The Glasgow Rangers were not foreigners to the signing of Barcelona players in the early 2000s, paying a lot of money for Mikel Arteta and Ronald de Boer.
However, those of Ibrox almost brought Lionel Messi from the Catalan giants before he entered the photo of the first team of the Nou.
The Argentina icon is rightly recognized as one of the best footballers to have ever played the game and has not looked back since its senior beginnings in Barcelona at the age of 17 in 2004. He spent 17 years with Barcelona before signing for Paris Saint-Germain, then Inter Miami.
|
The main honors of Lionel Messi |
Year won |
|---|---|
|
Ballon d’Or |
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 |
|
World Cup |
2022 |
|
America Cup |
2021, 2024 |
|
Champions League |
2006, 2009, 2011, 2015 |
|
The League |
2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 |
|
Ligue 1 |
2022, 2023 |
|
UEFA Super Cup |
2009, 2011, 2015 |
|
Club World Cup |
2010, 2012, 2016 |
|
Copa del Rey |
2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 |
|
Super Spanish Cup |
2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018 |
|
Supporters shield |
2024 |
|
MLS League Cup |
2023 |
|
Olympic gold medal |
2008 |
|
Super French cup |
2022 |
Messi won everything in the match, including eight Ballon d’Or, and he finally won the glory of the World Cup with his country in 2022.
However, things could have been so different for the magician, if those of Glasgow travel their way.
How the rangers almost signed Messi from Barcelona
According to a goal report, the Rangers actually gave up requests for requesting Messi on loan from Barcelona before his senior debut. Unfortunately, these efforts were refused by those of the Nou camp, but it was the son of Alex McLeish, Jon, who found Messi.
Speaking on the Podcast The Big Interview with Graham Hunter in 2017, McLeish entered into detail on the way in which his son’s love for the football manager alerted him from Messi in 2003, with rangers in search of a replacement by Barry Ferguson.
“My son Jon was in a championship chief. He constantly gave me names in South America. They leave the sky and say that “Lionel Messi will be the best player in the world”.
“He was 13 or 14 years old at the time. You reject it, but the Rangers have reduced the workforce and we were looking for a certain quality in the midfield.
“Barry Ferguson had come down to Blackburn, so we lost a guy who would have taken the ball in any stadium all over the world. We needed players from this DES VOL.
“Jan Wouters phoned Henk Ten Cate, who was the assistant of Frank Rijkaard, the former international duration.
“Jan called her and said,” Messi? “We were told no chance.
Jon’s prediction about Messi becoming the largest in the world was exact, showing that the football manager Powers can have in real life.
