When teenage Messi TERRORIZED Juventus and Fabio Capello

In 2005, during the Joan Gamper Trophy, a teenage Lionel Messi terrorized Juventus' defense and midfield, leaving the seasoned Italian side scrambling to contain him. Messi's dazzling dribbles and fearless play forced Juventus to resort to physical tackles, as they struggled to cope with his extraordinary talent. Fabio Capello, Juventus' manager at the time, was left mesmerized by the prodigious skill on display.

So impressed was Capello that he immediately approached Barcelona's manager, Frank Rijkaard, in an attempt to secure Messi on loan. However, Rijkaard, recognizing Messi's immense value, firmly declined. As Capello later remarked, "I wanted to sign Messi 25 minutes after I first saw him." This match foreshadowed the greatness that Messi would achieve, leaving an indelible impression on all who witnessed it.

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Messi vs Juventus 2005
Messi vs Juventus Joan Gamper Trophy
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[jmbx]

As a Juve fan for over 30 yrs, I remember this game like yesterday. Just FYI, this Juve team were stacked with players like: Buffon, Del Pieoro, Zlatan, Viera, Zambrotta, Camoranesi, Nedved, Thuram, Cannavaor etc. This to me, was one of the top teams I've seen as a Juve fan, before that whole calciopoli mess. But nagh, this game, I knew something was strange. It was not Ronaldinho, In which I waiting to see that magic of his, it was Messi. Something about that guy was just irritating me, I was like, how in the hell are we getting punked by this little man. I was expecting Ronaldinho, but nagh Messi was different. I am glad my team was part of this great story.

[rswn]

Yamal is great for a teenager, but we never saw anything like Messi at 18

[unmixedd]

People forget back then there was something called a football hierarchy. Fully grown players that faced youngsters didn't go easy on them. They were meant to show them why they are still a kid and why they are the main guys by clattering into them if needed. He was toying with the most ruthless of players.

[Sedat]

Nearly 20 years and 45 major trophies later he has become the best and most successful player of all time.

[richardcalisi]

I watched Messi since he was 16...played the U17 with Dimaria, Aguero....Man He was just being Messi...and to this day he still is the same Alien.

[dannysetyawan]

Bro even with his young age, he played like mature professional. Calm, composed and knew when to challenge a guy. He’s really a different beast

[kunalandshorya]

What a lucky those 85000 people in the stadium saw the goat being born.

[MohamedYaseenPN]

Messi is always a joy to watch, he makes this beautiful game even more beautiful to watch 🐐

[Sodom]

Even their name can scare a young ones.. Viera, Nedved, Chiellini etc. Nowadays some names compare with Messi make me just smile..Messi is unmatched

[RARena-vvhu]

It has been a pleasure growing up seeing Messi develop his career from a young phenom to a legend.

[ShahzaibKhan-yjvc]

No Yamal, no Vini Jr, no Mbappe, absolutely no one could be as good as Messi was at 17-18 yrs. Today's younger lot don't know about Messi of his teenage years when they start comparing today's wonderkids with him. Messi was one of a kind, can't be cloned, and can't be reproduced again. Truly a gift from God in terms of football and only God can produce another talent of Messi's level, nobody else can.

[ThaVc]

This video makes me literally cry, 20 years of happines this guy has given to the world and knowing that it is probably coming to a beautiful end in the next 1-2 years.
PS, he just won his second Copa America.

[zxtsf]

Messi's movements are Entertaining, fast, unpredictable & lethal ❤

[tsirke]

The scariest part is not that he played this good at 18, many people have had that at such a tender age. It's that he played like this from the moment he touched a ball the first time... Now that we have footage of him from 5 years old onwards, not much has changed in his play style, he was always the smallest kid, he always had the best ball control, he had a resilience unlike anybody and was blessed with precision out of this world.

A true natural of the game, you can't teach this, that's why it's close to impossible to attain his level. In many ways he became an inspiration to so many but that's so deceiving because one can simply not learn the things he has done on the pitch, you have to be born for it. This is why it's so unbeliavably fortuitous formthis generation that Cristiano Ronaldo went toe to toe with him because he is much more of a trained product of the game and has shown that you can get close to this, even if you can't reach it.

I'm certainly counting myself blessed to have had the opportunity to watch him throughout his career, chances are I won't see another one in my lifetime. Muchos gracias Leo❤

[samadeyemi]

Messi! Messi!! Messi!!!

It will take a long while before we witness a talent such as him in football

[alanm]

How extremely sad to see that there are fewer and fewer games left by the player who has made us enjoy football like no other. Thank you Messi ⚽️

[hadapihidup]

Capello was among the best coach in that era and have many big name in their squad still wanted messi from rijkaard..at last at 18 yrs of age got a standing ovation from.the crowd...Messi Messi

[medmtv]

Now they know everything about messi still can't stop him now imagine playing against him not knowing anything about him

[mnwsa]

This is 2024 but it might take another century to see someone play football like Messi... There will be players like Yamal who might rule the football in their era and i am happy good wishes for them but Messi is all rounder in the field of football except for not being a goal keeper and main defender. The likes of CR7 and Mbabpe Or Halland are masters of their position but Messi rules in half of the field whenever he plays... Not every player will have that gift. Some might have 2 or 3 ability but Messi will always be above them as dribbler, playmaker, free kick maestro, assister, scorer and above all consistency and humility of the Great Sportsman.

[hritabratabanerjee]

Cant compare him to yamal let .. what a player. Dribbling with such ease past great defenders at their time is just mind blowing