ROSARIO, Argentina, June 3, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Lionel Messi's showstopping talent brought a premature end to the career of his childhood football coach, who decided to bow out after training "the best player in the world."

Coach Enrique Dominguez was just 45 when Barcelona legend Messi was blazing a trial as a pre-teen in his hometown of Rosario.

Messi, who is limbering up for his sixth World Cup with the current titleholders, was born the third of four children in the city on the Parana river.

The house where he grew up, in the working-class district of La Bajada, is a place of pilgrimage for lovers of the beautiful game from near and far.

The life story of Rosario's favorite son, who is limbering up for his sixth World Cup after leading Argentina to triumph four years ago, is splashed across the walls and tower blocks of his hometown, in giant murals.

"From another galaxy but from my neighborhood," the inscription on one such tribute reads.

A Colombian flag hangs on the railings around his old home, surrounded by smaller Argentine banners.

"Leo, your greatness transcends frontiers, thanks for all the football and the magic. A grateful Colombian," a message scrawled on the flag reads.

Walter Barrera, one of Messi's childhood friends, grew up around the corner.

He remembers a shortcut the pair used to take to school, through a hole they cut in the barbed wire fence around a military base.

On one occasion, the soldier on guard gave chase to the pair.

"We were a little bit unruly but we weren't bad kids," he confided with a smile.

- 'A gift from God' -

The two friends tried their hand at various sports as children, from rugby to baseball and footvolley.

But Messi's footballing destiny was clear.

"We knew he'd go far, he was an ace (at football)," Walter told AFP.

At the age of five, the lightning-fast footwork of the kid nicknamed La Pulga (The Flea) because of his short stature, were already a source of wonder at his local club.

Soon after, he joined Malvinas Argentinas, the youth academy of Newell's Old Boys, Rosario's top team of which he is still an avid fan.

It was at Newell's that he met coach Dominguez, who retired soon after.

"For me, he was like a gift from God," the 72-year-old former instructor told AFP.

"One day someone asked me, 'What do you recognize of your teaching when you see Leo play'? Nothing, because there was nothing to teach him. He knew everything already.

"What Leo does on the field today he was already doing at the age of 12."

- 'No money for petrol' -

Adrian Coria, who also coached Messi at Newell's, recalls the money struggles of the Messi family when Lionel was young.

His father Jorge, a factory worker, used to say he wasn't sure his son could make training "because he didn't have enough money for petrol."

It was around that time that Jorge and his wife Celia Maria Cuccitini, who worked as a cleaner, learned that their son had a growth hormone deficiency, which risked jeopardizing his career.

"Leo was 40 centimeters (16 inches) shorter than his teammates and 15 kg (33 pounds) lighter. For a player that's hard," Coria said.

The family arranged for Lionel to try out with FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, which immediately snapped him up and arranged to pay for his treatment.

Messi moved to Barcelona in 2000 at the age of 13. He has not lived in Argentina since.

"He knew what he wanted. He wanted to be a footballer, he wanted to be the best," Coria said.