FC Barcelona Has a 7-Year-Old Who Already Looks Like the Next Messi

This youth academy match was tied 5-5 in the final minute when this 7-year-old just decided to cut through the defense like a hot knife through butter and end the thing. How it was tied in the first place when Barcelona has this kid, I have no idea. He puts four kids on their ass and then that poor goalie had absolutely no chance. I'm no Barcelona youth soccer coach, but I would probably run the "give the ball to No. 4" play every time and take my chances.

All this video reminded me of, though, is the fact that we need youth academies in the United States. Everyone loves March Madness and bowl season partly because there are games going on during the day, which we don't get all the time. You know what we could be watching on a Tuesday afternoon? The Braves' and Astros' 12U teams going at it. You're telling me you wouldn't tune in for that?

Obviously things are different in the States because of the various league drafts, but that's not up to me to figure out. Throw some kids in a Braves or Falcons uniform and I'll watch.

Regardless, I don't know how good everyone on the Barcelona 7U team is, but I'd imagine most of them don't look like that kid. Only another decade or so and we might just see him on the pitch for the big boys.