Real Madrid Soccer Club Signs 7-Year-Old Boy

We’ve all heard stories about how athletes are recruited at younger and younger ages by college teams, but Real Madrid, the professional and well-known Spanish soccer club, has gone a step beyond that.

The team has signed a seven-year-old boy from Argentina. That’s right — he’s seven.

The tyke is named Leonel Angel Coira, although he goes by Leo. At a time when most kids are going back to school, he’ll be heading to the pitch to begin training on September 6, a team spokesman reports.

Leo, who says his idol is Argentina star Lionel Messi, claims he’d rather “provide the pass” instead of score.

The Argentine paper Ole reports Leo is the youngest player ever signed by Real Madrid, but the team says that’s not true.

Real Madrid decided to go after Leo after its rival, Atletico Madrid, also attempted to sign him.

[Associated Press]