Five reasons why Lionel Messi is football's GOAT (2024)

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Five reasons why Lionel Messi is football's GOAT? ›

What sets Messi apart from other footballers is his seemingly innate talent. He possesses an extraordinary dribbling ability, an unmatched football IQ, and a left foot that can produce moments of magic at any given time. Messi's consistency over the years is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to the game.

What sets Messi apart from other footballers is his seemingly innate talent. He possesses an extraordinary dribbling ability, an unmatched football IQ, and a left foot that can produce moments of magic at any given time. Messi's consistency over the years is a testament to his work ethic and dedication to the game.

Messi is a player who has won everything, claiming an extensive haul of major domestic, international and individual honours to place himself firmly in the category of an all-time great of the beautiful game.

A prolific goalscorer and creative playmaker, Messi holds the records for most goals (474), hat-tricks (36), and assists in La Liga (192). He has the most international goals by a South American male (106). Messi has scored over 800 senior career goals for club and country, and the most goals for a single club (672).

But the major difference, statistically at least, is that Messi has played over 100 fewer games than his rival – not a surprise given he is two years younger than the Portuguese icon. And when it comes to goals or assists per game or per minute, Messi boasts a superior record.

Some of the biggest names in the sport have declared Lionel Messi as the GOAT – above Diego Maradona, Pele, and his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Anatomically, he is designed for it,” says Dodoo of Messi's ability to turn defenders inside out. “He has a long body and short legs, which means he is built to be agile.” For a taller defender such as Gvardiol, that agility can be difficult to deal with, says former Stoke City defender Danny Higginbotham.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has become football's second billionaire. After Cristiano Ronaldo previously achieved the feat, Messi has now earned $1billion in pre-tax earnings during his career, as reported by Forbes.

They are two of the most decorated footballers ever, having won a combined 79 official trophies (Messi 44, Ronaldo 35) during their senior careers thus far, and have regularly broken the 50-goal barrier in a single season. They are the only two players to score over 800 goals each in their careers for club and country.

He leads with integrity, showing respect for opponents and displaying sportsmanship at all times. Messi never seeks the spotlight or personal recognition; instead, he consistently credits his teammates and the collective effort for success.

Who is Messi's idol? ›

Messi names Pablo Aimar as his idol growing up

And going back to what we were saying before, apart from Diego [Maradona], who was something else – for us, he also comes first and then the rest – Pablo was the person I admired as a player.

In addition to being an ambassador for UNICEF since 2010, Messi has created his own non-profit organization called the Leo Messi Foundation and has done many acts of charity on his own. Through these charity works and more, Lionel Messi has changed the lives of thousands of people worldwide.

On top of holding the Ballon d'Or record, Messi holds multiple records across his club and national accomplishments. He holds the record for the most La Liga goals (474), La Liga hat tricks (36), South American international male goals (98), and the most goals by a player for a single club (672).

For Ronaldo, his huge social media following, Nike CR7 brand and sponsorships deals with likes of Tag Heuer, EA Sports and Sacoor Brothers have helped him amass an estimated fortune of $450 million. Messi, on the other hand, is worth just less than his old foe - an estimated $400m.

Lionel Messi says he will call time on his football career when he no longer enjoys playing. Messi, 36, has a contract with Inter Miami — for whom he has scored 16 goals in 19 first-team appearances since his move from Paris Saint-Germain a year ago — through to the end of 2025.

Since then, the “Messi effect” has been in full swing, bringing in not only new fans and an increased interest in soccer to Miami, but hundreds of millions of dollars to Miami's economy. With ten La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, and a record 8 Ballons d'Or, he has reached new heights on the field.

He displayed an uncanny ability to control the ball and dribble past opponents even before he could properly walk. His grandmother, Celia, played a pivotal role in nurturing his talent, often taking him to local parks and pitches to play football.

Ronaldo has scored more goals than Messi in their careers (877 vs 822), but the Argentine averages more goals per game (0.78 vs 0.73). Messi has tallied more hat-tricks (63 vs 57) and free-kick goals (65 vs 61) than Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi emerged as the winner, receiving 55.2% of the votes. Cristiano Ronaldo earned 44.8% of the votes.