How he gets out of this space, and therefore opens numerous possibilities He was always built small, as his requirement for growth hormones in his youth can testify, but even from an early age he was extraordinarily difficult to shrug off the ball. Why take the foul when I can score? His run-in with known roughouser Tomas Ujfalusi in , where Messi somehow survived a horror tackle with just a sprain, was recovered from in just 10 days, astonishing considering the impact.
He has always struggled with his hamstrings, indeed when he was younger there was a serious concern that he may be missing regularly due to his weak and susceptible muscles, but when it comes to impact injuries, he is built to last, as Scott Brown will attest to.
And if you watch any career retrospective, of which there are thousands on YouTube, you watch him develop from not just a provider of chances to team-mates but improve in the quality of the opportunities for both them and him.
Aside from free-kicks, he is not a purveyor of low-xG shots, subscribing completely to the Pep Guardiola philosophy of getting the ball into as straightforward a position as possible. Lionel Messi form and statistics for Barcelona. Declan Rice has withdrawn from the England squad due to illness, but the Three Lions remain strong favourites. There is nothing on the line for Ireland, while Portugal are hoping to reclaim top spot in Group A.
Atletico Madrid threw away two points as Valencia scored twice in injury time on a weekend when Real Sociedad went top.
Messi can control the ball at close to top speed, making him an excellent dribbler. Also, it's his acceleration rather than his top speed that cuts up defenses. Few defenders can keep up when Messi revs up from standstill, creating space for his left-foot shot. Like former Argentina great Diego Maradona, Messi uses his short stature to his advantage. His low center of gravity enables him to make quick turns and to stay on his feet when challenged.
Often, the only way to knock him off balance is to foul him. Defenders at the World Cup have been taking turns tackling Messi to spread the risk of getting booked around the team. However, the little Argentine's speed with the ball is probably unparalleled in the game. As evidenced in this blazing run against Nigeria, Messi keeps phenomenal close control of the ball as he blasts through numerous defenders before taking a shot which ricochets to Angel di Maria for the Argentine's second goal of the afternoon.
Although the Barcelona playmaker usually only illustrates his pace when he is on the ball looking to take on defenders, he is equally quick when spotting an oncoming pass and running onto it within the yard box. Unfortunately for most Argentine football fans, the country has a terrible reputation for producing attacking players that will all too easily hit the ground when lightly fouled by an opponent.
Messi is as far from the typical mold as possible. In fact, considering his short stature and vulnerability, he probably hits the ground less than any other forward in professional football. One of the qualities that makes la Pulga so irresistible to watch is that he loves the ball so much he will scarcely let go of it or allow anyone to take it from him without a desperate chase to regain possession. As evidenced when playing Real Madrid and other sides that try to break him down with their physicality, the playmaker is also incredibly unwilling to go down after a challenge if he can stay on his feet.
Like most successful individuals in every discipline in the world, Lionel Messi has incredible football talent since he was a boy. That talent was the motivating force that pushed Barcelona to sponsor a life-changing treatment for Messi who suffered from a growth hormone deficiency.
As a youngster new to professional football, Messi has worked with great players in the game of football, and he has interacted with such players incredibly especially on the pitch.
Aside from scoring goals, the nature of those goals gives an insight into the calibre of the player and the case is no different for Lionel Messi. One of his most iconic goals occurred in , in a match against La Liga rival, Getafe. Young Lionel, dribbled his way from the other half to score what was one of the most iconic goals in Laliga. He has also adapted to changes in teammates, such as learning to team up with Ivan Rakitic following the exit of Iniesta and Xavi.
A necessary skill for every footballer especially forwards is speed. And for Messi, he has just enough to beat most defenders. There you have it—our top 10 reasons why Lionel Messi can be considered as the greatest footballer of all time.
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