When Lionel Messi made his Barcelona debut aged just 17 years, three months, and 22 days old, no one could have imagined the footballing great he would become.Sunday saw the Argentine score his 500th goal for the Catalan giants (almost exactly 12 years after he scored his very first) in dramatic circumstances.Having already scored one to drag his side back into the game at the Bernabeu against their fierce rivals, Messi found the back of the net again in the 92nd-minute to secure the three points and bring up number 500.Of course, the 29-year-old has already etched his name in the club's history but he extended his lead at the top of Barca's all-time scoring charts to a remarkable 268 goals with his latest brace.To celebrate Messi's latest feat, it seemed only fitting that the man who set up his very first goal in Barca colours should congratulate him.On May 1, 2005, it was Ronaldinho who played a cheeky ball over the top of Albacete's defence to allow Messi to score an equally impressive chip over the helpless goalkeeper.In case you've somehow forgotten, here's the video to show two of the best players to ever grace the game linking up together to devastating effect for the first time.
Twelve years on and the now retired Ronaldinho has sent a touching message to his former teammate and apprentice.
"Leo, my brother, I'm sending this message to congratulate you for the 500 goals," Ronaldinho says in Portuguese.
"I gave you the first of those 500, so I'm very happy, all the best. Big kiss!"
Aww, nice.
If we only we could watch them rip teams apart just once more.
It has always been very difficult to compare players from different eras but there is now a strong argument to suggest Messi might just be the best of all-time.
His current manager Luis Enrique certainly seems to think so anyway.
“Messi even makes a difference when he's at home having dinner," Enrique said, as per The Mirror.
"He's the best of all time and I have seen a lot of games of football - and videos. Now people are better prepared [for him] and he makes the difference. And this was his 500th goal!
"Just imagine, his 500th goal coming here, a winner in the 92nd minute at the Santiago Bernabeu. It's very nice for Leo and it's nice for everyone associated with Barca."