Lionel Messi profile
Argentina's gifted forward Lionel Messi needs little introduction to followers of European football but Germany 2006 could mark his coming of age on the international stage.
Born in Rosario, Sante Fe, the Barcelona schemer began his career at Newell's Old Boys but, in a bizarre twist of fate, came to the attention of the Catalunyans after his parents moved to Spain in a bid to cure their 11-year-old's hormone deficiency.
"I've seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinian football and his name is Messi. He is beautiful to watch - my kind of player in our blue-and-white jersey."
Diego Maradona
Messi was offered a trial by the club at the age of 13 and, after making his mark in the reserve side some years later, became the third youngest player ever to appear for Barca when he made his debut for the first team in October 2004 against Espanyol aged just 17 years and four months.
The playmaker's stock rose even higher in June 2005 when he scooped the player of the tournament award in Argentina's successful bid for the World Youth Championship in Holland.
It was not just the Argentine legend who was sitting up and taking notice and last August coach Jose Pekerman handed Messi an international debut against Hungary - a red card within three minutes of his maiden appearance was an inauspicious initiation, however.
Messi's progress at Barca, meanwhile, had been hampered. Frank Rijkaard's side had already filled their quota of non-EU players and it was not until the 18-year-old gained Spanish citizenship in September that he was able to feature regularly for the Liga giants.
Already forming a flamboyant partnership with Ronaldinho, Messi gained adoration and infamy in equal measure during Barca's tempestuous UEFA Champions League clash with Chelsea in February after the Argentine was alleged by The Blues to have feigned injury in a bid to engineer Asier Del Horno's first leg dismissal.
A hamstring injury curtailed his participation in the second leg at Camp Nou but, having signed a new contract with Barca which runs until 2014, the talented Messi is poised to fulfil his tremendous potential.
