Messi's Early Journey in Barcelona
Because Messi had relatives in Catalonia, his family tried to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000. First-team director Charly Rexach was immediately keen to sign him, but the board of directors was hesitant; at the time, it was highly unusual for European clubs to sign such young foreign players.
On December 14, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, having no other paperwork at hand, made a contract offer written on a paper napkin. In February 2001, the family relocated to Barcelona, moving into an apartment near the club’s stadium, Camp Nou.
During his first year in Spain, Messi played very little with the Infantil team due to a transfer conflict with Newell’s; as a foreign player, he was only allowed to participate in friendly matches and the Catalan league. Off the pitch, he struggled to integrate with the team; naturally reserved, he was so quiet that his teammates initially thought he was mute.
At home, after his mother returned to Rosario with his siblings, including younger sister María Sol, Messi began to feel homesick while staying in Barcelona with his father.
Progress at La Masia
After spending a year at Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002. Now able to play in all competitions, he formed close friendships with his teammates, including Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Piqué.
After completing his growth hormone treatment at age 14, Messi became an integral part of the "Baby Dream Team," considered the best youth side in Barcelona’s history.
In his first full season (2002–03), he was the top scorer for Cadetes A, scoring 36 goals in 30 matches, helping the team achieve an unprecedented treble by winning the league, and both the Spanish and Catalan cups.
The Copa Catalunya final, a 4–1 victory over Espanyol, became known in club history as the "Partido de la Máscara" or "The Mask Match." A week after breaking his cheekbone in a league match, Messi was allowed to play on the condition that he wore a plastic protector; soon hindered by the mask, he removed it and scored two goals within 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute.
At the end of the season, he received an offer to join Arsenal—his first from a foreign club—but while Fàbregas and Piqué soon moved to England, Messi chose to stay in Barcelona.
Messi quickly progressed through the club’s ranks, making appearances for four different youth teams during the 2003–04 season. After being named the best player in four international pre-season tournaments with Juvenil B, he was promoted to Juvenil A, where he scored 18 goals in 11 league matches, despite playing only one official match with his previous team.
During an international break, Messi was among several youth players called up to strengthen a depleted first team. French winger Ludovic Giuly described how Messi stood out during training sessions with Frank Rijkaard’s squad:
"He destroyed us all... To avoid being humiliated by this kid, they kicked him all over the place. But he just kept getting up and playing. He would dribble past four players and score. Even our starting centre-backs were nervous. He was an alien."
First-Team Debut and Training
At just 16 years, 4 months, and 23 days old, Messi made his first-team debut on November 16, 2003, coming on in the 75th minute of a friendly against José Mourinho’s Porto. His performance—creating two chances and taking a shot on goal—impressed the technical staff. He soon began daily training with the club’s reserve team, Barcelona B, while also training weekly with the first team.
After his first senior training session, Barcelona’s star player Ronaldinho told his teammates he believed the 16-year-old would become a better player than him. Ronaldinho quickly formed a friendship with Messi, calling him his "little brother," which helped ease Messi’s transition into the senior team.
Match Experience and Contract
To gain more match experience, Messi joined Barcelona C on November 29, alongside his role in Juvenil A, playing his first game for the club’s third team. He helped them escape relegation from the Tercera División, scoring five goals in ten matches, including a hat-trick in just eight minutes in a Copa del Rey match, where he was man-marked by Sevilla’s Sergio Ramos.
His development was recognized with his first professional contract, signed on February 4, 2004, which was valid until 2012 and initially had a buyout clause of €30 million. A month later, on March 6, he debuted for Barcelona B in the Segunda División B, and his buyout clause automatically increased to €80 million.
Physical Growth and Season Summary
That season, he played five matches for the B team but didn’t score. Physically weaker than his older and taller opponents, Messi focused on building muscle mass and overall strength during training.
Toward the end of the season, he returned to the youth teams and helped Juvenil B win the league. Across all official competitions, Messi scored a total of 36 goals for four of the five teams he played for that season.