what is the science behind Lionel Messi greatness

The science behind Lionel Messi’s Greatness

What was Lionel Messi’s childhood like

Lionel Messi started playing football as a boy and was noticed by clubs on both sides of the Atlantic. When he was 13, his family relocated to Barcelona. He played for FC Barcelona’s under-14 team, quickly graduating through the higher-level teams until his informal debut at age 16 with FC Barcelona in a friendly match.

What are Lionel Messi’s achievements?

Lionel Messi scored 73 goals during the 2011–12 season while playing for FC Barcelona, breaking a 39-year-old record for single-season goals in a major European football league. In 2014 Messi led Argentina to the World Cup final for the first time in 24 years; Argentina lost, but Messi won the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player. During the 2016 Copa América Centenario tournament, he netted his 55th international goal to break Gabriel Batistuta’s Argentine scoring record. He led Argentina’s national team to victory at the 2021 Copa América, and he scored five goals to help Argentina reach the World Cup final in 2022.

So moving on to the last question

WHY IS LIONEL'S MESSI FAMOUS?

Lionel Messi is an Argentine-born football (soccer) player who has been named the world’s best men’s player of the year six times (2009–12, 2015, and 2019). Naturally left-footed, quick, and precise in control of the ball, Messi is known as a keen pass distributor and can readily thread his way through packed defenses.

Now I know you might be wondering what has Messi got to do with science, well it does though some people might argue that there is no science involved but just natural skill well I hate to break this to you but natural=nature=science

So here are some of the science behind Messi greatness

There are plenty of reasons why Messi is not only the best dribbler in the world right now, but also easily among the top 3 dribblers ever, if the not best ever dribbler.

Now, first off. To dribble like Messi. Some conditions have to be pre defined. Not everyone can dribble like Messi, that's the reason he is the Messi we all know. You need certain things to go your way to become a dribbler as good as Messi.

Now, coming to how he actually does it,

1. Ball Control - Starting with the most obvious, Messi has quite frankly, freakishly good ball control. The ball doesn't seem to move away from his body for one freaking second. Therefore, while obviously always getting to his ball first to make a necessary touch, he can also look up while at breakneck speeds to play a seemingly impossible pass. Because the ball is so close to his foot, you can't really tackle him without fouling him, because like I said, you not only need to make a pin point tackle, you also need to be wary of the “emergency touch” that Messi can take to draw a foul (which I talk about a little later).
2. Speed and Balance - By now, you must've understood that Messi is special. While his body may not have the necessary attributes to score headers as frequently as you-know-who can, his short, strong frame gives him certain unique attributes that make him fearsome in his own way. To start with Messi's ball control was fitting because that is his defining trait having learnt the game mostly at La Masia. But, Messi has other attributes that help his cause to beat a man. Messi is known to run at freakishly high speeds, almost touching 35 kilometres per hour when at his peak. One only needs to look at his goal vs Real Madrid in 2011 to take note of his incredible speed. Also, take note of this - if Messi weren't quick, his favourite technique, “the feint”, would've been useless. Because, you won't be fooled by an tortoise trying to do that by feigning direction. You'd rather be fooled by someone you can't catch once he's off. That's Messi. Now, to not talk about Messi's explosive nature, aka his insane acceleration would be unjust. He can pick up top gear quicker than anyone ever could, I think. Many players have high top speeds, of course. But I'm not sure anyone reaches it quicker than Messi. Last, while also talking of his body, and the gifts it gives him, you have to talk about his balance. Study some Physics, and you'll know shorter people have a lower centre of gravity, allowing them to turn at a higher speed. Also, Messi's hips would be at the same height as say, the middle of Ronaldo's thigh, and most defenders are that tall. That is why can't keep up with Messi when he turns. Messi's speed, combined with the fact that he's basically built for dribbling (his short frame, gym work and running style included) and his astounding ball control basically makes unstoppable when he's running with the ball

Reading of the game - Earlier, I talked about “emergency touch” and La Masia. I'll establish a link between the two now. When Messi is at high speed, he sees things a little differently to normal people. What would normally be dizzying for most people, it is not so blinding for Messi. That is because he reads the game at almost a different level and pace to what it is being already played at. While the usual explanation of Messi seeing the game as if it is in slow motion is not entirely true(but a good basis to think on), it is merely that Messi can react quicker, thereby giving the impression that Messi reads the game in slow motion. This is not true. He just reacts quicker, and in the moments he fails to react, he loses the ball. He doesn't lose it often, of course. But he does lose it enough number of times to make you think he's human. Now, I had talked about an emergency touch. But how does anyone know when exactly to take that emergency touch? Again, the answer lies in his reading of the game. He reads the game so well, that he knows exactly when the defender is tackling him. It takes one defender equally or more intelligent than Messi to stop him because of this. Since there is none, not right now at least, people crowd him out hoping that'll stop him. He is focusing on the ball, the defenders around him(usually more than 2), and his teammates to whom he can pick a pass. You truly need a brilliant mind for all this. He takes that emergency touch just when he thinks a defender is putting his foot in for a challenge. More often than not, his guesses are right.

A brilliant, trained mind - That's what Messi has. Upon realising that he'll never be an aerial threat in a way most other forwards can be, Messi chose to work on things he could possibly do better than them. He could turn quicker, he could run faster, and he could beat them with skill. He does all these things, while adding a touch of unpredictability to his game, with passes, various ways to beat a man and varying movement patterns, so that he may not even have to face his man, if played a right ball. Also, just having the tools to a problem isn't enough. Knowing the mathematical formula isn't enough. That is the “how” in the 3 part question. You need to know where and when to apply as well. Messi's mind tells him that as well, resulting in a high dribble success rate. Also keeping in mind the fact that Messi's explosive nature may leave him prone to muscle injuries(although that time is luckily past us), and that quite often the only way to stop him is to foul him. If he dribbles recklessly, he'll find himself on the deck more often that he'd like, quite like Neymar. Also, that would make him susceptible to lost balls, taking some marks of his “rationality” part (which I talk about in another answer). Also, you'd notice, Messi is not a headless chicken while dribbling, in the sense that he'd keep his head down, knock the ball forward and run for it. Although he's quite capable of that, he realises the potential to be fouled in such a scenario is very high, and the fact that looking up and playing a pass right after fetching the knocked forward ball is a ridiculously tough ask, unless you're out wide(which then basically becomes your job).

Messi only dribbles when he knows there is a way out.

Messi rarely dribbles away from goal, even towards an angle. He only has one thing on his mind - to score, or set a goal up.

Above mentioned are the tools he has to help him dribble but of course, those would be useless without the bright mind Messi possesses.

This is what, Lionel Messi does.

Differently, I must add.

Thank you. :)