As Lionel Messi turns 30, the football world might as well start their mourning period now, for the few years that he has left at the top level will pass by in the blink of an eye.
Thankfully, the digital age means that his very best will be preserved for future generations to admire, and it’s vital that they do so because such genii are incredibly rare.
Right from the very beginning of his career, Messi has produced moments of such unerring brilliance that even his contemporaries are rendered speechless.
A hat-trick against Real Madrid as a nineteen-year-old, an other-wordly strike against Getafe a few weeks later, four goals against Arsenal in 2010, five goals against Leverkusen…not to mention the amount of times he has dug Argentina out of a hole.
The list of game-changing moments is practically endless and it’s perhaps that consistency above all that he should be lauded for.
Gifts from the football gods have been fleeting and only the likes of Maradona, Pele, Zidane, Cruyff and Co. can deservedly sit at the top table alongside Messi.
Most La Liga goals, most La Liga assists, most goals in El Clasico fixtures, most Ballon d’Or’s, most goals in a calendar year…shall we go on?!
His achievements are so ridiculous that if you made a film about him it would be like watching one of those big American blockbusters you see at the cinema as a form of escapism; because it’s completely absurd as to be within the realms of fantasy.
Often compared to an alien life form, it truly is difficult to process the never-ending reality that Messi provides us with as a matter of course. No, our eyes do not deceive us, he really is that good. A footballing optical illusion.
Grown men cry at his footballing wisdom, team-mates watch open-mouthed barely concealing their own veneration, managers want to coach him, learn from him, associate with him.
Why?
It simply shouldn’t be possible for a player who was never a centre-forward to score as many goals as the very best. A player who was never really a true winger yet has managed to rack up hundreds of assists. A player that is now, for all intents and purposes, a deeper-lying midfielder past his peak years but who is affecting each and every game as much as he’s done throughout his career.
There will never be another in the history of the game that can be compared. Though those same sentiments have perhaps been applied to the aforementioned greats, it neatly bypasses the fact that Messi fuses all of their best elements together.
He has the tactical appreciation of Cruyff, the lithe grace of Zidane, the poacher’s instinct of Pele and the dribbling ability of Maradona. Throw in the ability of George Best to ride tackles and stay on his feet under the most intense and crudest pressure, and we’re somewhere approaching the most complete footballer of all time.
Barcelona pre and post-Messi will certainly offer us a completely different Blaugrana landscape, and football’s rich tapestry will also be woven differently.
At least for the connoisseurs, there are a few more seasons left to enjoy the magic.
Happy Birthday Leo!
