The Impact of Leo Messi

Mention the words “Greatest Footballer” and names such as Maradona and Pele immediately get thrown into the ring. These players all have amazing attributes in virtually every category: Speed, Dribbling, Shooting, Passing, Awareness, Technique, and Finishing. But what sets them apart from everyone else throughout history? Oddly enough, it doesn’t have to do with any stats, attributes, or records. It is more of the impact they’ve left on the game.

It is almost 25 years since Maradona carried Argentina to the ’86 FIFA World Cup Title. Everyone remembers the goal he scored during the competition. It even earned him a “Goal of the Century” honor by FIFA. People that witnessed it can even tell you exactly where they were, seeing him streak by the England defenders plus the keeper, leaving them for dust. That is an everlasting moment of impact. We have a similar player today with this same type of pedigree.

Leo Messi has earned all the accolades possible in his young footballer career. At only 23 years young, he’s won Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or honors. He has also broken the single season goalscoring record for all European competitions. Twice. But it is more than that, watching Messi play is virtually indescribable. Literally. Words do not do this little Argentinean justice.



For all his skills on the ball, he works just as hard to get it back in defense. You would also believe a man with this many skills, would be more hesitant to trust others and look for his own shot most of time, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Leo leads all European players in top-flight Leagues with 18 assists.

If our planets, continents, countries, cities, oceans, wildlife and people represented the football world, then Leo Messi would be our Sun. He makes you enjoy everything about the sport and stands out from all the rest. Last night, I thought about what this beautiful game would be like once Messi was gone from it and immediately, without hesitation, I became very saddened and a depressing song started on my iTunes. I can't imagine not watching him play every minute of every match along with all the smiles of happiness he displays while playing. You can tell Messi is most happy when he is out on the pitch playing.

We need to enjoy, appreciate, and celebrate every single match when witnessing Barcelona’s and Argentina’s Number 10, even if he’s only 23, because when it’s gone, it’s never coming back and all we'll be left with is memories. No highlights, nor replays will come close to the actual live moments of watching Messi’s magical displays of creativity and skill.

The future is coming, and when someone asks me who I think is the greatest footballer, I won’t say Pele or Maradona. I’ll tell them about a player who redefined the sport and opened up imaginations and dreams of all young players. I’ll tell them about a man who looks like a boy, but plays like a genius and makes opponents look like novices. I’ll tell them about breathtaking goals versus Getafe and Real Madrid, dribbling through all midfielders and defenders, making opposing goalkeepers look helpless.

In the future, I’ll tell everyone about Leo Messi.