Messi was diagnosed with a growth disorder when he was 11. How he overcame it

Growing up in a football-loving family, Lionel Messi was naturally drawn toward the game and soon began to showcase his skills at the local club, but there was one condition that held him back from playing to his full potential -- a growth disorder.

Messi's family realised that even though he was playing among other children his age, he was always the smallest of them. Medical check-ups unearthed that the child had a growth hormone deficiency (GHD) -- a condition caused by insufficient amounts of growth hormone in the body, leading to impaired growth and development.

Messi had to be injected with growth hormones in his leg each night when he was only 12, but his family was struggling to continue with his treatment. That's when FC Barcelona came to their rescue. The club offered 13-year-old Messi a spot on their team and even sponsored his medical treatment.

The family then moved to Spain when Messi's career began to take shape.

At 17, he became the youngest player in FC Barcelona's history to score a goal.