Soccer Power Signs 7-Year-Old

 Madrid, Spain—The young boy with the same signature long hair and nickname of his idol, Lionel Messi, just signed with one of the world's most powerful soccer clubs. Leonel Angel Coira, at the age of just 7, created a buzz throughout Europe with his dazzling play and electric feet--so much so, that soccer giant, Real Madrid, extended a contract to the gifted boy. 

Real Madrid announced this week that they signed the precocious star to its youth academy after seeing him in tryouts. Coria will begin training with Madrid’s you team on September 6th.

Couri, who hopes to follow the path of his idol, superstar Lionel Messi, who joined Barcelona from the Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys as a teenager. 

“My dream is to meet Messi, play in the first division with Madrid and for Argentina in the World Cup,” the whiz kid told the Spanish newspaper ABC. 

This landmark signing underscores the strategy of top teams scooping-up tikes as to avoid paying huge transfer fees when their potential blossoms. 

Juan Tapiador, the spokesman for Real Madrid, justified the signing by saying, “Players of any age can join our club; with one stipulation—they must stand out. We look for something different, that rare quality or talents that make them stand out from the rest.”

Signing children is nothing new in the world of professional soccer, where the majority of clubs have an extensive youth academy. These minor league clubs, so to speak, house and train player from the age of 11; the youth academies are regarded as a fundamental resource to store and develop young talent.

While a number of young talents never develop into professional players, clubs like Real Madrid are constantly hoping to strike gold with the next superstar.

Miguel Coira, the father of the prodigy, said his family will receive no financial compensation from Madrid, but the team will pay for all “transportation costs.”

“The contract is for one year and if everything goes well, it can be renewed for another,” said the pint-sized soccer star’s father.