Q 01/05

In which Argentine city was Lionel Messi born in June 1987?

A) Buenos Aires

B) Córdoba

C) Mendoza

D) Rosario

Answer · why

D) Rosario

The city on the Paraná River also produced Che Guevara and Ángel Di María. Messi started playing for local club Newell's Old Boys at seven.

Q 02/05

At age ten Messi was diagnosed with what condition, which threatened his future in football?

A) A growth hormone deficiency

B) Chronic childhood asthma

C) A congenital heart murmur

D) Osgood-Schlatter disease

Answer · why

A) A growth hormone deficiency

The treatment cost around $1,000 a month, which his family and Argentine clubs could not sustain.

Q 03/05

Barcelona's first commitment to sign the 13-year-old Messi was famously written on what?

A) A paper napkin

B) A restaurant bill

C) The back of a match ticket

D) A hotel notepad

Answer · why

A) A paper napkin

Sporting director Carles Rexach had nothing else to hand at a tennis club. The napkin was later sold at auction for close to £800,000.

Q 04/05

Which club in his home city did Messi play for from the age of seven before moving to Barcelona?

A) Rosario Central

B) River Plate

C) Boca Juniors

D) Newell's Old Boys

Answer · why

D) Newell's Old Boys

He scored hundreds of goals for the youth side nicknamed 'The Machine of '87'. Rosario Central are the club's fierce city rivals.

Q 05/05

Which Barcelona star nicknamed the teenage Messi 'little brother' and eased his way into the first team?

A) Samuel Eto'o

B) Xavi

C) Ronaldinho

D) Carles Puyol

Answer · why

C) Ronaldinho

The Brazilian also set up Messi's first senior goal on 1 May 2005, which made him the club's youngest-ever scorer at the time.