When that kid was "the next Maradona" but instead became... Messi

The opponents in the video can proudly say "You see son, that's me.. trying to tackle the greatest footballer of all time"

Messi has had quite literally the perfect career. Greatest mix of talent and hard work. He gradually became even better and better. Avoided big injuries. Won everything with his club and gave the supporters of Barca even more than they dreamt of. He shattered goalscoring and assisting records. Also ended up winning everything he could win with his country. He's in his mid 30s now. Lots of legends retired then, he's still going strong.

The kid now a WC winning captain, and The Greatest of All Time. How lucky I am to witness that.

So this is 16 year old Messi... this is proof some people are born with talent. Jeez Messi looks like he’s been in his prime his entire life

It's truly amazing he's had such a long career with every player trying to break his leg

i remember someone in the R10 documentary saying when they brought Messi to train with the 1st team afterwards Dinho said "are you crazy??" and they went "what, do you think he still needs more time?" and Dinho was like "no, i'm saying he should've already been playing with us!"

At that age he was better than any footballer today.

I’ve never seen someone like him, and I’m 101% sure that I will never see anyone like Leo Messi

I miss these days when you started to hear about this kid at Barcelona who was going to become the best player in the world... And then we watched it happen and watched him with awe for the next decade! What a player!

The amount of dangerous tackles on him makes it a miracle he never got seriously injured!

messi was lucky to survive that period. his opponents could only compensate with dirty play

As a teenager, he was already way better than 99.999% of the adult professional players.

Remarkable how he hasn't had a terrible injury.. he's getting nailed here!

The striking thing is not the dribbling. His passing and playmaking, understanding of space is just incredible at 16. I have never seen any player with this ability at this age and Messi really lived up to the billing.

Literally the only thing that got better over time, is his shot accuracy. For the rest it feels like he has been in his prime for ever

He was already unstoppable. Damn..that ball stuck to his feet in full speed mode...INSANE . Unbelievable skills when he was 16. That little guy was ready to become GOD. ...And he did. Simply the G.O.A.T.

He could nutmeg a centipede he is just so quick and skillful and he has to tolerate some dreadful tackles, a tough guy as well as brilliant

the speed .. the acceleration .. the control ... the technique .. the precision ...he is a football mozart .. picasso with a football

Man so he really was born with this huh. Everything is already so good, the speed, the dribbling, the vision, even the weight of his passes. Insane...

The ball stucking to his feet is a bigger mystery than the whole bermuda triangle.

When Messi dribbles, it's like he has a gravitational pull on the ball. It never seems to go beyond him, and when it looks like it will, he somehow hooks a foot around it and pulls it back. It's almost hypnotic.

I still remember the day I saw Messi in the Olympic, I said wow this guy is seriously good.. Cant believe he went on and became the GOAT, yet I'm still here making ends meet.

How can a footballer be this good!? The more videos i watch of him the more i'm amazed.

Fairplay level: Sergio Ramos

Some of the most genius passes I have ever seen and he is only 16... He sees the game completely different than any other player. Even when the defense keeps a great shape and does their jobs he still finds a pass that no one else on the pitch sees, it is truly incredible.

A better comp at 16 than most footballers have for their entire careers

Messi's ball touches and dribbling is unseen. These days we don't see too many young players dribbling like him

You can't compare Messi to CR7. Messi is pure talent and a genius. Yes CR7 is excellent and need to be appreciated. But Messi was and is clearly on a different level altogether.

Important was his reflex and instantly escaping from tackles, otherwise he would have been often injured. Unique in this world. 👍🇦🇷

Its a miracle that no one broke his leg in his entire career or took out his ACL with how defenders have tried to stop him with the only way they know how. He was truly touched by God and destined for greatness..

Goals Assists Finishing Long shots Freekicks Speed Agility Dribbling Passing Playmaking Through Balls All in ONE.... 851 Games 692 ⚽️ 288 Assists G.O.A.T

Even as a 16 year old defenders can't stop he is the greatest ever inspiration for everyone

All these opponents knowing the only way they can stop him is to trip him, and even then it doesn’t always work 😂

Throughout Messi’s career, his most underrated attribute has to be his physicality. Even at the age of 16 he was getting fouled and hit so much but yet he hasn’t suffered many major injuries his career. You can tell that even at this age he was far better than all his peers simply because the only way they could stop him in nearly all these clips to foul him or heavily man mark him. He already seemed like a professional playing with novices at this stage. Look at how seamlessly he gets passed defenders, the space he creates by drawing several opponents towards him, his passing and vision. Absolutely insane. It’s like he knew he was above them already and was just having fun.

For world class players we say 'a legend in the making' after watching these kinds of videos but in Messi's case we'd say 'The GOAT in the making'. He is more than a legend already, he hasn't even retired yet but still.

Already a genius at 16. I will be long gone before we see anything close to him.

Makes me nostalgic for the old FIFA games, back when Messi was also still a teenager and surrounded by all these incredible players like Ronaldinho, Eto, Xavi, Deco, etc, and yet you were still most fascinated with this small little Argentine who had insane amounts of talent at a young age, and you just knew he was going to be something great. It was really exciting times at Barca.

When he was 16: his teammates waste his assists When he was 26: his teammates waste his assists When he will 36 : his teammates waste his assists

He’s the greatest player I have ever seen. I don’t expect to ever witness another football player in my lifetime to come even close to his level.

He's consistent, probably most consistent player of all time.

I started watching football at an early age when Ronaldinho was at his prime in Barcelona and he was the reason why I started watching Barcelona . The very first football Jersey was Barcelona's I was smitten by the magic Ronaldinho produced on the pitch it was a memorable days..then I distinctively remember one day my elder brother told me that there's an Argentine boy playing in the second division of Laliga his name was Messi despite the fact that he was at Barcelona's youths I couldn't believe what he told me like he's gonna be even better than Ronaldinho so being a Ronaldinho fan my instant reaction was 😡 (kiss my soft side 😿😿) but when I started watching him playing I was feeling terrible because I thought this (son of a biscuit eater) is gonna steal the spotlight from Rony 😒😒 oh boy I was so tormented and frustrated and to add to that the way Ronaldinho was kicked out of the Club I developed hatred for Barcelona even though he was signing for my second favorite team AC MILAN then I decided fuck Barcelona anyway I watched them because of him then in a television show Ronaldinho was asked about the best player he answered Messi I was like f...ck that shit 😂😂😂 if he himself said it then I ain't got shit to say..😤😤 then I decided to quit supporting the club but that's when I realized I was fuck**,ng lying 😂😂😂 when you support a team you can never hate that team so after this long time I came to only one conclusion that is not is he the best at the present time rather the best that has ever touched the ball by long shot and none will come even near him and I firmly believe we are never going to see anything like him during our lifetime and unfortunately it's about that time when we can clearly see that he is at his Last days and the journey is about to come to an end and the football world will never be the same again 💔💔💔

He's never been a diver yet his talent attracts so many knocks from opponents. Class.

5:06 this is the proof that he is a genius, he uses the momentum from being pulled by another player to turn sharper

Even in his 16 years of age… he pass tons of defenders older than him. Break their ankles. Defenders are rough on him never see him as a new comer but treat him as a danger. They never played soft to him and never under estimated him. They know what a trouble he can be when he have the ball that’s why multiple defender are on to him. Just amazingly and outrageously mesmerizing to watch and to wish…wish that we are same as him but it’s not! Reality check hurts sometimes you know 😅😂

The control, the short space dribbling, the passing... Man was already unbelievable at 16. Just incredible.

2:32 is just insane.

Oh, just imagine to be a spectator on these games. they had no idea they watched the GOAT!

I'm a die hard Real Madrid fan but i just love watching this man...The greatest footballer of all time.

What makes Messi another level is how even at 12 years of age he played this way. He played the same way on the pitch as he did in training. He was once asked about his dribbling. He said ' i don't aim to dribble past the player its to but the ball into space. '. His shooting improved the stronger he got. He worked hard on freekicks. placement of the ball and studying the defenders. There will never be another football player like Messi,

I wish he was still 16 again.Saddest day for me will be his retirement

Regular player : plays with the ball Messi : Let's play with the players

Always playing at a completely different speed than the rest around him and making defenders look like traffic cones since he was freaking 7 years old! What a beast! So glad he's Argentinean!

One and Only Messi. The most unique footballer ever sent by God. He was so purely genius since he was a kid. He got so many tackles, and I've heard so many Players had quit playing, but this boy, Messi, seemed like unstoppable. He is already perfect footballer since he was a kid. He has broken many records, he has become the most decorated player with Trophies ever. And now he has left us his legacy that will not be easy to be repeated. Forever G.O.A.T. Captain of the World. ❤

He plays like that since he was 4 years old. He is supernatural. A gift from above, and he perfected throughout the years. What a privilege is to have him still playing in the fields of the world. 🩵🤍🩵🇦🇷🏆🥇

We are so lucky he was able to go on with his career out of those butchers.

those aggressive tackles on him remind me how maradona was getting violated by defenders

This 16 year old Messi has dribbling abilities more than CR7 entire career

This shows what a rare talent he has in soccer. See how effortlessly he dribbles and passes.

Bartomeu: Looks like a loaner to Everton Valverde: Looks like a bench warmer Pep: Looks like the next big thing!

Play him in any competition and he'll give you some of the best performances ever whether his team wins or not 🐐

It's amazing that Messi didn't suffer of too many serious injuries. Few players get hit so hard and so often as him.

You can see the genius at so young. When you watch Pelé, Maradona and R9 you see very similar too.

Crazy that this footage looks like it’s from the 80s or something. These tackles he’s on the receiving end of are criminal. How he weathered these challenges at such a young age is beyond me. The physicality/aggressiveness he’s dealing with seems almost beyond that of the professional level of higher leagues

Imagine one of those tackles ending his career there ... Those players should be ashamed for some of those challenges on a 16y old boy. Players should be more protected on all levels of football and tackles going only for the player should be straight red!

a future WC champion doing his thing. Love that we are alive to witness Messi :D

His balance was and still unbelievable

Sometimes I watch this Genius and just Cry because I know how blessed I am as a football lover to live in the same time as this Football God 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏. Never in the history of man shall we witness something like Messi again.

same old same old messi.. his play-style never ever change!!

This just shows how important talent is. This guy is doing things at 16 that most players can never do

It is our luck to be able to watch Messi for such a long time.

His speed is phenomenol. He can amazingly change direction with high speed. Superb

What's amazing about this is that Messi at this young age didn't really do body feints to try to trick the player he just dribbled and cut in and out a lot and used his speed. He had learn to incorporate body feints so that he doesn't get fouled and it gives him extra time to escape the defenders swooping leg

Interesting fact is that he still have the same way of using the pitch - dropping deep to detect the tempo, drifting to the right side of the pitch, passing between defence lines, etc. WOW

I guess " The only way to stop Messi" started when he was 16 , if not earlier. Such a smooth talent...how is he staying on his feet after all of those tackles is beyond me... other player fall after the first light touch,

'If you're good enough, you're old enough'. He could have played in the first team of any club even at 16. Tiny physique; no muscle; ruthless opponents who evidently weren't above kicking lumps out of a kid- no problem for the greatest player of our generation. 👏🏆🏅 I'd be amazed if I see anyone like him again in my lifetime.

The only thing missing in his game at this time was finishing.

wow, this kid has so much potential! I wonder what his future will be like🤔 I wouldn't be surprised if he will play for d1 barca one day

Messi is a god damn tank, his stability and stamina during those dirty plays by the opponents is crazy, you simply cant stop the man

Messi is messi .. now or 20 years ago .. still the same 🤷‍♂️

His vision and playmaking is unreal, like he see the game from above and control the space and time perfectly

Leo y Diego, los dos mejores de la historia. Nacidos en la tierra del fútbol. Argentina 🇦🇷🇦🇷🇦🇷

My God! King Messi here was already a professional, a champion in the making

I played 4th division in Spain in the early 80s. I don't believe 4th exists anymore. I think it has been merged into 3rd A and B. Anyway, I remember how hard the hits were back then vs today. Watching this video shows that. There is no way you could get by without yellow or red cards with some of the hits Messi is taking. By the time we were 18 our body was already breaking. Which is sort of what happened to me. It's amazing that players like Messi and Maradona endured that punishment for years. It was at the time, a pretty violent game.

Watch him at .57-1.05 and you'll see quite simply, superhuman balance. It happens right before the second slide tackle: The way he is able to regain posture after the first challenge is something you rarely see at senior level nevermind a youth match. Just unbelievable.

Skillwise he was the best in football's history, no doubt. This coming from a Brazilian. Pele, Maradona, name whoever you want, this dude showed the most objective soccer ever played. This in an era dominated by high competitiveness and improvements in football tactics and so on. Truly amazing.

He's always been the best

With the years he improved the shots but the dribbling and vision he already had it at 16. Mental

The most surprising part of this is seeing Messi in Nike boots 😂

33 now so he's been playing for more than half of his life for barca😭💙❤️

I lived in times when Messi played football, and witnessed that beauty. I grew up during two war of my tiny land Chechenia fight against the Monster Russia. But I saw Messi. There are verry good players like Mbappe, Halland, and so on, artists like Ronaldinho, Maradonna , Winners, like Ronaldo , Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele, but all that is in one Messi!

@3:43.. Almost exactly what he did to the Netherlands in WC 2022

unbelievable talented. he got the gift and used it - these tempo dribblings are not from this planet.

Casi todos querían lastimarlo por la desesperación y la impotencia de no poder detenerlo... increíble que no lo consiguieron 😱 Definitivamente el mejor jugador de todos los tiempos.

In this video you can see that he really was born to play football

Messi is a Beast,a Monster, an Alien who simply toyed and teared up the whole top Division and I can't imagine what he did to the 3rd Division.😂.As time goes by these people will at least be grateful that they once had the chance to play with the greatest player in the history of football .

The best 16 years old player in history.

I am a big fan of messi Those who r fan of messi plz lke it👇👇👇

He will not even stay down...he Keeps on going. Even when you try to break his legs... What a Player 🦵🦵

the most important step you can take is the next one. and messi always seems to be thinking one step ahead of everyone in this video