"I've seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinean football and his name is Messi."
--- Diego Maradona, 2006
Almost a decade ago these words were uttered by the God of Argentinean football, Diego Armando Maradona. Since then, Lionel Messi has shouldered that burden and has at times seemed more human than god when it comes to representing the Argentina national team.
The burden of Argentinean hopes of a World Cup on his shoulder and the criticisms he has received can only make one wonder where all this venom is coming from.
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And the burden of such unwanted pressure took its toll in the year 2016 when the Argentinean made a surprise decision to retire at the end of the Copa America, 2016 final which Argentina lost to Chile on penalties.
For ‘Leo’, as he is known to his teammates and coaches, the penalty defeat seemed to be the breaking point. Especially given the way Messi had played up till then to drag his team into the final. After a lot of furore and hullabaloo, Messi soon reversed his decision and was once again derided and ridiculed by the Argentine press for that.
Unwanted Pressure
At times, it seems Messi can please none in Argentina. But for the rest of the football world, the little genius’ genuine love for the game at time cuts across all barriers and one just wants to watch him play.
As far as superstars go, Messi has already transcended that category. Words have been exhaustively used to describe the magic and hair tearing effect that he has on his opponents. Now for the majority of the viewing public, it has become more or less a spectacle that one never ceases to be amazed off.
From the time Messi broke into the Barcelona team, he has achieved impossible numbers in terms of statistics. But what makes him stand out is not the determined drive towards these numbers. Messi, when he plays, emits a joyful radiance that seems to hold everyone in awe.
There is a childish playfulness, a joy of being handed over his favourite toy and an entire pitch to run about on, that it is truly difficult to describe. Nuances and clichés are something of folklore when we try to describe the Argentine’s magical left foot. However to summarise the feeling of watching Messi in action – the word that is apt is “Happiness.”
The simplest and fulfilling emotion that any human can derive from the work/task they enjoy. At times, watching the little magician play makes us forget about our daily mundane lives.
(Video Courtesy: LeoMessiFootball YouTube Channel)
Inspiration is never in short supply in football or for that matter any sport, be it the young teenager running at a furious pace all over the pitch or be it the battle hardened veteran putting in the last ditch tackle much to the relief of his coach and most importantly “himself/herself”.
Messi in that respect captures all those attributes of determination and frenetic energy alike. At times, his movement can range from a willing runner to that of a predator pouncing on his opponent’s mistakes to make them pay. Being taken to the dryers by Messi has become more of a masterful display in trickery on the ball.
Sometimes the Argenitne can be a blur and whizz past his opponents, at other times he can just choose to stay still and let the ball just run along its own course, while he executes body feints to put opponents on their backside.
However, that didn’t deter the magician from enjoying another successful year according to normal football standards. Over the years, the bar has been raised by both Messi and his nemesis, Cristiano Ronaldo, and in terms of that bar, the Argentinian has had a so-so year i.e. 2016.
As such, let us have a look at some of the achievements, records and his overall contribution by this Argentinean over the span of this calendar year, 2016.
Achievements
A so-so calendar year, in which he won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the fifth time at the start of the year, scored his 500th career goal in the process of scoring a hat-trick against Valencia and also scored his 300th league goal.
Next, Messi was also on hand to score Barcelona club’s 10,000th in official competitions in a UEFA Champions League tie. By his standards, the period before April saw Messi go through a lean period but fear not Messi was back in his stride as Barcelona waltzed to the league after self-imploding in April.
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On his way to the fifth Ballon d’Or, Messi surpassed the disappointment of the 2014 World Cup by blowing other teams to bits. As Barney Ronay of Guardian so aptly puts it, “Messi scored 59 goals in 61 games this year and did strange, stirring supernatural things with the ball on a regular basis.”
Messi also captained the Barcelona side to the season opener, Supercopa de España and had a fruitful opening to the league season. While the Argentinian’s hat-trick in this season’s Champions League also made him the first player to score six hat-tricks in the same competition.
Records
As far as records go, Messi continues to glide past them with nonchalance and panache. Here are just some of the few highlights of the year 2016
Broke Gabriel Batistuta’s national; record of 54 goals in official international matches during the Copa America. Messi currently heads the list with 56 goals from 113 appearances.
Became the first player to score six – hat tricks in UEFA Champions League and currently leads the charts with 7 hat-tricks.
With 59 goals and 36 assists over the calendar year, it makes him the leader in both departments.
Honourable mention - Heart warming moment of 2016
Barcelona as a club and Messi were at the forefront of one of the best moments in 2016. The image of Afghan boy Murtaza Ahmadi pictured wearing a plastic bag with Messi’s number and name at the back to resemble the Argentinian’s jersey was a heart-wrenching image of the year. The Catalans invited the little boy to meet his idol up close in the friendly against Al-Ahli earlier this month, which brought a smile to even the staunchest Messi critic.
Overall Contribution
How do you define the contribution of a player who has more or less won everything in club football? There is no easy answer to this question and in reference to Messi, it is even more puzzling. As Sid Lowe of Guardian points out, “Superb throughout 2016, His range of passing all over the pitch, always better than anyone else’s but hidden behind the goals, the dribbles and the assists, is getting talked about at last. There may never have been a player who can do much as him; the best No10, 7, 8, 11 and 4 all wrapped in one.”
However, in terms of numbers, he was on hand to score Barcelona club’s 10,000th goal in official competitions and along the way had a hand in the most number of goals created in the League.
His average rating this season has been around 8.08 from the start of this season and he ended the last season with an average match rating of 8.44 across the entirety of last season. In the Champion’s League, his match rating jumps to 9.00 this season, which has seen him, score a total of 10 goals and 2 assists already.
Barcelona may have missed out on the Champions League last season, but the Argentine’s contribution was phenomenal throughout the tournament. As for Argentina, Messi was instrumental in the team’s route to the Copa America final. Since the shock announcement of his retirement, the Barcelona forward has returned to the national team fold and has ensured that Argentina are in the running for World Cup Qualification.
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As Messi enter the 30’s, one feels that records are no more an obstacle to his greatness. Every time he steps on the pitch, there is unbridled joy in the stands - be it at the Nou Camp or any of the rival stadiums. People rise up in their seat when he receives the ball, his body feints delivers gasps of “oohs” and “aahss” from the viewing crowd.
Injuries have popped up its ugly head this season and Messi has had to adapt his game accordingly. As a result, one has often seen Messi taking up positions more in the deeper area of the pitch, which enables him to gather speed and thus restricts opponents from tackling him when in full flight.
However, that said problems to his groin and thigh have been a constant deterrence. Messi started of the 2016 season memorably by exonerating Sevilla which led Jorge Sampaoli to state, “We have a plan for Barcelona and another for Messi” before the game. But as the game progressed Messi took over the reins and did everything and was everywhere.”
His overall contribution has been the ability to make us dream and to remember 2016 as the year when Messi almost turned his back on Argentina only to come back as its saviour.
Thank you, Leo, for a great year.
