1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:01,720 This. Is time for the podcast? 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,440 Yeah, the podcast is started. What's the? 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:07,360 Podcast. It's all gonna be all right in 4 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:12,160 the end. You've got some worries, my 5 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:17,000 dearly. Rest your busy minds, because 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,000 it's finally time The Stories from Now and Then. 7 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:25,280 Welcome back to Stories from Now and Then. 8 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,080 It's your very own Captain Blunderface here in the old 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,200 library and Deprecatus. Guess what? 10 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,240 I got an e-mail from the Humane Society and we are about to read 11 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:38,760 it. So to explain, we wanted to know 12 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:42,920 what day of the year Deprecatus's birthday is and we 13 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,240 just heard back. Let's pull it up. 14 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:50,600 Dear Captain, Blenderface and Deprecatus, We have checked our 15 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:55,280 records and have seen that Deprecatus birthday is February 16 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,560 29th. Depprogatis, do you know what 17 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,240 that means? You're a leap of your baby. 18 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,720 How cool is that? That means your birthday is a 19 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:09,120 quadrennial event. Can you think of any other 20 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,280 events that happen every four years? 21 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,840 That's right, Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. 22 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,560 What else? World Cup. 23 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,520 That's exactly right. Well, that might have a little 24 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,120 bit to do with today's story. And before we get into it, we 25 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,760 have a shout out for Morgan from Wyoming, USA. 26 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,800 Morgan loves to sing and to ride her or spoon. 27 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:35,640 And sometimes on the short little drive to school, she asks 28 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:38,640 to listen to stories. So Morgan, thanks so much for 29 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,440 listening. Today's episode is for you. 30 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,560 And with that, rest your busy minds. 31 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:50,240 It is finally time and Nicola will bring us today's story. 32 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:58,760 Nicola, it's all you. Today's story is a true story 33 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:02,080 about a very special football player. 34 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:08,199 Now, depending on where you live, you might call it soccer. 35 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,800 But for this story, let's just call it football together. 36 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:20,320 This story is about a boy who was told he was too small to 37 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:26,080 play football, but who grew up to become the greatest player 38 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:32,120 the world has ever seen. This is a story about believing 39 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:37,360 in yourself when others don't, about practising until your 40 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:41,560 feet. No magic about showing the world 41 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:49,400 that size doesn't measure heart. This is a story about Lionel 42 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:52,000 Messi. Are you ready? 43 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:58,560 Let's begin. Once Upon a time, in a city 44 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:03,800 called Rosario in the country of Argentina, there lived a little 45 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:09,240 boy named Leo. Lionel, or Lionel was his full 46 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,520 name, but everyone called him Leo for short. 47 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:20,200 Leo was born on June 24th, 1987 into a family that loved 48 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:24,560 football more than almost anything in Argentina. 49 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:31,680 You see, football isn't just a game, it's a passion, a dream, a 50 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:35,080 language. Everyone speaks with their feet 51 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:40,120 instead of their mouths. Leo's grandmother, Celia, loved 52 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:44,480 him with all her heart. She would take him to practice, 53 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:48,560 watch him play, cheer louder than anyone else. 54 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:54,320 You're going to be a star, Leo, she would say, her eyes shining 55 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,560 with belief. You really think so, Abuela? 56 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,440 Leo would ask. I know. 57 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,800 So, she would reply, hugging him tight. 58 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:08,160 Leo started playing football when he was so small he could 59 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,520 barely reach the doorknob. He played with his older 60 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:16,760 brothers in the street, chasing the ball on dusty roads, dodging 61 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,800 puddles and potholes. His brothers were bigger and 62 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,800 stronger, but Leo was quicker and cleverer, weaving between 63 00:04:25,800 --> 00:04:31,880 them like a fish through water. By the time Leo was five years 64 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,280 old, he was playing for a local team called Grandoli. 65 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:42,400 The coach was his father, Jorge, who saw something special in his 66 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:47,800 youngest son, a way of moving with the ball that seemed almost 67 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,400 magical, as if the ball was attached to his feet by 68 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:57,360 invisible string. But there was something that 69 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,840 worried Leo's family. Leo wasn't growing the way other 70 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:07,640 boys were growing. Year after year passed, and 71 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:13,400 while his friends got taller and stronger, Leo stayed small and 72 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:18,160 thin as a twig. When Leo was 10 years old, his 73 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:20,800 family took him to see some doctors. 74 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:25,680 The doctors did tests and examinations, and then they 75 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:30,240 delivered news that made everyone's hearts feel heavy. 76 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:36,120 Leo has a growth hormone deficiency, the doctors said, 77 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:42,640 using big words that basically meant Leo's body wasn't making 78 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,760 the special chemicals that help children grow tall. 79 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,960 Can it be fixed? Leo's parents asked, worried and 80 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:57,440 scared. Yes, said the doctors, But the 81 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:02,560 treatment is expensive. Leo will need special medicine 82 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:08,440 injected every single day. The medicine cost a lot of 83 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:12,040 money, more money than Leo's family had. 84 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:17,440 His father worked in a factory, his mother cleaned houses. 85 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:22,880 They tried their best, but the medicine was so expensive they 86 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:27,800 could barely afford it. Leo had to inject the medicine 87 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,360 into his legs every night before bed. 88 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,680 It hurt. It was scary for a young boy, 89 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:41,440 but Leo was brave. Does it hurt? 90 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,240 His mother would ask, gently, a little, Leo would admit. 91 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:51,520 But I want to grow. I want to play football every 92 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:58,760 night, Stick, pinch, inject. Every morning, wake up and play 93 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:03,920 football. Anyway, Leo kept playing, kept 94 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:09,600 practising, kept getting better and better, even though he was 95 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:13,240 still the smallest player on every team. 96 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:19,200 By the time Leo was 13, he was playing for a youth team called 97 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:26,480 Newell's Old Boys in Rosario. He was so good, so incredibly 98 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:31,720 skilful, that people would come just to watch this tiny boy make 99 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:36,200 the defenders look silly, dribbling past players twice his 100 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,920 size like they were standing still. 101 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,840 But here's where the story gets difficult. 102 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,880 Here's where Leo faced his biggest challenge yet. 103 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,840 Leo's family couldn't afford the medicine anymore. 104 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,360 The factory where his father worked was struggling. 105 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:03,920 Money was tight, and without the medicine, Leo couldn't keep 106 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,640 growing. Without growing, how could he 107 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,560 compete with bigger, stronger players? 108 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:16,160 Leo's family didn't know what to do. 109 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:23,120 Then something wonderful happened, something that would 110 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:29,640 change Leo's life forever. A scout from a famous football 111 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:34,600 club in Spain had heard about the magical small boy in 112 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,760 Argentina. The club was called FC 113 00:08:38,760 --> 00:08:43,600 Barcelona, one of the most famous teams in the whole world, 114 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:47,840 and they were always looking for talented young players. 115 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:52,160 Come to Barcelona, the scout said to Leo's family. 116 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:56,400 Come for a trial. Let us see if this boy is as 117 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:01,400 good as people say. So Leo and his father flew 118 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:07,400 across the ocean to Spain, to the beautiful city of Barcelona 119 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:12,840 with its beaches and buildings and the famous football stadium 120 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:17,240 where 100,000 people could watch football together. 121 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:24,440 Leo was 13 years old, small and shy and far from home. 122 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:30,880 Everything felt strange and new and a little bit scary. 123 00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:34,960 The coaches at Barcelona watched Leo play. 124 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,960 They watched him dribble, tap, tap, tap around cones and 125 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,520 defenders. They watched him shoot, pass, 126 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,920 control the ball like it was a pet that obeyed his every 127 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:51,040 command. Sign him, they said, 128 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,240 immediately. Sign him now, before another 129 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,760 club takes him. But there was still the problem 130 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:02,760 of the medicine. Leo's family couldn't afford to 131 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:06,840 move to Spain and pay for the expensive treatment. 132 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,640 The Barcelona coaches looked at each other. 133 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:17,240 They looked at this small boy with the magical feet, and they 134 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:23,080 made a decision that almost never happens in football. 135 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,240 We'll pay for everything, they said. 136 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,840 We'll pay for the medicine. We'll pay for Leo's family to 137 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,760 move here. We believe in him that much. 138 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:39,200 So Leo and his family moved to Barcelona. 139 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:45,120 Leo joined Barcelona's famous youth Academy called La Masia. 140 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:50,320 Every day he got his medicine, every day he practised. 141 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:55,680 Every day he got a little better, a little taller, a 142 00:10:55,680 --> 00:11:02,480 little stronger. But it was hard for him, so 143 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:07,400 hard. Leo was far from home, from his 144 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:12,440 grandmother who believed in him, from his friends, from the dusty 145 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,680 streets of Rosario where he learned to play. 146 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:21,120 He was lonely. He missed Argentina, he missed 147 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:25,280 his old life. The other boys at La Marcia were 148 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:30,200 talented too, and some of them weren't very nice to the quiet 149 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,680 boy from Argentina who barely talked. 150 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:39,880 But Leo had his football. When he felt sad, he would go to 151 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:44,640 the practice field and play the ball, understood him even when 152 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:49,200 people didn't. His feet knew what to do, even 153 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:53,920 when his heart felt heavy. And Leo kept growing. 154 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,880 Not just taller, though the medicine was helping with that, 155 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:02,400 but better. Better at football, better at 156 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:07,760 reading the game, understanding where to run, when to pass, how 157 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:12,240 to score goals that made the coaches gasp and clap. 158 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:18,600 When Leo was 16, something extraordinary happened. 159 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:24,400 The coach of Barcelona's main team, the real team, the famous 160 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:30,040 team, the team that played in front of 100,000 people, needed 161 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:36,240 a player for an important match. Bring up that small Argentine 162 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,400 boy, he said. Bring up Messi. 163 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:46,560 On October 16th, 2004, Leo walked onto the pitch wearing 164 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:50,280 Barcelona's famous blue and red stripes. 165 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:56,080 He was 16 years old, the youngest player ever to play for 166 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:00,720 Barcelona, and though he only played for a few minutes, 167 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:06,720 everyone who watched could see something special was happening. 168 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:11,680 Over the next few years, Leo went from being a substitute 169 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:16,400 player who came on at the end of games to being the most 170 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,760 important player on the entire team. 171 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:25,240 He scored goals. So many goals. 172 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:29,080 Beautiful goals, impossible goals. 173 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,480 Goals where he would dribble past five or six defenders like 174 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:38,480 they were traffic cones, goals from far away that would curve 175 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:41,280 and bend through the air like magic. 176 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:46,240 Leo won trophies, So many trophies. 177 00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:52,160 Championships with Barcelona. Year after year after year, he 178 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,920 won awards for being the best player in the world. 179 00:13:56,240 --> 00:14:00,840 Not once, not twice, but eight times. 180 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,600 That's more than any other player in history. 181 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:10,920 He scored more goals for Barcelona than any player ever 182 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:19,520 had. 672 goals. Imagine scoring 672 goals. 183 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:26,080 That's like scoring two goals every single week for six years 184 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:31,080 straight. But there was one thing missing. 185 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:39,120 1 dream Leo hadn't achieved yet. You see, in football, there's a 186 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,480 special competition called the World Cup. 187 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:47,200 It happens every four years and every country in the world 188 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,920 competes to win it. It's the biggest, most important 189 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:57,080 trophy in all of football. Leo had won everything with 190 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:02,560 Barcelona, but he'd never won the World Cup with Argentina. 191 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:12,280 He'd tried in 2006, in 2010, in 2014 and in 2018. 192 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:17,160 People started to say Messi is great, but he'll never be the 193 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,120 greatest until he wins the World Cup. 194 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:25,200 This hurt Leo's heart. He'd given everything to 195 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:30,240 Argentina, played through injuries, tried so hard. 196 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:37,520 But football is a team game, and sometimes even the best player 197 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:44,360 can't win alone. Then came 2022, the World Cup in 198 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:49,040 Qatar. Leo was 35 years old now, old 199 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:52,560 for a footballer with grey streaks in his beard. 200 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:58,800 Everyone knew this would be his last chance, his final 201 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:04,360 opportunity to win the one trophy that had escaped him. 202 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:11,280 Argentina started well, then stumbled, then found their 203 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,200 rhythm. Match after match, Leo led his 204 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:19,720 team forward. He scored goals, made passes, 205 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:24,280 inspired his teammates to play better than they'd ever played 206 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:29,760 before. They reached the final Argentina 207 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:35,480 versus France, the two best teams in the world. 208 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:41,000 The match was incredible, wonderful, the most exciting 209 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,840 final anyone could remember. Argentina LED, then France 210 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,760 caught up. Argentina LED again, then France 211 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,760 caught up again. It went to extra time, then to 212 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:58,520 penalty kicks where players take turns shooting at the goal with 213 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:03,440 just the goalkeeper to beat. Leo scored his penalty. 214 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,720 Cool as ice, calm as a summer morning, he placed the ball 215 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:13,680 exactly where he wanted it when the final French penalty was 216 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:18,839 saved. Argentina had won, won the World 217 00:17:18,839 --> 00:17:23,280 Cup. And Leo, Small Leo from Rosario, 218 00:17:23,680 --> 00:17:28,440 Leo, who needed medicine to grow, Leo, who'd been told he 219 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:34,200 was too small, had finally achieved his greatest dream. 220 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,120 Leo fell to his knees on the grass and cried. 221 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:44,240 His teammates piled on top of him, celebrating, laughing, 222 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,520 crying together. Back in Argentina, millions of 223 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:52,920 people danced in the streets, hugging strangers, honking 224 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:58,880 horns, singing songs. The small boy had become the 225 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,080 greatest. The journey was complete. 226 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:09,960 Today, Leo plays in the USA for a team called Inter Miami. 227 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:16,040 He's older now, but still magical, still able to do things 228 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:21,480 with a football that make people gasp and cheer and remember why 229 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:31,080 they love this beautiful game. So what do we learn from this 230 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:35,920 tale of the small boy who became the greatest? 231 00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:41,880 We learn that being small doesn't mean being weak. 232 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:46,160 Leo turned his thighs into an advantage. 233 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:51,200 He was quicker, more agile, harder to knock off the ball. 234 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:58,360 And we also learn that help from others makes a big difference. 235 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:03,200 Barcelona paid for Leo's medicine when his family 236 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:07,480 couldn't afford it. His grandmother believed in him. 237 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:13,960 His teammates supported him. Nobody achieves greatness 238 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:19,960 completely alone. And today, children all over the 239 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:23,720 world wear jerseys with messy on the back. 240 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:29,440 They practice his moves, try to dribble like him, dream of being 241 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,160 like him. And somewhere in Argentina, in 242 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:38,360 the dusty streets of Rosario, small children are playing 243 00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:42,400 football, chasing their own dreams. 244 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:47,080 Maybe one of them will be the next Messi. 245 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:52,880 Or maybe there'll be something else entirely, something 246 00:19:53,240 --> 00:20:02,000 uniquely wonderful. Deprecatus, we have to get up 247 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,280 and run around outside and kick a ball. 248 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:06,480 That's all I'm inspired to do right now. 249 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,600 Well, if you're enjoying the show and you'd like to keep in 250 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:14,560 touch, just reach out to us on Instagram, send us Adm at 251 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,840 Stories from Now and Then and you can get a future episode 252 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:20,840 dedicated to you. Also, visit our website, 253 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:24,600 storiesfromnowandthen.com to get a free downloadable coloring 254 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:29,120 page that you can print off. Our show is narrated by Nicola 255 00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:33,200 Ward, music by Captain Blunderface and we will see you 256 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:37,520 all next time on the next episode of Stories from Now and 257 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:37,680 Then.