Predicting Where Barcelona Star Lionel Messi Will Be in 10 Years' Time

Nobody could have predicted the sharp rise of Lionel Messi, from a skinny, barely teenage boy to the greatest player in the world. Ten years after he made his debut for Barcelona's first team, it's impossible to imagine where the next decade will take him. 

Of course, there were plenty of people who predicted big things for Messi. People like presidential advisor Charly Rexach, who signed the Argentinian youngster with a contract on a serviette, because he felt that Messi, 13, was slipping out of his grasp.

People like Frank Rijkaard, who gave him that first cap for Barcelona back on October 16, 2004. And people like Pep Guardiola, who helped Messi become the phenomenon he is today.

MANU FERNANDEZ/Associated Press

In Marti Perarnau's book about Guardiola, Pep Confidential—which the English publication launched on the 10th anniversary of Messi's debut—one part discusses the moment the former Barcelona coach told Messi how he wanted to turn him into a false nine.

This is a moment that changed the shape of football as we know it.

Pep was sitting in his office, ahead of the Clasico in May 2009. He was watching a video of Real Madrid's defence and trying to work out how his side could penetrate it.

Suddenly he saw a huge gap in front of the two centre-backs and realised that is where he wanted Messi to receive the ball and drive into. The book reads:

"

The image was crystal clear and he picked up the phone.

He wasn’t calling his advisors, or even Xavi, the brains of his team.

Instead, Guardiola dialled Messi’s number.

'Leo, it’s Pep. I’ve just seen something important. Really important. Why don’t you come over. Now, please.'

At 10.30pm there is a gentle knock at Pep’s office door and a 21-year-old Leo Messi comes in.

The coach shows him the video, pausing it to point out the empty space. He wants his player to make that space his own. From now on it will be 'the Messi zone.'

'Tomorrow in Madrid I want you to start on the wing as usual, but the minute I give you a sign I want you to move away from the midfielders and into the space I just showed you.'

"

Barcelona won the game 6-2 and the modern Messi was born.

From that position, Messi went on to break all sorts of records, racing past milestones and firmly establishing himself as the best player in the world, which his four Ballon d'Ors are testament to.

Now at 27, Messi has reached the halfway point in his career. He has entered his prime. What lies ahead in the years to come?

The next stage of his development, under Luis Enrique, could be to bring him away from the front even further.

While Pep had him as the false nine, Enrique could deploy him as a more traditional No. 10.

It's unlikely that the Asturian coach would expect Messi to stay in that position, but having signed Luis Suarez and with Neymar in a rich vein of goalscoring form, Messi may find more space deeper on the pitch.

He's already produced plenty of assists for his team-mates and seems less worried about getting the final touch himself.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

With Suarez and Neymar running riot up front, it's easy to imagine Messi getting to have an even greater affect on the overall rhythm of the game.

This could continue for a couple of seasons, with Messi unlikely to slow down any time soon.

The next record he will break is arguably the most important one in Spain. With three more goals, Messi will become the top goalscorer in the history of La Liga.

Two goals will draw him level with Zarra on 251 strikes, while the third sets him apart from any other player ever to feature in Spain.

Given that Cristiano Ronaldo is already 29, it would be no surprise if Messi picked up a few more Ballon d'Ors along the way too.

Paul White/Associated Press

Ronaldo may pick up January 2015's edition of the award, but after that, with his injury issues, he may start his inevitable, slow decline.

The Portugal star is in incredible shape, so perhaps it won't happen this rapidly, but Messi's age stands him in good stead to secure the accolade in the years ahead.

Beyond that, it's hard to predict anything. There's the chance that, as he enters his 30s and his physical attributes fade, he will become totally reliant on his amazing technical ability.

That could see him drop even deeper, perhaps even as far as central midfield.

MANU FERNANDEZ/Associated Press

After that, as he approaches 34, 35, perhaps Messi's thoughts will turn toward home and the club he left at the age of 13, when he headed to Catalonia.

Newell's Old Boys is the only other side he has played for other than Barcelona, and former Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze believes that Messi will head back there.

"Messi will retire at Newell's, there's no need to convince him of anything," Heinze told reporters, per Goal.com.

"I don't see him wearing any other shirt in Argentina than that of Newell's and he will retire at Newell's."

For what it's worth, the last time Messi spoke about retirement was early in 2014.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

"I want to retire here. While people want me, I want to spend my whole career at FC Barcelona," said Messi, as reported by the BBC.

Whether Messi quits at the top, at Barcelona, or heads back home, when he eventually retires, the football world will stop spinning.

It's not just supporters of Barcelona or Argentina who will recognise the significance of the moment, but any football fan should be able to appreciate just what he has given the game in the last 10 years, and, you would imagine, the 10 that will follow.