A LEGEND IN THE MAKING: 10 years ago today,
Argentine ace Lionel Messi made his Barca debut.
#Messi10
Is the 27-year-old attacker the best player to have
graced La Liga? Sum up the Blaugrana star's career
so far.

Lionel Messi has thanked everyone who has
marked the 10th anniversary of his senior debut for
Barcelona, promising that more "amazing
moments" and trophy wins were still to come.
Messi took his Barcelona bow in a La Liga game
against Espanyol at the age of 17 years and 114
days on Oct. 16 2004.
Since then, his haul of trophies has included three
Champions League titles, six La Liga crowns and
the Copa del Rey twice, and he has scored 361
goals in 434 official club games.
Messi's Facebook page published 10 photos of him
in a Barcelona shirt through the years, along with a
message in which he expressed his gratitude to all
those who had backed him throughout the decade.
"I want to say thanks to all my family, friends,
teammates and FC Barcelona staff for their
support in these 10 incredible years," the message
said.
"I've always enjoyed being on the pitch, wearing
these colours, living amazing moments, and I'm
constantly trying to improve and win more titles
with my team. A hug for everyone."
Messi also posted a personal video message on
Instagram (in Spanish), in which he said: "I really
want to keep winning and growing. I hope it
continues for many years."
Messi is on the brink of breaking Telmo Zarra's 60-
year-old La Liga goals record, with the Argentine
needing just two more to equal the former Athletic
Bilbao striker's tally of 251.
That landmark could potentially be reached at the
Bernabeu in the clasico against Real Madrid later
this month, and La Liga president Javier Tebas has
suggested Madrid fans should recognise the
achievement were it to happen that day.
However, Messi's teammate Jordi Alba told a
news conference on Thursday: "It is difficult for
me to imagine the Bernabeu applauding Messi."
Messi's former Barca colleague Ludovic Giuly
visited the Camp Nou museum on Thursday and
told the club's website he had always believed that
Messi would become one of the game's all-time
greats.
"Leo was just so good, both in training and the
matches, that I was totally convinced," he said. "I
would have sat myself on the bench in a lot of
matches so he could play more.
"Messi has things that other players don't have.
He's a superstar with natural ability -- he's an
unbelievable player, the best in the world. I knew it
10 years ago when I was here."

Lionel Messi made his official Barcelona bow as a
promising 17-year-old on October 16, 2004, having
previously featured in a pre-season friendly against
Jose Mourinho's Porto but, in his eight-minute
cameo against Espanyol, few could have predicted
what would happen next.
Wearing the No.30 shirt, Messi replaced goalscorer
Deco in a 1-0 win at Montjuic to become Barca's
youngest-ever player in La Liga at 17 years and 114
days.
That feat was later bettered by Bojan Krkic but
many of Messi's milestones and records will never
ever be beaten. In 10 years with the first team, the
Argentine forward has played 434 games, scored
361 goals and amassed 21 trophies.
Those include six Primera Division titles, three
Champions League crowns, two Copas del Rey, two
Uefa Super Cups and two Club World Cups, while
the Argentine has also claimed an unprecedented
four Ballons d'Or during his time at Camp Nou and is
about to become La Liga's all-time top goalscorer as
he closes in on Telmo Zarra's mark of 251.
At 27 and with many seasons still ahead of him,
Messi looks set to build on his already remarkable
record. So here, as he celebrates 10 years since
making his Blaugrana bow in 2004, Goal takes a
look at the most memorable matches - in
chronological order, from 1 to 432, of the forward's
fantastic playing career at Barcelona.

"For me, to watch Messi play is a pleasure – it’s
like having an orgasm – it’s an incredible
pleasure." - Luis Figo

"Once they said they can only stop me with a
pistol. Today you need a machine gun to stop
Messi." - Hristo Stoichkov

"Messi or Ronaldo best player in the world? In
the world, I would say Ronaldo. Messi is from
another planet." - Turkish international Arda
Turan
"Messi is God, as a person and even more as a
player. I knew him when he was a boy and I’ve
watched him grow. He deserves it all." - Samuel
Eto'o
"Although he may not be human, it’s good that
Messi still thinks he is." - Javier Mascherano
"They tell me that all men are equal in God’s
eyes, this player makes you seriously think about
those words." - Football commentator Ray
Hudson
"Newton and Einstein had a certain level of
autism - I hope that, like them, Messi surpasses
himself every day and continues to give us his
beautiful brand of football." - Romario
"Messi is the Mozart of football." - Radomir
Antic
"It is clear that Messi is on a level above all
others. Those who do not see that are blind." -
Xavi
"There are three or four important things in life:
books, friends, women… and Messi." -
Portuguese writer Antonio Lobo Antunes
"Barca will never have a player like Messi again.
Messi’s greatness is present on and off the field
of play." - Barcelona former president Sandro Rosell
"At this point I’m starting to believe that Messi
is tightly related to Clark Kent." - Israeli model
Bar Rafaeli
"Messi is class. There is him, and then there is
the rest. What he does is extraordinary." -
Fr anck Ribery
"We give him the ball and stand back and watch.
People often say to me they saw Pele and
Maradona play. In the future, I will be able to
say I saw Messi play." - Thiago Alcanatara
"He is always going forwards. He never passes
the ball backwards or sideways. He has only one
idea, to run towards the goal. So as a football
fan, just enjoy the show." - Zinedine Zidane
"He sees passes that most people can only see
whilst watching the game on TV, not ones that
you can normally see on the pitch." - Tata
Martino
"For the world of football, Messi is a treasure
because he is role model for children around the
world… Messi will be the player to win the most
Ballons d’Or in history. He will win five, six,
seven. He is incomparable. He’s in a different
league." - Johan Cruyff
"I have played against Platini, Maradona, Cruyff
and played with George Best — a lot of big
names, but none of them has been able to do
what Messi does. Two years ago I said that the
best player I played against was Maradona and
the best player I have played with was Bestie.
But I can now say I have never seen a player as
good as Messi. He’s in a league of his own." -
Former Tottenham star Gerry Armstrong
"Diego [Maradona] filled us with emotions. But
between the cracks, without doubt, Messi is
better than Maradona." - Diego Simeone
"There is no doubt, you’re from another galaxy.
Thanks Leo." - Maxi Rodriguez
"Who is the Best Player in the World? Leo Messi.
Who is the Best Player Ever? Leo Messi." -
Arsene Wenger
"I have seen the player who will inherit my place
in Argentine football and his name is Messi.
Messi is a genius." - Diego Maradona
"I like Messi a lot, he’s a great player.
Technically, we’re practically at the same level."
- Pele
"Messi does not need his right foot. He only
uses the left and he’s still the best in the world.
Imagine if he also used his right foot, Then we
would have serious problems." - Zlatan
Ibrahimovic
"Fella’s a genius. Best ever by a distance in my
life time. Never really saw Pele… Souness, Gullit,
Venables and now Rooney agree Messi is the
best they have seen. He plays a game with
which we are not familiar." - Gary Lineker
"I played with Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldo,
Laudrup and Stoichkov but Messi is the best I’ve
seen" - Former Barcelona and Chelsea star
Albert Ferrer
"It feels good to be in the same generation as
him. I believe he’s the best player in the history
of the sport." - Gerard Pique
"Messi defies the laws of anatomy, he must have
an extra bone in his ankle." - Argentina's 1986
World Cup-winning coach Carlos Bilardo
"Who’s better, Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
Messi. Ronaldo is good, but Messi is 10 times
better." - Dutch star Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
"Lionel Messi is quite clearly the best player
ever. It’s a pleasure to pit myself against him
and when I finish my career it’s something I can
look back on and know I’ve tested myself
against the very best." - John Terry
"In my entire life I have never seen a player of
such quality and personality at such a young
age, particularly wearing the ‘heavy’ shirt of one
of the world’s great clubs." - Fabio Capello
"Messi is better than Maradona; he is more
complete, more consistent, more spectacular. He
is reinventing the game – a mix of the real and
the virtual." - Tostão
"I am not crazy enough to compare myself with
Messi because he is the best there ever was and
the best there will ever be." - Mario Gomez
"I was a big fan of Maradona growing up and of
the current crop Ronaldo is good but Messi is
the best I’ve ever seen. I don’t dish out praise
lightly but Messi deserves it. I look for
weaknesses in his game and I can’t find them." -
Roy Keane
"Messi is the best player ever. And this is said
by someone who has seen Maradona and Pele
play." - AC Milan chief Adriano Galliani
"He is the best in the world. Football seems easy
when he plays it." - Bacary Sagna

"I wear the number 10 Jersey for the US National
Team in honour of the Greatest athlete I have
ever seen: Messi." - Kobe Bryant
"The only bad thing about Ronaldo’s life is
Messi. If it was not for him, Ronaldo would be
the best player in the world for five years in a
row." - Felipe Scolari
"I can’t believe anyone can have played the
game of football as well as Messi." - Michael
Owen
"Is Messi a real player or a PlayStation
character?" - Radamel Falcao
"Messi is a genius. He has everything. When I
watch him, I see a player who is very, very,
skilful, very clever and his left foot is like Diego
Maradona’s." - Franz Beckenbauer
"Messi or Cristiano? Cristiano Ronaldo is very
good, but I prefer Messi. He’s incredible." -
Gheorghe Hagi
"Comparing CR7 to Messi is an exercise of
ignorance in football. Messi is Messi and others,
footballers." - Spanish manager Miguel Angel
Lotina
"The other day I saw one of his games. He was
running with the ball at a hundred percent full
speed, I don’t know how many touches he took,
maybe five or six, but the ball was glued to his
foot. It’s practically impossible." - Real Madrid
legend Raul
"If he is so good, how can you express that? The
superlatives ran out ages ago. On these pages,
swearing has been tried. Or perhaps a symbol,
something to signify that we have gone beyond
words now." - Football writer Sid Lowe
"Don't write about him, don't try to describe
him. Just watch him." - Pep Guardiola
LIONEL ANDRES MESSI THE FOOTBALL gOD
AMONGST MEN
#RESPECT

Op are u kidding?Messi a legend in d making?
U can do better,he is an ICON.

Even the spirit in Pacific Ocean commented MESSI

If Messi is not on the pitch, I'm not watching. I even supported MESSI against Nigeria.

Messi is a god among other footballers.

Fp pls, god Messi is celebrating 10yrs on pitch, pls let the whole of Nairaland see this tributes...

Messi is the god of soccer.
"watching messi is like having an ORGASM".

"Messi does not need his right foot. He only
uses the left and he’s still the best in the world.
Imagine if he also used his right foot, Then we
would have serious problems." - Zlatan
Ibrahimovic