Johan Cruyff’s Vision: Messi’s Journey from Promising Talent to Eight-Time Ballon d’Or Winner

A year before Lionel Messi claimed his first Ballon d’Or, Johan Cruyff, with his visionary insight, already foresaw the Argentinean’s destined path to greatness.

During a La Liga game between Barcelona and Villarreal in 2008, a Sky Sports commentator quoted Cruyff, who remarked, “Still, at only 20, he has a little bit to learn about the game: when to provide the right pass and when to dribble. When he fully understands that, he won’t just get one Golden Ball, he’ll have an entire collection by the time his career ends.”

Fast forward to 2023, and Messi boasts eight Ballon d’Ors, with no sign of his illustrious career reaching its conclusion.