Former Real Madrid player Miguel Angel Portugal has made a startling disclosure: Lionel Messi, the Argentine football icon who spent most of his career with arch-rivals FC Barcelona, could have joined Real Madrid in 2001 as a teenager. Portugal, who played for Real Madrid from 1979 to 1983 and later worked as a scout and technical secretary, revealed that an opportunity to sign Messi did exist.

According to Portugal, a close associate of Messi proposed a move to Real Madrid at a time when Messi did not yet have a professional contract with Barcelona, and renewal negotiations were ongoing. "The opportunity really did exist," Portugal affirmed, as quoted by Goal.com. He explained that while the club received information about the possibility, Real Madrid ultimately chose not to pursue the transfer to maintain good relations with Barcelona. He speculated that Messi himself might have hesitated out of respect for the fierce rivalry between the two Spanish giants.

This revelation adds a fascinating 'what if' to football history, considering Messi's legendary career at Barcelona, where he became their all-time leading scorer and won numerous titles. Messi recently concluded his illustrious international career with Argentina, securing a Copa America and a FIFA World Cup title, and now plays for Inter Miami in the MLS.

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