As football agent Amalio Flores states, "For every player that makes it to the top, for every Messi and Maradona, there are thousands of kids who never reach their goal... and the pressure that comes from their families is so strong, that some of them even end up going the wrong way. They bet it all for football, and didn't study, becoming broken toys".

The pressure coming from the kid's parents, who hope their children will take them out of poverty; dirty practices and sly deception techniques from many agents; overly assertive coaching tactics and excessive demand from clubs. I Want to Be Messi is a documentary that shows the dark side of the most popular sport in the world, by following the paths of kids who live on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and who have bet everything on their dreams of one day becoming football stars.