progression of the left-footed player from Rosario has been as pacey as the rate at which he has won league titles with Barcelona: six in the last decade. In addition, in Europe he has won three UEFA Champions Leagues and two Super Cups. Nationally, he has also lifted the Supercup of Spain on two occasions. 

Individually, Messi has been the Liga BBVA’s top scorer three times (2009-10, 11-12, 12-13) with performances that have led him to the FIFA Ballon d'Or on four consecutive occasions. His best season came in 2011-12, when he scored 50 goals in 38 Liga BBVA matches, a record that no other player has matched in the demanding Spanish championship.

The star from La Masia is two goals away from the Liga BBVA record. The young man who wrote the first page of his history with Barcelona as the club’s youngest player to grace the league, is looking to cap off a prodigious decade. Today, when the number '10' turns 10, all that is left to do is to wish the Argentinian many more successful years in the Spanish competition.