As arguably the best footballer that his ever lived, videos of Lionel Messi doing insane things with a ball are a dime a dozen.

Less common, however, is footage of the Barcelona hero on his way to greatness.

As such, a video released by the Catalan club on Christmas Day of Messi tearing it up in the youth leagues is the perfect present for every football fan on earth​.

He's come a long way since then, but that Messi magic is as clear in these old videos as it is today.

Merry Christmas!