How an El Grafico Article Unveiled Messi to Argentina: The Journey from Obscurity to World Cup Glory

In 2003, Lionel Messi’s name was just a whisper in Argentina, barely recognized even after his arrival at Barcelona. However, a pivotal article in El Grafico magazine, authored by journalist Marcelo Orlandini, changed the narrative overnight, catapulting Messi into the spotlight.

The article, focused on European clubs discovering South American talents, introduced Orlandini to Messi’s name. Intrigued, he delved deeper, seeking insights from former Newell’s defender Sebastian Enrique Dominguez, who compared the young prodigy to Maradona.

Drawing parallels with Maradona, Orlandini reached out to Carles Rexach, Barcelona’s youth team coordinator. Rexach, overwhelmed by Messi’s extraordinary skills, revealed he had signed Messi within 30 seconds, sealing the deal symbolically on a napkin.

Despite the ‘new Maradona’ label commonly attributed to young Argentine talents, Orlandini faced skepticism from El Grafico’s chief editor when presenting Messi as such. To validate his discovery, Orlandini contacted Hugo Tocalli, coach of the Argentine youth teams, who feigned awareness.

Undeterred, Orlandini approached Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, requesting videos of the prodigy. A week later, when the footage arrived, El Grafico’s editorial team was astounded – Messi truly embodied the essence of a new Maradona.

The subsequent article resonated across Argentina, prompting the federation to expedite Messi’s inclusion in the national team. Spain had even considered naturalizing him, further emphasizing the urgency for Argentina.

A friendly match against Paraguay was arranged, paving the way for Messi’s debut with the Albiceleste. Two and a half years later, at 18 years and 358 days old, Messi made his mark on the world stage in the 2006 World Cup. Setting up a Hernan Crespo goal and scoring himself, Messi left an indelible impression as Argentina’s game-changer.

While their World Cup journey halted in the quarter-finals against Germany, Messi’s impact was undeniable. As AFA president Julio Grondona noted, Argentina now possessed a player who made the difference – Lionel Messi.