00:00He was 11 years old. The doctors said he'd never grow.
00:03In 1998, an 11-year-old boy in Argentina named Lionel Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.
00:11The treatment costs $900 a month. His family couldn't afford it. His soccer club couldn't afford it.
00:18The Argentine national clubs all turned him down. So his father wrote letters to clubs around the world.
00:24Most ignored him. One club in Spain, FC Barcelona, invited Lionel to a tryout.
00:30He was 13 years old. He played for 10 minutes.
00:33The Barcelona youth director was so blown away, he ran inside, grabbed a paper napkin from the cafeteria,
00:39and signed a contract on the spot, promising to pay for the boy's treatment and giving him a roster position.
00:47That napkin still exists in a frame today.
00:49Lionel Messi went on to win seven Ballon d'Or awards, more than any player in soccer history.
00:55He won eight La Liga titles. He won four Champions Leagues.
00:59He won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022, fulfilling his country's dream.
01:05He's now considered by most fans to be the greatest soccer player of all time.
01:10A napkin from a hotel cafeteria changed the entire history of the sport.
01:14Sometimes the smallest scrap of paper is the biggest decision in the world.
01:19The more THIS world is the biggest chance in the successful sport, addressing the injury and emotional insecurity of both
01:20humorous and even more irresponsible sporting engagement.
01:20He didn't have no opportunity to get baptized compared to before so maybe to work useful.
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