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Lionel Messi is definitely not your textbook footballer, and what he does is definitely not typical either. Guiding Barcelona to the final of this year’s Champions League, the Argentine has proved once again why he stands a level above everyone else, with perhaps only Cristiano Ronaldo being the only exception.
Barcelona now face Italian champions Juventus in the final, and it wouldn't be the first time Messi would be playing against them. It was the 2005 Joan Gamper Trophy final, and the stage was set for a young Messi who had just turned 18 to show the world that you can be world class even at a young age.
Watch out for the footage where the legendary Patrick Vieira loses his cool against Messi and ends up bringing him down with a poor tackle, eventually earning a booking from the referee.
Talk about early signs.
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