Piqué Remembers Young Messi: 'The Guy Was Insane' at La Masía

Gerard Piqué recently offered a fascinating glimpse into the early days of Lionel Messi's career, recalling when they were teammates at Barcelona's famed La Masía academy. "We were winning all the games 15-0, 20-0, and he scored a lot of goals every game," Piqué said, describing a 13-year-old Messi who was already showing signs of greatness.

During an appearance on The Late Run podcast, the retired Spanish defender reminisced about sharing the pitch with Messi long before the Argentine became a global icon. The duo would eventually play over 500 matches together for Barcelona's senior squad, capturing 30 trophies and establishing one of the most successful partnerships in football history. However, back in their youth academy days, Messi's future remained far from guaranteed.

Size concerns overshadowed exceptional skill

While Messi's extraordinary ability was undeniable to anyone who watched him play, serious questions surrounded his physical development. Due to a growth hormone deficiency, the young Argentine was noticeably smaller and lighter than other players his age. The real uncertainty wasn't about his dominance at youth level—that was clear—but whether his skills would transfer to senior football against fully-grown opponents in a faster, more physical game.

"There was this big question mark about whether he would be able to translate everything he was doing at the academy to first-team football," Piqué explained. "If he could replicate everything he was doing, he would surely change the history of the game. And he did."

Indeed, Messi silenced all doubters. He went on to claim ten La Liga championships, four UEFA Champions League titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, and 35 honours in total with Barcelona. His body adapted, his talent flourished, and the results are now part of football folklore.

Piqué settles the eternal debate

The former Barcelona centre-back also addressed football's most persistent question of the past 15 years, and he didn't mince words. "For me, there's no doubt. It's Messi," Piqué stated, acknowledging Cristiano Ronaldo as "a machine" but ranking Messi higher based on pure talent. This perspective carries particular weight coming from someone who shared the dressing room with both legends and won silverware alongside each.

Today, their paths have diverged considerably: Piqué hung up his boots in November 2022. Meanwhile, Messi continues to compete at 37 years old, starring for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and preparing to lead Argentina's defence of their World Cup title in 2026. The Albiceleste have warm-up friendlies scheduled against Mauritania and Zambia at La Bombonera before the tournament begins in June.

• Argentina vs Mauritania — La Bombonera
• Argentina vs Zambia — La Bombonera (31st)
• Inter Miami vs Austin — Nu Stadium (4th)
• Inter Miami vs RB New York — Nu Stadium (11th)

The youngster who routinely netted five goals per match in those 15-0 victories at La Masía is now gearing up to defend football's ultimate prize. Piqué recognized the special talent before most of the world even knew Messi's name.