Messi: The Must-Read Biography of the World Cup Champion

Regular price
$20.99
Sale price
$20.99
Regular price
$21.99
Sold out
Unit price

'I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi' Diego Maradona

FULLY UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE 2022 WORLD CUP TRIUMPH & MESSI'S TRANSFER TO INTER MIAMI

As Lionel Messi raised the World Cup triumphantly into the air, the world watched on in awe. Messi's final peak conquered; his final dream achieved. It was the fairy tale ending to a glittering career. Yet despite delivering Argentina their third World Cup, Messi's time at Paris Saint-Germain came to a dramatic conclusion, and Miami awaited the Argentinian legend.

Guillem Balagué has had unprecedented access to Messi's inner circle including the player himself: his coaches, team-mates and family. From tracing the origins of Messi's precocious talent in Rosario, Argentina, to chronicling his peerless seventeen-season career at Barcelona, and his tumultuous Parisian adventure, Guillem takes us behind-the-scenes of Messi's World Cup triumph and his long-desired move to the MLS. This is an epic, authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius.

'I can tell my grandkids one day that I coached Lionel Messi' Pep Guardiola

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781399619134

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Seven Dials

Publication Date: 02-20-2024

Pages: 736

About the Author

Guillem Balague is a Spanish football journalist, prizewinning author and pundit, first for Sky Sports and now for BBC Radio 5 Live. He is the author of A SEASON ON THE BRINK - A PORTRAIT OF RAFA BENITEZ'S LIVERPOOL (2006); the first biography of PEP GUARDIOLA (2012); MESSI (2013); CRISTIANO RONALDO (2015), the Football Book of the Year at the Cross Sports Book Awards; and the bestselling Brave New World - INSIDE POCHETTINO'S SPURS (2017). He is chairman of non-league Biggleswade FC, and lives in Hitchin in Hertfordshire. http://www.guillembalague.com/en/home https://twitter.com/GuillemBalague https://www.facebook.com/guillembalague

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Foreword Alejandro Sabella, Argentina National Team Manager ix

Introduction 1

Part 1 In Rosario

1 'Pass it, Leo!' But He Never Did 23

2 Waiting for Leo 61

3 Goodbye, Leo 105

Part 2 In Barcelona

1 Landing in Barcelona. Well, in Rosario. That Is, in Barcelona 125

2 Making His Way

3 Becoming a Champion

4 Frank Rijkaard: The Rise

5 Frank Rijkaard: The Decline

6 Leo Is not a Natural-born Genius. Nobody Is 326

7 Dealing with Maradona 375

Part 3 At The Peak

1 Breaking Records 427

2 Where Is Leo Heading? 541

3 Alejandro Sabella 594

4 Thiago: The Definitive 10 605

Afterword Sandro Rosell, President of FC Barcelona 611

Dramatis Personae 614

Bibliography 616

Acknowledgements 619

Index 622

Go to full site