“I’ve realized my dream” - When 20-year-old Lionel Messi responded to Barcelona exit rumors after Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to sign him

Former Barcelona player Lionel Messi once ruled out a move to Premier League side Manchester United after reports emerged that Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to bring him to Old Trafford. At the time, the diminutive Argentine said that he was happy playing at Barcelona while also claiming that it is the best club in the world.

According to The Athletic, Manchester United were once in the best position to sign Lionel Messi, as the latter was ''more charmed'' by historic English clubs. The Red Devils at the time were one of the dominant teams in the English top tier, which would have given them a big advantage to sign Messi if he had chosen to move to England during his prime.

Sir Alex Ferguson was reportedly believed to be interested in Messi when he was 20 years of age. However, the La Masia graduate went on to pour cold water on such exit rumors from Camp Nou at the time, telling FourFourTwo:

''I’m happy in Barcelona. Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve realized my dream. It’s the best club in the world with the best players. My family are happy here; they like it.''

Lionel Messi’s decision to continue his playing career at Barcelona aged well as he went on to win a plethora of trophies. In fact, he also played his part in denying Manchester United two UEFA Champions League trophies.

The Argentine scored a remarkable header against the Red Devils in the 2009 final to give his side a 2-0 victory. Two years later, he produced another man-of-the-match performance, scoring a fantastic low drive to help La Blaugrana win 3-1.

Messi also went on to become Barca’s greatest player of all time, finishing with a record of 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 games across competitions before leaving in 2021 due to the club’s financial problems.

How Lionel Messi fared at Barcelona

Lionel Messi joined Barcelona from Newell’s Old Boys at age 13 and started his career with the club’s youth academy. He was promoted to the senior team in 2004 and made his competitive debut at age 17 in October 2004.

The forward grew into a first-team player and helped the Catalan club achieve its first treble in Spanish football in the 2008-09 season.

At 22, Messi had won four consecutive Ballon d’Ors and became the first player in history to win it four times. In the 2011-12 season, he set a record domestically and in Europe for the most goals in a season (73) and in the process became Barcelona’s all-time top scorer.

The Argentine led La Blaugrana to a historic second treble in the 2014-15 season while also winning his fifth Ballon d’Or in 2015. He won his sixth Ballon d’Or in 2019, and his seventh coincided with his departure from the club in 2021 to Paris Saint Germain.

Lionel Messi’s trophy haul at Barca is stacked as he won every available trophy at the club. Simply put, he won 34 trophies at the Catalan club, which include 10 league titles and four Champions League trophies, among others.