OTD E0117 — 25 Feb 1912: Paulino Alcántara — Barcelona’s Netbreaker, and the GOAT You’ve Never Heard Of

Before Messi, Barcelona had a scoring king who time nearly buried: Paulino Alcántara. On 25 Feb 1912, he debuted at 15, hit a hat-trick, and set three club records in one afternoon.Born in the Philippines, built in Barcelona, and feared everywhere he played, Alcántara became Barça’s first true superstar — “El Rompe Redes”, the netbreaker — and a goal machine whose legacy lasted more than a century.Email: [email protected]