If the Chinese Government gave growth hormones to a young child to make them a better swimmer, basketballer or footballer, the Western sporting media would be aghast.

If it’s okay to give kids growth hormones to make them bigger and (presumably) better athletes, can New Zealand Rugby start looking for kids who will be 2m-tall locks in 15 years and give them a nudge to be 2.10m?

FC Barcelona’s financing of growth hormones to make a little kid from Argentina into a bigger, better footballer has gone largely unquestioned throughout the era of Messi.

There’s no doubt Messi had a legitimate medical need for growth hormones. He had a condition known as Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD), and this can carry severe medical consequences later in life. For adults, as well as being a bit short, this condition can bring a reduced sense of wellbeing, anxiety and decreased energy levels. People with GHD can experience serious heart issues and have a higher risk of bone fractures or osteoporosis.

So, for Messi and his family: fair enough, no one could begrudge them wanting to get medical assistance. Such treatment, back home in Argentina, was beyond their financial means.

Barcelona fronting up to pay for them was a genuine and understandable relief. There’s nothing questionable about the family’s actions and motivations.

But what was FC Barcelona’s motivation?

The world’s great football clubs don’t routinely go around providing medical treatment for young people who need it, just so those kids can lead better lives as anonymous adults.

GHD affects about one in 10,000 kids globally. Have you seen FC Barcelona in your neighbourhood providing hormone treatment for any of those kids? Didn’t think so.

One of Europe’s football superpowers provided growth hormone treatment so that Messi could become a better footballer – possibly the greatest footballer of all time. And boy did they get their reward. He won La Liga 10 times with the Catalans, and lifted the Champions League trophy four times.

Perhaps without the growth hormones Messi would “merely” have been a pretty good footballer – say, one good enough to play in Spain’s La Liga 2, the Iberian’s second division. Maybe even the A-League.

To hammer the point, if Western media were talking about a Chinese swimmer being hailed as the greatest of all time, you can bet your bottom dollar any growth-hormone treatments would be part of the discussion.

It’s reasonable to ask a key question. If FC Barcelona’s motives were purely to produce a better athlete, fill their trophy cabinet and boost their coffers along the way, is that how we want our big sports to be run?

So, while Messi’s need for the treatment was reasonable and understandable – from the perspective of him and his family – FC Barcelona’s investment can reasonably be said to leave a shadow over his remarkable legacy.