“In Barcelona, on the 14th of December of 2000 and in the presence of Josep Minguella and Horacio [Gaggioli], Carles Rexach, FCB technical secretary, it commits under his responsibility and despite some opinions against it to sign the player Lionel Messi, as long as we remain within the amounts agreed upon.”

One wonders if those in the Barca boardroom who had “some opinions against” signing Leo Messi were forced to actually eat humble pie. Maybe the statute of limitations apply and those who did so will be tarred with that memory.

Tomorrow, exactly 10 years ago on 16th October, 2004, Barcelona’s talisman made his first appearance against Espanyol in the 82nd minute replacing Deco. Leo Messi was just 17 years and 114 days old. Fast forward today: He now stands just three shy of eclipsing La Liga’s top scorer Telmo Zarra’s record of 251 goals. Messi is the force majeure in Barca’s extraordinary success this decade, the word “help” is an insultingly pallid euphemism. After all, that scribbled informal contract must be a historical act of a higher force no opposing club could have foreseen or indeed be held responsible for. Six La Ligas, two Copas del Rey, six Supercopas de España, three UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups speak for themselves. Having extraordinary players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta as team mates does not detract from those accomplishments. A symbiosis does not do that. Messi has been so outstanding, last season when he scored a cataclysmic 28 league goals the doomsayers declared his career over before realizing he had been out with injuries for a considerable period. Setting the bar so high makes scoring 41 goals in 46 appearances look average.

Then too, the inevitable comparisons. Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? Between them the two have locked down the Ballon D’Or in the last four years, Messi winning three before Cristiano Ronaldo received his one. Cristiano Ronaldo is a superb athlete and a goal scoring machine. He makes you watch him and not the team. Messi is simply superb. You watch the team because of him. At 27 years, he has many more moments of wizardry still left in him that will leave you slack jawed. A salute to the maestro on tomorrow’s milestone!