- Argentine made senior debut in 2004
- Has gone on to become an all-time great
- Team-mates spotted his potential early
GettyRonaldinho subjected to a lot of Lionel Messi ‘jokes’ at Barcelona – with player ‘touched by God’ rising up to inherit Brazilian’s crown at Camp Nou

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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.

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There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.

Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.

Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Some 20 years ago, back in October 2004, Messi made his competitive debut for the Blaugrana. Few could have predicted what was to come at that point, with the Argentine playmaker going on to become Barca’s all-time leading goalscorer and the most decorated performer of all-time.
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Messi has eight Ballons d’Or and a World Cup triumph to his name, standing among the immortals with a remarkable career taking him from humble beginnings to the very top of the global game – eclipsing the efforts of several other superstars along the way.
WHAT DECO SAID
Former Barca team-mate Deco, who was replaced by Messi when the South American made his senior bow, has told SPORT of seeing a torch passed on at Camp Nou: "There are players who are touched by God and you see this from the beginning. It’s something different. We made a lot of jokes with Ronnie [Ronaldinho]. We told him that he would be Barca’s number 10 and that we would be watching him from the outside. We knew that he had the capacity to be something very big, but imagining everything he would do was impossible."
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
Deco – who also played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for the Portugal national team – added on Messi breaking the mould: "Technically, Ronaldinho is the best player I’ve ever seen. In the ability to compete and generate danger, however, I have never seen one like Messi. It is something that cannot be explained. It’s something different, which doesn’t happen many times."
WHAT NEXT?
Messi registered 672 goals for Barcelona through 778 appearances, winning 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns. He is still going strong at the age of 37, with Argentina and MLS side Inter Miami, and hopes to have several more years left in him before a day comes to hang up record-breaking boots.
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