Not exaggerating, the world of football has witnessed the most extraordinary 36 years, accompanying the emergence, growth, and reaching the pinnacle of genius Lionel Messi. On El Pulga's birthday, let's listen to the football world sing his praises.
When Messi agreed to move to Inter Miami this summer, the sorrow was immense. The majority believe that Messi is more than capable of playing at the highest level for a few more years, even breaking all limits with his extraordinary skills. Never before has a 36-year-old player left such a lasting impression when choosing to retreat to a peaceful retirement.
The triumph of Argentina in the 2022 World Cup, six months ago, was only glorious for Messi but... tragic for his admirers. It was like a diamond placed on a golden crown, creating perfection for "the king" Messi. It's over, Messi no longer has any goals to strive for. Being attached to the ball at this point is perhaps purely a passion, Messi wants to "play" football in the truest sense in his final years.
In reality, Messi doesn't need that golden cup; he has always been in a unique position in the hearts of everyone. When asked about the best contemporary player, Arsene Wenger didn't need a second to think: "Lionel Messi." When asked about the best player of all time, the "Professor" repeated his answer: "Lionel Messi."
In 2019, when Liverpool faced Barca, Jurgen Klopp was asked to select the top 5 greatest players in the world, and he replied: "I don't want to talk about the other four, Messi is the only answer. People can talk about Cristiano Ronaldo, but this is my opinion."
Going back further in the past, in 2011, also on the topic of Messi, Sir Alex Ferguson created one of the most iconic moments in a press conference. After the Champions League final where Manchester United lost 1-3 to Barca, Sir Alex received the question: "If the owner of Manchester United allows you to choose one of the Barcelona players to bring to Old Trafford, who would you choose?"
Messi is always the difference
Sir Alex chuckled and replied, causing the whole room to burst into laughter: "That's one of the most foolish questions I've ever heard in my life. Are you testing my patience? Well, then I choose Mascherano."
Sir Alex has never had the fortune of leading Messi like Pep Guardiola. Under Pep's guidance, Messi truly blossomed, surpassing the giant shadow of Ronaldinho and winning his first Ballon d'Or. But Pep doesn't dare claim that he created the "monster" Messi; on the contrary, Messi has always been an exception to Pep.
"When I arrived at Bayern and now at Man City, I have never called Messi and convinced him to come to Munich or Manchester. I haven't even met with the leaders of these two teams and said, 'Bring Messi here.' Never. Simply because I know how important this young man is to Barca," admitted Pep.
Messi truly means a lot to Barca, but Barca failed to cherish him, leading to a nearly two-decade-long love story with a forgettable ending. But perhaps it's also... good, to make Messi's life and career a little less perfect, to make him resemble an ordinary person a bit more, to allow the next generation to dream of reaching that level—even if it's just in their dreams!
