Lionel Messi 2009

from World Soccer Presents issue 8

by KELSEY Media

Lionel Messi 2019

Lionel M ESSI

Messi…masterful

The cleancut kid

It ’s no contest as s no contest as Le Leo Messi sweepso Messi sweeps th the boa e board rd with his with his fi first-rst-everever Wo Wor ld r ld Soccer Soccer Player of the Player of the Ye Year gong. Barcelona’sar gong. Barcelona’s Argentinian star is headingArgentinian star is heading fo for a clean s r a clean swe weep – and ep – and with no argument. The with no argument. The judgment of judgment of Wo Wor l r ld Soccer’d Soccer’s s wo worldwide rldwide re readers and aders and contributors has contributors has nevenever, r, ever been ever been in question. A in question. A dispassionate dispassionate cross-section of cross-section of opinion of the world opinion of the world ga game has spoken. me has spoken.

The prestigious Eu The prestigious European Footballer pean Footballer of the Year trophy went the wayof the Year trophy went the way of of Ba Barc rcelona’s Argentina forward despiteelona’s Argentina forward despite his comparatively modest contributionhis comparatively modest contribution in the 2010 World Cup qualifyingin the 2010 World Cup qualifying competition. FIFA’s Playecompetition. FIFA’s Player of the Year r of the Year prize will also fall into his lap afterprize will also fall into his lap after Ba Barc rcelona’s all-conquering year ofelona’s all-conquering year of Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, La Liga, Copa del Liga, Copa del Rey and SpanishRey and Spanish Su Super Cup – with no bets against per Cup – with no bets against him adding the Club World Cup. him adding the Club World Cup.

Cr Cristiano Ronaldo was indisputably istiano Ronaldo was indisputably th the No.1 ce No.1 choice a year ago, with Italy hoice a year ago, with Italy captain Fabio Cannavacaptain Fabio Cannavaro ro pragmatically pragmatically inevitable afteinevitable after his country ’s Worldr his country’s World Cu Cup victory in 2006. p victory in 2006.

2 0 0 9

Touch…Messi uch…Messi controls the ball ols the ball

Messi’s progress towards formal acknowledgement began in August 2008 when he and Argentina won the Olympic football gold medal in a scandalously mistimed final in the midday heat of Beijing.

Simultaneously, while Messi was in China, so Pep Guardiola was a few weeks into a remarkable coaching career which has rocketed him from Barcelona nursery team to European domination. The partnership of this pair has proved magisterial. Guardiola provides the platform; Messi the match-turning genius.

Even when he is less than the focus of attention, Messi’s reputation and threat is enough to distract defenders’ attention. He is not merely the sharpest individual talent in the world game – he is also the most effective support act.

Real Madrid would agree, reluctantly, after his two superb goals last term at the Bernabeu; so would Athletic Bilbao after seeing Messi claim the goal which turned around the Copa del Rey final; so would Manchester United after gifting Messi the decisive second goal which secured Barcelona their Champions League final success in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.

The concept of true stardom has changed. No longer is what a player achieves on the ball enough. Understanding has changed. Fans and media are far more savvy nowadays. A player is appreciated now for how he creates space for his team-mates.

Maybe Messi was not seen at his most extravagant in Barcelona’s latest, single-goal win over a reviving Real Madrid, but he played his role in the team to perfection. And, on the rare occasion when opportunity presented, he accelerated, twisted and pirouetted around two, three or four opponents.

Discussion will continue about whether Guardiola sometimes uses Messi too deep when his twinkling feet wreak the ultimate damage on approaching the fringe of the penalty box, but Barcelona are not doing so badly as they are.

Pele has said: “It’s Messi’s turn,” in reviewing the various candidates for the top awards over the past few years, “after Ronaldinho, Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Barcelona claim to have lined up more top-award winners than any other club and Messi can go on extending that line. He has committed himself to a contract extension which would keep him at Camp Nou until 2016 and president Joan Laporta knows the price. He made Zlatan Ibrahimovic – as the Swede’s agent had demanded – the best-paid player at the club on arriving from Internazionale…and then, almost the next day, called Messi’s men to rewrite the contract which lifted Messi back to top spot.

Everyone knows the story: how he arrived at La Masia aged 13 from Newell’s Old Boys’ youth section and was coached and built up. He has now won 28 prizes of one sort or another in only six years – both team and individual – since being promoted to Barcelona’s senior squad in 2005-06.

That season he was also top scorer

and top player at the World Youth Cup in the Netherlands and carried off an Argentinian Footballer of the Year prize for good measure. FIFPro, the Champions League and Copa America have all fallen under the player-prize magic of little Leo.

Argentinian football has given the worldwide game a never-ending string of outstanding, even great, players: Orsi, Monti, Nestor Rossi, Pedernera, Moreno, Di Stefano, Sivori, Artime, Kempes, Maradona...and now Messi.

He is World Player of the Year not so much by vote as by acclamation.

Diego Maradona has hailed Messi as “my successor” and Maradona does not concede comparisons readily. But then, El Pibe needs to encourage Messi. Argentina’s progress to the World Cup finals was anything but impressive and Maradona did not appear to know how to bring the best out of his finest player. But if the world champion of 1986 wants to emulate, as a manager, his own playing achievement, then he needs Messi at his best in South Africa.

Maradona or not, Messi’s own ambition may make up for whatever is missing. Then he will be waltzing off with this award all over again this time next year.

Top 10 Players of 2009

Player Club

Country % of vote 1) Lionel Messi Barcelona Argentina 43.2 2) Andres Iniesta Barcelona Spain 21.5 3) Xavi Barcelona Spain 11.2 4) Cristiano Ronaldo Man Utd/Real Madrid Por tugal 6.4 5) Zlatan Ibrahimovic Inter/Barcelona Sweden 4.2 6) David Villa Valencia Spain 2.5 7) Diego Forlan Atletico Madrid Uruguay 2.1 8) Fernando Torres Liverpool Spain 1.3 9) Wayne Rooney Manchester United England 0.8 10) Didier Drogba Chelsea Ivory Coast 0.5