The phenomenon that is Lionel Messi

 

Lionel Messi has, by anyone’s standards, defied all logic in the footballing world over the last few years.

Ever since his La Liga debut against RCD Espanyol on 16 October 2004 (at 17 years and 114 days of age) during the Frank Rijkaard era at Barça, it was clear that here was a player whose impact and legacy on the game would be immeasurable.

When such luminaries as Cruyff, Platini, Maradona and Di Stefano tell you the boy is a bit special, then you sit up and take notice. Comparisons with Pele and Maradona as the best player to have ever played the game have dogged Messi ever since, but such an argument remains completely subjective.

What should analysis be based upon? Trophies won, records broken, goals scored, quality of opposition, how often the player has provided a pivotal moment for his team? It really is impossible to come to any sort of meaningful conclusion.

Those who have been lucky enough to see Messi play live however, including myself, will tell you that it is the Argentinian’s genuine childlike enthusiasm for the game which marks him out from the rest. It is completely natural, intoxicating and unique. Simply put, he is happiest with a ball at his feet. That he happens to be very, very good and recognised as such genuinely seems to be a (welcome) side note for him.

As fiercely competitive as any elite sportsman of course, one still derives a feeling that ‘La Pulga’ would be just as comfortable at home on the streets of Rosario as he is with the eyes of the footballing world upon him.

Perhaps it is this element of his personality that elevates him above Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo in the opinion of many. The propensity of the Portuguese for posturing and to crave attention at all times gives him the air of the pantomime villain – which ultimately detract from his obvious footballing prowess.

With a scoring record of more than a goal a game for Real Madrid and too many match winning performances to recount, including a number of recent decisive El Clásico contributions, Cristiano along with Messi often sets the benchmark.

To dismiss his standing in the game is facetious and immature at best, and certainly not befitting of another natural talent that will leave an indelible imprint on world football.

Watching the duel played out in La Liga fixtures each week between these two giants of the modern era is to witness the football equivalent of McEnroe v Borg. A relentless pursuit of glory and footballing perfection that is both beautiful to watch and often artistic in its execution.

Cristiano is supposedly now in his footballing ‘prime’ at 28 years of age and it’s very easy to forget that Lionel Messi is still only 25. If he stays injury free he is likely to have his best playing days still ahead of him, which is a tantalising prospect for cules who have become accustomed to seeing the impossible made manifest via the twinkle toes of this South American genius.

His goalscoring prowess – 334 official career goals (including 303 for Barça) in just over 8 years is an astonishing achievement. To put this into some sort of context, look at the career totals of the following players and bear in mind that Messi potentially has between another 7-10 years left in the game:

Alan Shearer – 409 career goals over an 18 year period. Alfredo Di Stéfano – 406 career goals in a 21 year period. Diego Maradona – 292 career goals in a 21 year period. Eusébio – 681 career goals in a 22 year period. Pele – 697 career goals in a 21 year period.

Messi prefers to play the ‘false nine’ role and as such cannot be considered a natural centre forward, which makes his goals ratio even more impressive.

Of course there will always be elements of football society, be they pundits, supporters etc., that will try to sully Messi’s achievements. Many will point to the fact that La Liga is a duopoly between Barça and Real and that the quality of opponents Messi faces most weeks is not of a particularly high standard, that he couldn’t maintain his level of performance in the English Premier League.

However that school of thought flies in the face of the evidence presented. Messi scores with alarming regularity against the likes of Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao et al, and these are Spanish club sides that have often shown English teams (and others) the way in recent European ties. Who can forget Falcao’s single handed demolition of Chelsea in the European Super Cup at the beginning of this season for instance.

Indeed, Messi himself can also point to match winning performances and goals scored when up against English opposition. His four goal salvo against Arsenal in the Champions League and the two Champions League Final goals (2009, 2011) against Manchester United readily spring to mind.

One shouldn’t underplay the part that former Barça manager Pep Guardiola has played in the trajectory of Messi to the top of the football tree. Lore has it that Messi’s head was being turned whilst still an impressionable young man by the influential ex-World Player of the Year Ronaldinho.

Guardiola as we know was no fan of the fading Brazilian and his party loving lifestyle and perhaps Pep’s biggest legacy isn’t that of the 14 trophies or of the unbelievable twist on the total football philosophy – ‘tiki taka’.

Perhaps it was to take Messi to one side and tell him that he would one day fill Ronaldinho’s shoes, both domestically and internationally. That Barça would build a team around him. That one day, with the right attitude and application, Lionel Messi would write himself into the history books. Forever.

Whatever was said at that time – mid 2008 – it clearly had the desired effect. Along with strong discipline, incessant work ethic, unsurpassed coaching ability and meticulous attention to detail, Messi was convinced that he would be going places and flourish under the stewardship of the man from Santpedor.

FC Barcelona, Argentina and football per se are now reaping the rewards. In my opinion it is only a matter of time before a Messi inspired Argentina go onto World Cup Glory. Where better than the backyard of their eternal rivals Brazil in 2014?

So, as we ponder that, and think about what delights we are yet to behold from this extraordinarily gifted young man, let me leave you with some mesmerising stats from Messi’s career so far. Is he/will he be the best ever? I’ll leave you to make up your own minds:

Trophies won

Barcelona

• La Liga (5): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Copa del Rey (2): 2008–09, 2011–12
• Supercopa de España (5): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Champions League (3): 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup (2): 2009, 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup (2): 2009, 2011

Argentina

• Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005

Runner-up:

• Copa America: 2007

Third place:

• U20 South American Youth Championship: 2005

Individual

• FIFA Ballon d’Or (3): 2010, 2011, 2012. Created in 2010.
• Ballon d’Or (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2009.
• FIFA World Player of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2009.
• World Soccer Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008.
• World Soccer Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2011, 2012.
• Onze d’Or (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010.
• IFFHS World’s Top Goal Scorer (2): 2011, 2012.
• IFFHS World’s best Top Division Goal Scorer (1): 2012.
• Goal.com Player of the Year (2): 2009, 2011.
• El País King of European Soccer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
• ESPY Best International Athlete (1): 2012.
• European Golden Shoe (2): 2010, 2012.
• UEFA Best Player in Europe Award (1): 2011. Created in 2011.
• UEFA Club Footballer of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010.
• UEFA Team of the Year (5): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
• UEFA Champions League Top Goalscorer (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
• UEFA Champions League Forward of the Year (1): 2009. Ceased to exist in 2010.
• UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match (1): 2011.
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Player of the Tournament (1): 2005.
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Goalscorer (1): 2005.
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (2): 2009, 2011.
• FIFA FIFPro World XI (6): 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
• FIFPro World Young Player of the Year (3): 2006, 2007, 2008.
• ESM Team of the Year (6): 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12.
• Pichichi Trophy (2): 2010, 2012.
• Copa del Rey Top Goalscorer (1): 2010–2011.
• La Liga Player of the Year (3): 2009, 2010, 2011.
• La Liga Foreign Player of the Year (3): 2007, 2009, 2010. Ceased to exist in 2010.
• La Liga Ibero-American Player of the Year (5): 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.
• LFP Best Player (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010.
• LFP Best Forward (3): 2009, 2011, 2012. No winner in 2010.
• Marca Leyenda (1): 2009.
• Bravo Award (1): 2007.
• Copa América Young Player of the Tournament (1): 2007.
• European Golden Boy (1): 2005.
• Olimpia de Oro (1): 2011.
• Olimpia de Plata (7): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012.

Records

Correct as of 2 March 2013

World

• Most FIFA Ballon d’Or awards: 4
• Guinness World Records title for the most goals in a year: 91 goals
• Most international goals in a year (club and national team): 25 goals (shared with Vivian Woodward)
• Most goals scored in FIFA Club World Cup: 4 goals (held jointly with Denilson and Mohamed Aboutrika)

Europe

• Most goals scored in a season (club): 73 goals
• Most goals scored in a year (club): 79 goals
• Most goals scored in a European Cup season: 14 goals (held jointly with José Altafini)
• Most European Cup top scorer awards: 4 (shared with Gerd Müller)
• Highest scorer in a European Cup game: 5 goals (held jointly with ten other players)

Argentina

• Most goals scored in a year (national team): 12 goals (shared with Gabriel Batistuta)

Spain

• Most goals scored in La Liga in a season: 50 goals
• Most La Liga hat-tricks in a season: 8 hat-tricks
• Most goals scored in the Supercopa de España: 10 goals
• Most consecutive La Liga matches scored in: 16 matches
• Most goals scored in El Clásico matches: 18 goals (shared with Alfredo Di Stéfano)

Barcelona

          Top scorer in official competitions: 303 goals

• Top scorer in La Liga: 208 goals
• Top scorer in UEFA Champions League: 56 goals
• Top scorer in European competitions: 57 goals
• Top scorer in international competitions: 61 goals
• Most all competitions hat-tricks overall: 22 hat-tricks

Most La Liga hat-tricks overall: 16 hat-tricks