A documentary portraying Lionel Messi’s tough route to the top was given a first screening in Rio on Wednesday.
The work, “Messi”, directed by Spaniard Alex de la Iglesia and scripted by former Argentina international Jorge Valdano, shows how Messi battled a growth hormone disorder as a youngster before becoming a megastar at Barcelona.
“We know what a genius he is on the pitch, and we wanted to know how he is off it. Although behind every genius lies an enigma I think we got close” said Valdano, a World Cup winner in 1986.
Valdano also drew a comparison with Brazil starlet and Messi’s Barcelona teammate Neymar.
“If we were to do a documentary on Neymar it would be more about a pop-star footballer – Messi is much more reserved,” he explained. The film depicts the various stages of Messi’s career, from playing in the streets in his home town of Rosario to the would-be professional battling a growth hormone deficiency.