Aged 30, he’s broken all-time records while lifting a host of personal and club awards – yet it’s only in watching Messi you can appreciate a one-off genius
One way to try to express the greatness of Lionel Messi is to list his records and awards: the unrivalled five Ballon d’Ors, the 30 club trophies, the 91 goals in one calendar year, his status as top scorer of Argentina, Barcelona and La Liga.
And then conclude that this method is entirely unsatisfactory.
The history books will laud Messi, and yet their limitations will do him a disservice. In 20 years, young football fans will read about a messianic figure whose brilliance stunned the world, shattered a litany of records and started an era of dominance – but not until they watch the videos will they get an idea of what they have missed.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.