Ok ok, this is hardly the biggest skeleton rattling away in Lionel Messis cupboard. The stars HGH past is well documented, after all, subsequently framed as an inspiring triumph against adversity. For those unfamiliar, Messi was born with a growth hormone disorder. At the time of diagnosis, Messi stood at 42. He is now listed as 57, which wouldve been impossible were it not for the HGH treatment paid for by Barcelona. The controversy comes from the misuse of HGH as a performance enhancing drug. HGH is listed as a banned substance by most sporting organisations, including FIFA, and although Messis treatment probably ended long before he made his professional debut, the damage caused by high profile drugs cheats means detractors can use Messis own HGH past as a reason to discredit his achievements. All of which sounds incredibly unfair, especially as Messi had a genuine medical reason for his treatment. But Messi and his representatives rarely answer questions on the stars HGH-past, suggesting its something they would like the public to forget about.
