Also, whether you agree with it or not, Messi is the only player in history to win Player of the Tournament in every single FIFA tournament. World Cup Copa America World Youth Cup World Club Cup Olympics
Doesn't FIFA organize the qualifying phase, much like FIBA does with basketball, IAAF does with athletics, etc? At the very least there's some kind of understanding/agreement between FIFA and the IOC that the Olympic football finals are in effect an U-23 tournament (FIFA) with each team allowed to include three over-23 players (IOC). Just checked. On their website FIFA does list Olympic football as one of its tournaments. 'https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/']Olympic Football Regulations
I don't think Olympic football hand the official best player titles. Nevertheless Messi is the only one with all four. Multiple winners: Multiple Best Player winners in FIFA tournaments Messi WC14 CA15 WCu05 CWC09/11 Ronaldo WC98 CA97 IC02 Jose Nasazzi WC30 CA23/35 Pele WC70 CA59-1 Zidane WC06 EU00 Maradona WC86 WCu79 Luis Suarez CA11 CWC15 Manuel Seoane CA25/27 Enzo Francescoli CA83/95 WC since 1930 CA/EU since 1916/1996 WCu20 since 1977 IC/CWC since 1980 Messi is the only one with all four titles.
From what I read at the time, Messi did win the 2016 CA one as well, but he refused and it went to Sanchez. Or maybe I am confusing it with the 2015 one. Anyhow, doesn’t matter. On a side note, Messi apparently gifted 30 of his signed shirts to the Croatian NT for their WC run — per Vida.
Messi only refused CA15. Although I dislike how they handled the CA16 MVP. Before final Messi had three MoM's (most in the tournament) and Sanchez had zero (although he was good throughout). Messi was better in the final, and somehow they started carving Sanchez name on the trophy after it. I was like.
First and probably the only one to hit 50 goals this year, although you never can count Modric out. Messi has now scored at least 40 goals per year for a decade. 2009 - 41 goals 2010 - 60 goals 2011 - 59 goals 2012 - 91 goals (WR) 2013 - 45 goals 2014 - 58 goals 2015 - 52 goals 2016 - 59 goals 2017 - 54 goals 2018 - 50 goals (one game left)
Messi had 5 goals + 4 assists in 5 games in CA 2016. More dominant than Riquelme in CA 2007 and Maradona in WC 1986.
Because there's was a risk of Messi refusal, their gameplan was to give it to Messi if Argentina won, and to a random Chilean if Argentina lost. Nothing to do with actual performances, which is silly.
Just like Balon, its not based on merit but not on statistic either. Then again, if Messi once refused it I dont think he actually care the award.
I think he did it because of the undeserved backlash of the WC14 Golden Ball, which I understand. But I think it still was a mistake and he should've accepted it for his fans, which all wanted him to have it. And maybe he would now have two of them. It's all more silly for the fact that most had no problem of Modric winning WC18 Golden Ball, even though it was nowhere near Messi WC14 performance.
Griezmann should have won it but none of the France player in the top 3. Now if its Benzema instead of Griezmann then he would have won it cause that white team has big influence. Also, everyone is using a very different standard when they rate Messi performance.
Without doing full comparison I feel that Hazard was easily the best player of WC18. He was also first on whoscored statistics which is usually a good indicator. Speaking of which, just checked that Modric was 26th with pretty much behind every competitor. So Modric did a full sweep, Golden Ball, Uefa Ball and Ballon d'Or, and we all agree it's because the white shirt, like Fakenaldo before him.
Few away from 400 Liga goals. Top League Scoring Records 397 in 432 Lionel Messi La Liga 365 in 427 Gerd Müller Bundesliga 357 in 516 Jimmy Greaves English First Division 303 in 515 Angel Labruna Argentine Primera Division 299 in 449 Delio Onnis Ligue 1 274 in 537 Silvio Piola Serie A 260 in 441 Alan Shearer Premier League 190 in 342 Roberto Dinamite Brasileiro Serie A
top 5 league first round before winter break most goal: messi most assist: messi most dribble: messi most fk goal: messi most key passes: messi most goal outside the box: messi 5th? this world is not for him
Year end statistics for 2018: 51 goals, 29 assists, 54 games, 1,48 GApG which is third best after 2012 (1,74) and 2016 (1,52). Messi is also closing on 1000 career GA in official senior games, currently on 971 (649+322).
After 2018 Supercopa Messi's title streak is now 11 seasons long, with only one season without a title (07-08). 04-05 La Liga, WCu20 05-06 La Liga, Champions League, Supercopa 06-07 Supercopa 07-08 08-09 La Liga, Champions League, Copa Del Rey, Olympics 09-10 La Liga, Supercopa, Club World Cup, Super Cup 10-11 La Liga, Champions League, Supercopa 11-12 Copa Del Rey, Supercopa, Club World Cup, Super Cup 12-13 La Liga 13-14 Supercopa 14-15 La Liga, Champions League, Copa Del Rey 15-16 La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Club World Cup, Super Cup 16-17 Copa Del Rey, Supercopa 17-18 La Liga, Copa Del Rey 18-19 Supercopa Career 35 Similarly major individual title streak is now 10 seasons long (pending this season). 04-05 WCu20 Golden Ball 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 Uefa Player, Liga Player 09-10 Ballon d'Or, Golden Shoe, Liga Player 10-11 Ballon d'Or, Uefa Player, Liga Player 11-12 Ballon d'Or, Golden Shoe, Liga Player 12-13 Ballon d'Or, Golden Shoe, Liga Player 13-14 WC Golden Ball 14-15 Copa America MVP, Uefa Player, Liga Player 15-16 Ballon d'Or 16-17 Golden Shoe 17-18 Golden Shoe, Liga Player 18-19 Career 23
If Messi can maintain current scoring pace, he's going to pass Pele's career goals in about two years.