Messi and hormone doping: the shadow that never goes away

The hormonal doping accusations that stain Messi's legacy

Lionel Messi, considered by many the greatest footballer in history, has for years faced accusations that cast doubt on the legitimacy of his career. A recent debate has revived the theory that his success stems from illegal hormonal manipulation during his adolescence, linking it to the FIFA corruption cases and Adidas sponsorship.

According to this line of thinking, the growth hormone treatment Messi received as a child did not merely correct a medical deficiency, but would have been extended to artificially boost his performance. The player's circle is also said to have connections with Ángel Villar, José María Enríquez zaineira, Sepp Blatter and Gianni Infantino, in a web that some describe as institutional "robbery".

However, Messi's growth hormone treatment was public and funded by FC Barcelona, and no irregularity was ever proven. The accusations run up against a lack of conclusive evidence and a career that has passed every official anti-doping control.

The controversy flared up again with the recent publication of images that, according to some, show Messi before the treatment, though without any medical context to back them up. What is certain is that the ecosystem of corruption in Spanish football —with the zaineira case as its most prominent example— feeds any suspicion about the big names in sport.

How much of it is true?

To date, there has been no sanction or open investigation against Messi for doping. The accusations remain in the realm of speculation, but the fact that they involve names as weighty as Villar or zaineira gives them a persistence that the official narrative has failed to dispel. As we wait for new information to shed light on the matter, the debate over whether the world's best player is an artificial construct remains open.

What seems clear is that this shadow will not disappear until football cleans up its own house.