by PAM
"Goals are only important if they win you games."
-Lionel Messi
Argentine/FC Barcelona football star
On valuing team success over personal glory
via Time Magazine, "The 100 Most Influential People in the World"
In a few hours, the FC Barcelona's 'little magician', Lionel Messi, will be picking up the FIFA Ballon D'Or for his performance in 2012. Yes, I said "will"... I am that confident that he'll win it! It will be his fourth in a row (the first time as Ballon d'Or and three times as the merged Ballon d'Or and FIFA Best Player, the very
Leo Messi: Eyes on the ball...first merged prizes he won for his 2010 performance) - an unprecedented achievement.
Last year, he became the fourth man to win the golden ball three times, stepping on the same glorious platform as the great players, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten. Leo leaves the three men on that platform as he steps one notch higher with his fourth Ballon this year, setting two records in the process: (1) the first player to win the prestigious prize four times, and (2) the first player to win in four consecutive years. Awesone feat? It is! But Leo doesn't think as much of the prestigious individual prize as he does of titles won in a team victory.
Of course, there's that little issue on another two incredibly talented players in Messi's generation: Real Madrid CF's flambouyant striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, and FC Barcelona's midfield genius, Andrés Iniesta. The two superstars are also in contention of the golden prize for their remarkable performance in the field. Earlier, Iniesta ran away with the
...the golden one.UEFA "Best Player" award primarily for his dazzling performance that helped Spain's La Roja win Euro 2012 - for the second time in a row. Ronaldo, the 2008 recipient of the Ballon while with Manchester United, for his part, helped Real Madrid win the Spanish La Liga Primera Division title - their first since 2008, and powered Portugal to their quarterfinal finish in Euro 2012 as team captain and the side's top scorer. Both players are worthy recipients of the Ballon, too, in any generation... except that, there's Messi in this generation.
Leo, even when he continues to downplay his incredible contribution to Barça's success as a team, especially over the past four years, have had a jaw-dropping string of achievements in 2012, even when Barça only managed to win the Copa del Rey last season, failing to defend their La Liga and UEFA Champions League titles on Pep Guardiola's last term as Barça's most accomplished manager. While highly improved, his national side, Argentina, can only progress to the quarter-finals in the Copa America in 2011, but with him as team captain in 2012, the Selección has been doing well in the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches as they lead South American teams in the qualifying rounds. At 25 years, Leo continues to develop into a highly prolific striker for Barça and for Argentina. He broke Gerd Muller's 40-year record of most number of goals (85) in a calendar year with a staggering 91 goals in 69 matches - for Club and country. Yes, that's 91 - and, in this day and age of 'supermen' on the pitch, too! And we thought he was already at his top form in 2011 when he hit the 50-goal mark! His 2012 tally allowed him to pick up his second Pichichi (highest goal scorer in La Liga), and his second golden boot for Europe's highest goal scorer in the 2011-2012 season. Aside from being the UEFA Champions League's highest goal scorer in the 2011-2012 season, he also set the record for the most number of goals in one game, finding the net five times in Barça's winning match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Of course, he dazzled the football world as he did it!
Yep, it's always a joy to watch Leo weave breathtaking magic on the pitch... dribbling skillfully, breaking from zero velocity to a Usain Bolt-ish sprint towards the goal, with the ball rolling smoothly by
The greatest? A great PART of a great TEAM
is more like it.his feet, hooking up with his teammates fast and in precise manner to score the winning goal - all with boyish gusto and the passion of an honorable man who values teamwork and hardwork in making things work... for his team. Too beautiful! But what is more dazzling about him is his humility - in success and in defeat. And what is most admirable about him as a player of the 'beautiful game' is his great desire for teamwork to work... his visible commitment to working hard for team success rather than individual glory, his heartwarming little figure as he visibly glow in celebrating team success than when accepting recognition for personal achievement. This is the reason why I SO ADMIRE Lionel Messi. He obviously is a genius... but that isn't what makes him worth all the praises. It's his character and what he does on and off the pitch that do. He is great, too, and he probably knows it, but trophies for personal recognition do not serve as gauge of greatness for him. It is TEAM SUCCESS that does... and that is worth emulating. And it is primarily because of him why my long standing 'soft spot' for the 'beautiful game' has grown to 'true love' over the past four years or so.
Congratulations, Leo! You are simply THE BEST! :)
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