I've noticed the past few games Messi has had a more serious demeanor. Can see it when other players scored goals in the Deportivo goal (first Coutinho goal) and today. Also in the CDR. I think losing to Roma was really a tough pill to swallow. Winning La Liga and the CDR has become routine. Hopefully that add some fuel for next season and he has one more CL in him with a renewed team. Or just could be that with Mascherano and Iniesta leaving Pique and Busquets are really the only guys left from this golden generation.
This is what I mean by playmaking. Messi has maintained his playmaking output the past decade where as Fakenaldo's output has dropped two thirds. On that note Messi is two dribbles (183) of matching his best league season 10-11 (185).
Lmfao, Bella Kona made a video to prove that Maradona and Pele faced harsher fouls than Messi. When will this overrated belief ever stop?
Messi has the heat map of a midfielder but the most goals in the top 5 European leagues. Let that sink in for a second!
Messi not in the sqaud vs Levante Hope he plays in the last game though as he has 34 goals and my prediction for him was 36 goals this year
Pele once said football was tougher back then because the ball was much harder than the one that is used today. Thats a funny logic if you think about it because all his opponents also kicking the same ball that he kicked lol.
Messi just won practically his 5th (record) Golden Boot. 34 Messi (1 game left) 32 Salah 30 Kane 29 Lewandowski 29 Immobile 28 Cavani (1) 28 Icardi (1) 25 C.Ronaldo (1) 33 Jonas (1, 1.5x) 24 Suarez (2)
Messi started 40 matches this season in La Liga and Champions League. He was Man of the Match 28 times or 70% of the time. Ronaldo started 38 matches this season in La Liga and Champions League. He was Man of the Match 11 times or 29% of the time.
- Premier League Top Scorer: Mohammed Salah 32 Most Assists: Kevin De Bruyne 16 Most Chances Created: Kevin De Bruyne 104 Best Dribbler: Hazard 149 --------------------- - Serie A Top Scorer: Immobile 29 Most Assists: Luis Alberto 14 Most Chances Created: Insigne 93 Best Dribbler: Alejandro Gómez 98 --------------------- - Bundesliga Leading scorer: Lewandowski 29 Most Assists: Thomas Muller 14 Most Chances Created: James Rodriguez 59 Best Dribbler: Daniel Caligiuri 96 --------------------- - Ligue 1 Top Scorer: Cavani 28 Most Assists: Dimitri Payet 13 Most Chances Created: Thauvin 68 Best Dribbler: Neymar 142 --------------------- - La Liga Top Scorer: Messi 34 Most Assists: Messi 12 Most Chances Created: Messi 85 Best Dribbler: Messi 185 An entire league of 220+ pro players (Including the back to back UCL Champions) are beaten by 1 man in every single category...
Does Messi have photographic memory or something just like LeBron James? I remember when Pep once stated that Messi’s intelligence is on par with Cruyff(who I feel had near eidetic memory) Messi’s reading of the game is somewhat unrivalled IMO.
Lionel Messi - "It would be terrible to see Neymar at Real Madrid. It would hit us hard. I have already told him."
Translation: Spoiler (Move your mouse to the spoiler area to reveal the content) Show Spoiler Hide Spoiler - Lionel Messi: “A good World Cup for us will mean reaching the semi finals at the very least.” [tyc] - Messi: “No one wants to win more than us. We’ve lost 3 finals and we want to get rid of that burden.” [tyc] - Messi: “I realised that retiring in 2016 was wrong. It sends a wrong message to everyone who fights for their dreams. You must never give up no matter what.” [tyc] - Messi: “I don’t want to be the best in history. I just want to win with my teammates. I want to play with and for my compatriots.” [tyc] - Messi: “It would be terrible to see Neymar at Real Madrid. He meant a lot to us. It’ll be a big blow to the fans.” [tyc] - Messi: “The 6-1 against Spain is a false result. We were very good in the first half. We had possession and created many chances.” [tyc] - Messi: “Everything Sampaoli does is intense. He demands the maximum from us. He puts 100% into everything he does.” [tyc] - Messi: “We are not obligated to anyone for anything.” [tyc] - Messi: “Playing with Aguero at Manchester City? No.” [tyc via sport] - Messi: “Real Madrid’s recent Champions League success? They get it done, sometimes by playing badly. For us, we have to always be superior to our rivals to win.” [tyc] - Messi: “Iniesta’s departure? We practically started together. It was great to have lived through so many great moments with him.” [tyc] - Messi: “I don’t have to move to another team to prove anything to anyone. It’s very difficult for me to leave Barcelona.” [tyc] - Messi: “I don’t like to watch myself play. I don’t rewatch the games on television. But yes, I have changed as a player and person over the years and I have incorporated some new things to my game.” [tyc] - Messi: “Every player has pressure. You just have to find ways to lessen it and do things to make yourself feel better.” [tyc] - Messi: “I have a strong friendship with Suarez. On the pitch, he makes life easier. His movement is great, he runs, he presses. Sometimes he runs one way but then goes another way. It makes it easier for me to play my game as well.” [tyc] - Messi: “Barcelona and Argentina are my two great loves.” [tyc] - Messi: “I don’t know what I’ll do when I retire. I’ll have to discover it over time. I just enjoy my life and what God has given me.” [tyc] - Messi: “Only in Argentina will you get abused for reaching three finals in a row. They called us ‘cold chested’ and ‘shit’.” [tyc] - Messi: “My chance in the World Cup final? I would’ve hit it better from the inside of my foot. I want to go back and revisit that situation.” [tyc] - Messi: “We have to play really well to win the World Cup. Truth is that it’s harder now. Any team can be organised and get a 1-0 victory against you these days.” [tyc] - Messi: “God will decide if we will win World Cup or not. But we will try our level best and leave everything on the pitch. What has to happen will happen.” [tyc] - Messi: “I wish we were like Germany.” [tyc] - Messi: “The elimination against Roma was shit. We had one foot in the semi finals. We had a massive advantage. It was a big disappointment.” [tyc via sport]
In 25 matches against nations that have won the World Cup, Messi has 12 goals. In 22 matches against nations that have won the World Cup, Ronaldo has 1 goal.
Hate to say it, but all that's gonna matter in the end, are WC goals or assists. Without that, this becomes a meaningless stat. He needs to do something with direct impact in the KO round.
No doubt it. Messi had a good WC in 2014 but he wasn't transcendent and didn't do much in the KO round. He has to do to better. By the way your countryman Mr. Neymar has probably been better than both Messi and CR on the international stage thus far in his career.
Just needs to score FOUR tomorrow then .. Unless Messi either dominates the finals or gets the top scorer with some great goals then the upcoming world player award will go to Cronaldo which will put him 7:6 up in the head to head and I don't see Messi getting anymore after this season ..