LIONEL MESSI claimed his first trophy over 20 years ago, at the age of nine.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored ten goals over two matches en route to victory — despite suffering with a virus.
Messi was playing for his boyhood club, Newell’s Old Boys, where they won the Friends Cup.
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He picked up a serious illness while in Peru — where the tournament was held — and looked set to miss the semi-final.
However, much to the dismay of Newell’s’ opponents, Cantolao Under-8s, he played and scored SEVEN goals in a 10-0 win.
A nine-year old Lionel Messi in action during the Friends Cup final in 1997
Lionel Messi scored seven goals in the final en route to first-ever trophy
Lionel Messi is substituted as he suffers with a virus, but still scored seven goals
The future Barcelona and Argentina star’s display was all the more impressive given Messi had been forced to take extreme measures to keep himself hydrated before the match.
The virus hit the nine-year-old so hard, he had to be substituted before the end.
Messi came back started the final — duly netting a hat-trick against Cantolao U10s in a 7-1 win.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or more than any other player in historyCredit: Getty Images Europe
Lionel Messi is one of the most decorated footballers in the game’s historyCredit: Getty Images
Lionel Messi has won the Champions League on four occasions with BarcelonaCredit: AP
In the clip above, you can see the qualities the Argentine possessed even at the tender age of nine — and the fact he played through despite having a virus shows what a mentally strong individual he has always been.
This clearly set the blueprint for a trophy-laden career.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
