Lionel Messi: arguably the best player to ever play the game. He was scouted at the age of 13 from a small city in Argentina. Messi was brought in by the scouts of Barcelona after seeing him play two games. He was taken from his family and home town at a very young age, but was that pressure daunting enough to stop world-class talent? 

Barcelona’s money allowed them to bring in talent from all around the world. And through the years those who could win them championships. Such as, The Ronaldo, Ronahldinhio, Johan Cruyff, Xavi Hernandez, and those are only the tip of the iceberg. They even had Therry Henry who is one of the most decorated French players of all time. These players brought in for millions of dollars. Little did they know, the player that would win them the most championships was flying up through the ranks in their academy. 

Then emerged little Leo, the Catalans called him “the lion.” His short stature and small frame was seen as a sign of weakness, but he used it to his advantage as he slipped past defenders. Lionel Messi went on to win ten La Liga titles, eight Spanish Super Cups, six Copa Del Rey titles, 4 Champions League championships, three Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Club World Cups, and three Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Super Cups. To be frank about it, he won… a lot. 

However, almost two decades of dominance has come to an end. This past year Messi and Barcelona didn’t win one trophy and Messi finished with his lowest stats of any year. Just to add on to that, they ended the season with an 8-2 loss in the quarter-finals of the Champions League to Bayern Munich. This was finally the year that the little lion couldn’t catch up to his prey. His legs are starting to get weary and the hunt is becoming more and more tiring. Barcelona’s numbers took a dip With Messi’s goals and assists leading the way. Due to that fact, Messi decided to leave his childhood club in search for a more victorious future. 

Now that the best player in the world was up for grabs, it caused big clubs to open up their bank accounts. Specifically, Manchester City. City is being coached by Pep Guardiola, who used to coach at Barcelona during the prime of Messi’s career. He not only improved Messi as a player, but also won every tournament possible with Messi and Barceona. Guardiola is one of the most prestigious coaches in the world and had the money of an Arabian billionaire behind him. According to the Bleacher Report, Manchester City offered Messi 800,000 dollars a week to join their club. Messi had two options, either leave his childhood club and go to a place of comfort with a chance at winning another championship, or stay at the club that allowed him to become the player that he is now and keep his family in one place.

In the end, Messi and his father, who is also his manager, decided to stay at Barcelona. Of course, after a multiple hour meeting with the owner of the club, they came to an agreement for another year and a release clause of 700 million dollars as reported by ESPN.com. The man who is known as the “Titan” of the game will stay with his childhood club. The big question is, can this titan keep his seat at the throne, or will the new gods of soccer wipe him out of existence?