Lionel Messi brilliance overshadowed | The Hunger Player
At 36, Lionel Messi receives his third FIFA top honor, demonstrating that his magic hasn’t aged.
October 16, 2004. The date is indelible in the history of football. The highly anticipated 17-year-old forward from Argentina, Lionel Messi, made his La Liga debut by substituting in with eight minutes remaining. Who would have imagined that he would still be discussed in the same way nearly twenty years later? Yes, Messi is still relevant today. The 36-year-old was named the FIFA Best Awards’ men’s player of the year for the period of December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023 on Monday.
It’s true that Messi is the final one standing. He’s moved on from all the competition. Many people used to mention both his and Cristiano Ronaldo in the same sentence just a few years ago. Not any longer! Messi is still making enormous progress in the game of football, whereas 38-year-old Ronaldo has been kind of languishing in the Saudi Pro League while playing for Al Nassr. Ronaldo has big expectations for himself. The most recent honor confirms that.
There was a moment in the rivalry when Ronaldo seemed to be winning. Both of them were, more or less, killing it when it came to their club appearances. Messi was playing for Barcelona, and Ronaldo for Real Madrid. Two biggest teams in the history of La Liga. Then, under Ronaldo, Portugal won the 2016 Euro, which greatly boosted his stature in the Messi vs. Ronaldo controversy.
In the World Cup, easy games are to be expected, but not in the Euro. Another factor is that the World Cup of football continues to be the most anticipated competition since it draws a global audience unlike any other in the sports world. Thus, Argentina’s victory at the 2022 World Cup, led by Messi, significantly shifted the conversation back in his favor.
Despite savoring the ultimate victory with Argentina, Messi has not withered. Ronaldo, however, has experienced terrible things. Unbelievably, since joining the Saudi Pro League last year, he has experienced a number of boos. To be honest, he occasionally has the appearance of a flame that is about to go out when playing football.
Messi is a player who has achieved everything, amassing a substantial collection of significant national, international, and individual accolades to solidify his status as one of the greatest players to have ever played the beautiful game.
After guiding Argentina to FIFA World Cup TM success in Qatar, La Pulga Atomica was crowned The Best Men’s Player in 2022. In 2023, he added more hardware to his trophy collection as PSG repeated as Ligue 1 winners, winning the French title.
The all-time greatest scorer in the top five European leagues, 36, ended his two-year stay in Paris in July and moved across the Atlantic to Inter Miami to begin a new chapter in his career.
Messi, meanwhile, last year in July joined Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS) after guiding Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title earlier with nine goals. He scored ten goals in seven games for the US team, helping Inter Miami win the first Leagues Cup.
Messi won his third best men’s player title, having already taken home the trophy in 2019 and 2022. He defeated Erling Haaland of Manchester City and Kylian MbappĂ© of PSG.
Messi’s sustained presence in the game is just astounding. After they have accomplished so much, players frequently have a tendency to fade away. There is no longer the same drive to accomplish ever-higher goals. With Messi, though, it’s entirely the opposite. Although his ability level as a football player has decreased from when he was in his 20s, his drive to win more and more competitions and trophies has only increased.
He had earned his record-tying ninth Ballon d’Or just a few months prior. These honors are a wonderful testament to his previous work. Messi is therefore busy establishing his legacy at a time when other players are thinking about retiring.
It’s good to be back here and savor this time. To be able to win the World Cup and realize my ambition. The career I’ve had, all I’ve accomplished, and the good fortune to be a member of the greatest team in history are unimaginable. Following his Ballon d’Or victory in October, he remarked, “Everyone of them [the Ballon d’Or awards] is special for different reasons.”
As of right moment, Messi shows no signs of slowing down. He seems to have a few more years of playing football at the highest level remaining in him. He is guaranteed to compete in the Copa America later this year, even though he is unsure if he will participate in the next World Cup in 2026. Naturally, as a perceptive individual, he sets modest goals for himself in the future.
However, supporters have a gut feeling that, barring any injuries, Messi will enter the US-Canada-Mexico competition with the same drive for glory that has defined the last 20 years of his football career, whether he is representing his clubs or his nation.