Tribute: The magic and desire of Lionel Messi

The one thing Messi would want is to deliver the World Cup to Argentina.

The magic of Lionel Messi

The genius of fiction is that it can take you to places you never even dreamed of. The drawback is that reality always brings you back down. In J K Rowling’s Harry Potter series, the realm of magic is both dreamy and surreal, but it keeps you coming back for more. The use of magic holds a special place for mankind, and we take to it easy as apple pie. Magic captures the imagination, it takes us away from reality, it lets us escape the world for just that much time. It is so unreal, that it is in just one word, magical.

And that is something that needs to be explained to Lionel Messi. By treating fiction as fact, by bringing it about so easily, it becomes difficult for us mortals to draw the line between reality and fantasy. Messi brings to football the kind of surrealism that typically belongs only in gaming consoles, that can only be seen in dreams. There have been many great players that have taken the game of football to another level, but Messi has just raised that bar once more.

For years those who have watched him at barcelona know that he thrives on his team-mates success as well, and while he may not come across looking like a leader, he seems to have a very keen understanding of the game and is always ready to make minor adjustments so that he can improve all the time.

Lionel Messi’s desire to play

There’s no question about his talent. There’s no question about his work ethic either. That he is finally delivering for his country (the only blemish in an otherwise spectacular career) is also easy to take for granted. I mean, we expected this four years ago as well, so in truth it might be a case of being a little late. There’s something about watching him play that makes it easier to like him.

I mean he’s not the only great player in this era, there are so many really exceptional players all over the world these days, but somehow being taken in by Messi is just so natural. His diminiutive stature, his boyish face, his style of play, his fairly private life, his background, his dazzling array of tricks, his speed, control, all aspects make him what he is. it’s a combination of so many factors that sees a lot of neutrals thronging to function watch him play.

Messi’s gift to football seems to be his undying love for the game. He wants to play every game, he wants to play every minute, and more importantly he doesn’t seem to do it for the attention. In an age where modern footballers look for the cameras, Messi is always looking for the ball. He’s not hampered by an eagerness for attention like Cristiano Ronaldo or Luis Suarez, he’s not scared of failing either, he’s there to play the game, and play it the only way he knows, honestly and by giving it everything he’s got. It is as if without a game to play he wouldn’t know what to do.

Lionel Messi deliveres when needed the most

Anyone who watched the Nigeria versus Argentina game will find it refreshing that football can make the right headlines. And it is players like Messi who can make that difference. When he produces a moment of magic, it allows us to dream, it allows us to wallow, it criticizes us for spending too much time and money on controversy, and it delivers us the ultimate joy that the game itself promises. He keeps the ball so close to him, for so long, that even though it’s a crazy notion, you think the ball too wants to stay with him. We’ve seen over the years what one man can do for a team, especially on the world stage, and once again we’re witnessing something special.

Messi has been one of the greatest footballers ever, there is no doubt about that. He has done things none of us believed possible over the years. His exploits with Barcelona are legendary and he’s only 27 years old. For every neutral fan, Messi represents all that is right with the sport. And among all his achievements and awards, that recognition is the one that will please him most. If Argentina can improve over the course of this world cup then justice can be done to what can only be described as a truly spectacular player. For those of us who don’t believe in miracles, it’s time to believe in magic.