5 things you did not know about Lionel Messi

#2 His career almost ended due to a growth hormone deficiency

Messi suffered from growth hormone deficiency.

Most of Messi's fans know that he suffered from a growth hormone deficiency in his childhood. But what most of them don't realize is how close he was to having his career ended because of it.

The growth hormone deficiency was preventing his normal growth rate and gave rise to a number of other health complications as well. As a result, the only way he could play football was by injecting himself with human growth hormone into his legs on a nightly basis.

But this was an expensive treatment and cost almost $900 a month. The Messi family could not afford it and his club, Newell's Old Boys, did not want to invest so much in a youth player. The only reason Messi left home for Barcelona at such a young age was because they agreed to pay for his treatment.