For what club did Leo Messi play for in his youth career, 1995-2000?

From 1995 to 2000, Leo Messi played in the youth system of Newell’s Old Boys.

Newell’s Old Boys is based in Rosario, Argentina, Messi’s hometown. He joined the club’s youth ranks as a boy after beginning at local neighborhood side Grandoli. At Newell’s, his extraordinary scoring and dribbling ability quickly became apparent, and he played with the club’s celebrated youth teams often nicknamed “The Machine of ’87.”

Messi left Argentina for Barcelona in 2000 at age 13, where he entered La Masia and continued his development despite treatment for a growth-hormone deficiency. That move is why some quizzes mistakenly identify Barcelona as his youth club for the entire period, but Barcelona came after Newell’s.

Messi never made a senior-team appearance for Newell’s Old Boys, yet he has remained strongly attached to the club. He has repeatedly described it as the team he supported while growing up and has celebrated its influence on his early football life.