Lionel Messi’s greatness lies in the intangible and beyond any record he set, goal he scored, or trophy he won. Sport is meant for the common man to be entertained, and the Argentine provided joy as no one else did
Photo : AP
A whole generation of football fans woke up to a new reality on Wednesday (October 7), where Lionel Messi is no longer an active international footballer, and football is a poorer sport for it. The 39-year-old bid adieu to the Argentina national team 21 years after his debut, after a fitting, emotional farewell at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, with teammates and a jam-packed crowd.
Even someone who has followed the sport for two decades does not know the sport without Messi, and it will be a hard reality for fans to make peace with. The Argentine has set the standard for greatness at a peak, which might not be impossible for a mortal to hit.
Lionel Messi – A God Among Mortals
The number of goals Messi has scored, the assists he has, the trophies he has won, the accolades he holds, and the records he has set are well known, but in reality that is only a footnote in Messi’s legacy, despite no player in football history matching him on these counts. His contribution to the sport is far greater than that, and he gave back to the sport and to those who watch it something far greater, and no tangible measure will ever be able to record it.
Sport, at its heart, is something a common man turns to for an escape from their troubles and the monotony of common life and to be entertained. And that is what Messi gave in abundance, better and longer than anyone else.
In everything Messi did, there was magic. Whether it be his dribbling, ball striking, finishing, free-kicks, passing, and vision, the football fans was guranteed enjoyement and edge of the seat stuff. He made the impossible look normal and, in reality, the closest thing to a god himself coming and playing football. As a viral AI video on social media aptly says, ‘football found its purest voice’ in Messi.
The only time Messi felt mortal was during his international trophy drought. Maybe all this struggle to win his final international trophy was only to show the world he was a human, after all. The standard from the first day of his career was to be another Diego Maradona; if the shirt got too heavy at times and led to things like the 2016 retirement, it was understandable. Nobody can be perfect, but Messi was an exception almost every time
But even in that, Messi gave the world a life lesson to keep trying, as when the reward comes, it comes in abundance, as it did for him. Not only was there a single international trophy, but also two Copa América titles and the holy grail, the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In reality, it was the gift football owed him because of what he gave the sport.
While the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s club career is not over and he continues to play for Inter Miami, his numbers will continue to increase, and ultimately the 1000 goal mark should be breached too. However, maybe the eyeballs on him will decrease away from the glare of international football and European football, and for someone who was a visual delight, that will be the biggest loss for the sport.