UPDATED TO INCLUDE MESSI'S FIRST SEASON AT PSG

The story of the 2022 World Cup Champion and one of the greatest footballers of all time, Argentina's Lionel Messi.

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

On 10 August 2021, Lionel Messi's beautiful Barcelona fairy tale came to an end as he completed a dramatic move to Paris Saint-Germain. Despite flourishing in the blue and white of the national side, delivering Argentina their first silverware in twenty-eight years - beating Brazil on their home soil to win the Copa America - Messi endured a difficult first season in Paris.

Guillem Balague 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 presents an authoritative and compelling account of an enigmatic footballing genius.

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

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

Reviews
You may know a lot of the Messi legend already, but his is still a fascinating backstory. * Four Four Two *
There's certainly some interesting insight and information...particularly Balague's understanding of Argentinian politics, culture and mores. ...The book glows with extended testimonies from those who ever coached or mentored Messi. -- David Stubbs * WHEN SATURDAY COMES *



Book Information
ISBN 9781399605809
Author Guillem Balague
Format Paperback
Page Count 736
Imprint Seven Dials
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 560g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 48mm