In search of Rosario’s magic man

TRACING the footsteps of a living legend is dicey business. ‘He was born here’, ‘he grew up there’, ‘he first kicked a ball over there’... all claims made by Rosarinos about their most famous son, Lionel Messi.

A man claimed to have made ‘a go’ for Messi in a local restaurant last year. The restaurant has since been re-named ‘Messi was here’! I later learnt the aggressor and the restaurant owner just wanted to have a piece of their hero!

My search for Messi before he became God took me on a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the city that has produced the world’s greatest player.