m e s s i k i n g d o m

#footballeditschallenge: Favourite Bromance

What’s even more impressive is that he hasn’t changed as a person – he’s still the same quietly confident, polite and humble guy that he was when we were kids. - Gerard Pique

Messi’s brilliance lies in the way he seeks the best solutions rather than the spectacular. 

Do you remember that match when Messi scored from an outrageous bicycle-kick? No? Well, me neither. Okay, let’s try another one: how about when he scored a 40 yard screamer? You know, the one that went right into the top corner? Thing is, I don’t. And I hope you don’t either, because Messi has never scored a goal like that. Of course, it could very well be a coincidence that not a single goal of the hundreds of goals in Messi’s career, fits these descriptions. I think it isn’t. I think these observations point to something more fundamental about ‘La Pulga’ and why he truly is a one-of-a-kind genius. They tell us something about the rationality inherent in Lionel Messi’s game.

People call Messi’s way of playing football all kinds of things: magic, extraterrestrial, genius, unbelievable, or even magisterial (Hi there, Ray). None of what I’m gonna say is meant to challenge these characterizations. True, Messi’s game is often, and I mean: very, very often, spectacular, but at the same time, the following statement holds true: it’s never more spectacular than it needs to be. When Messi goes for the spectacular, it’s always as a means to an end, never as an end in itself. If he can score a goal the easy way, he will do so. If there’s an obvious pass to be played, he will do so. If dribbling through four opponents, for once, isn’t the best option, be sure that he won’t try it but do the sensible thing instead. If you see him scoring some wonder goal after dribbling past six players, I basically guarantee you that doing so was the best option available to him. […]