Real Madrid Passed on Signing Lionel Messi in 2001, Reveals Club Official
Real Madrid had a chance to sign Lionel Messi in 2001, prior to the Argentine star’s rise to prominence at Barcelona, according to Miguel Angel Portugal, a former official of the club. Portugal, who contributed to the team in various roles including as a player, Castilla coach, scout, and technical secretary, shared this revelation in an interview with AS before Real Madrid’s match against Racing Santander.
Portugal disclosed that an associate of Messi had presented the young talent to Real Madrid while his contract status with Barcelona was still uncertain. Although the club expressed interest and established initial contact, they ultimately decided against moving forward with the opportunity, as Portugal indicated that maintaining good relations with their rivals was a key factor.
Messi was Available Before His Barcelona Breakthrough
During the interview, Portugal mentioned that Messi was one of several high-profile players that Real Madrid had monitored throughout his tenure. He noted the recruitment department’s interest in players like Neymar and Philippe Coutinho, as well as his early assessments of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric before they gained fame in football.
“We had our sights on Neymar and Coutinho, they were always in our considerations. I’m sure reports exist somewhere. We scouted Kroos when he was just 16 years old, playing as an attacking midfielder,” he emphasized.
Real Madrid were offered an opportunity to sign Lionel Messi. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
“I once said to him: ‘I’ve got reports on you somewhere!’ The same goes for Modric. When he began, he was a bit frail, but his development in England really benefited him,” he recalled.
“They started as attacking midfielders, but as they evolve, often players find themselves in deeper roles. This was also my experience—I began as a second striker, similar to Sergio Canales,” he added.
Additionally, Portugal disclosed that he had scouted Robinho during the Copinha youth tournament in Brazil when the forward was still young. He compared the Brazilian’s attributes to current Madrid talent Vinicius Junior, stating:
“Yes, I saw him back in the Copinha when he was a child. Like many others, his abilities differed from Vinicius’s.
“Vinicius tends to take players on, whereas Robinho was pure magic, pure skill,” he remarked.
The highlight of the interview focused on Messi, particularly following his recent announcement of his international retirement.
Real Madrid did not sign Messi out of respect for Barcelona. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
As Portugal concluded, the possibility of signing Messi arose when he had yet to formalize his contract with Barcelona. He said:“There was a time when they could have snapped him up.
“He didn’t yet have a professional contract with Barça, he hadn’t quite finalized his renewal, and someone close to him offered him to Madrid,” he stated.
Portugal admitted he couldn’t confirm the veracity of the information but maintained that the opportunity did indeed reach the club with some initial contact taking place.
“I can’t verify if it was true or not, but the word did indeed make it to the club that they had the chance to pursue him. We didn’t want to cut ties with Barça, but there was contact,” he said, adding, “Out of respect, I don’t think it would have gone ahead.”
