Why I like Messi

Lionel Andrés “Leo” Messi) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for and captains both the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, Messi has set numerous records for individual accolades won throughout his professional footballing career, including eight Ballon d’Ors, six European Golden Shoes, and eight times being named the world’s best player by FIFA. In 2025, he was named the All-Time Men’s World Best Player by the IFFHS.

All of the above is true, but it is not why I like him. Actually, I’m only a soccer fan at World Cup time. I was in Morocco when they surprisingly made the Semis, and Argentina, led by Messi, won the title. What is surprising about Messi is that he does not possess the prototypical body type of a soccer star (at 5’7”) nor the movie star good looks of a Ronaldo. He is neither fast nor tricky. And yet he is the best player. He has a knack for seeing where he needs to be all the time. For more details, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Messi