By MARK REY MONTEJO
Another Lionel Messi in the making? Or perhaps the next Filipino to wear the famed Barcelona jersey in La Liga – the premier league of football-craze Spain.
These questions popped out after young footballer Julio Ibañez gained entry to the prestigious 2025 Barça Academy Training Camp in Barcelona, Spain.
Ibañez was selected as one of the 30 young players – all born in 2014 – across the globe who will all have the opportunity to train and learn from top-notch coaches from Barcelona, a team that produced a genius in Messi.
For the uninitiated, Filipino Paulino Alcantara was one of the first superstar of one of the biggest and successful football clubs in the world.
When Messi made a scoring record in 2014, he paid tribute to the Filipino football icon.
Messi, an Argentine, is one big reason why football has been rapidly growing in the US as he plays for Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer.
“[I became] emotional, I didn’t know I was going to go. I did hard work to achieve this goal,” said Ibañez in an interview with Barça Academy Manila.
Ibañez hoped that his Barcelona stint would further develop his knowledge and maturity as a midfielder and as a leader on the field.
“I could improve by being patient, not going all the time… passing more and knowing more about my players, my teammates, [and] knowing the personality they have,” he continued.
Ibañez already flew to Spain last weekend alongside his fellow campers.
