Comparing Messi and Ronaldo has always seemed pointless to me. I’m not discussing Ronaldo here. Of course, Ronaldo also has talent and is incredibly hard-working. He lives and breathes soccer. His statistics clearly demonstrate that he’s one of the best soccer players in the world. However, Messi has something Ronaldo lacks: his divine talent. The ball sticks to his feet. His dribbling, his passes, his shooting, his assists, his substitutions, his goals, each more beautiful than the next, and all the records he’s broken as a result. We’ve watched a player with talent rarely seen on earth transform into a legend over the years thanks to his hard work and desire to play.
Examples of Unfair Messi Criticism
For years, we’ve listened to those who claim Ronaldo is better, and to those with limited soccer knowledge who criticize Messi. I’ll give you some examples of the criticisms:
1) Messi became Messi thanks to Barcelona. He can’t do anything for the national team.
2) Ronaldo’s shooting, etc., is better. Messi is the only one who can dribble.
3) Messi lacks charisma and leadership qualities.
Whenever I encountered such a comment, I would try to restrain my reaction and calmly explain to people that no one should compare to Messi, that his talent is very rare and that Ronaldo doesn’t have it. Only one player on Earth with Messi’s talent comes to mind: Ronaldinho. He’s not as hardworking or disciplined as Messi. That’s why he’s had a magnificent career and accomplished great things, but his past achievements are incomparable to Messi’s. Indeed, after training with the young Messi in Barcelona, he declared, “This kid will be the best in the world.” He saw this clearly. Ronaldinho was a great soccer player and a good man. That’s why he took one-on-one time with Messi. Ultimately, Ronaldinho’s prediction came true. Statistics show that Messi is the best player:
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- 10 Spanish League Championships
- 8 Spanish Super Cups
- 7 Royal Cups
- 4 Champions League Championships
- 3 UEFA Super Cup Championships
- 3 UEFA Club Championships
- 1 French League Championship
- 1 French Cup Championship
- 1 U20 World Cup Championship
- 1 Olympic Championship
- 1 Continental Championship
- 1 Copa America Championship
- 1 World Cup Championship
- 42 Cups in total.
- 6 UEFA Golden Shoe Awards
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The Great Trophy That Silenced the Dissenting Voices
Now, let’s talk about Messi’s failure to win the World Cup by the age of 35. As I mentioned above, some people were saying, “He’s only successful at Barcelona. The Argentine National Team doesn’t have Barcelona’s system and doesn’t have the good players they have, so he can’t succeed; his capacity is limited.” They even took the criticism a step further, saying, “Diego Armando Maradona led Argentina to the championship with nameless players, while Messi lacks the talent and leadership skills to do so.” Many people made these claims while ignoring Messi’s past achievements. Messi put an end to these debates by winning the World Cup.
What happened now? Have you seen what leadership and single-handed leadership are like? The Argentine team is largely young and just at the beginning of their careers. A team like this became the World Champion thanks to Messi.
Challenging conditions requiring great sacrifices
At this point, I think of those in Messi’s position who, due to their circumstances, have never been able to achieve their goals. Messi is a genius in soccer. There are many geniuses in other fields as well. Although they are few in their respective fields, there are. For example, engineers, doctors, architects, entrepreneurs, NGO professionals… In every field, the best in their countries emerge with extraordinary talent. These talented individuals can only reach their potential through hard work, perseverance, and great sacrifice. This is because the environment is extremely toxic. Those who reach their potential and achieve great success are almost nonexistent. Sometimes, like Messi, these individuals achieve their dreams at an older age due to their circumstances. Sometimes, they never achieve them. This is because the environment doesn’t allow them to realize their full potential. Either the people around them constantly bring them down, or they don’t receive enough support during the challenges they face. I wish Messi’s patience to all these high-potential individuals. Here are two posts that reveal Messi’s determination, patience, and resolve, spanning years from the past to the present. The first reflects the pride of his first coach, who trained him as a child:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cl6bQuALwp6/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc%3D
And Messi and his World Cup dream between 2004 – 2022:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmUBEiGOnu6/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc%3D
Messi’s World Cup report card
Messi, who says, “My biggest dream has always been to lift the World Cup,” began his World Cup journey in 2006, 16 years ago. Although he came very close to winning the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, they lost to Germany in the final. Let’s look at Argentina’s World Cup record with Messi:
2006 They lost to Germany on penalties in the Quarterfinals.
2010, they lost to Germany 4-0 in the Quarterfinals.
2014, they lost to Germany in the Final, conceding a goal in extra time.
2018, they lost to France 4-3 in the Second Round.
2022 And finally, they won the World Cup by beating France on penalties after a 3-3 draw.
Messi persevered, winning his fifth World Cup after 16 years, silencing his critics. The same goes for those who possess Messi’s potential in their own fields but haven’t achieved the success they desire.
My advice for realizing your potential
So, let’s talk about what to do if you’re talented in your field but can’t seem to achieve success:
1) Be patient.
2) Be grateful for what you have.
3) Work hard. Work so hard that you can’t remember how you fell asleep when you go to bed at night.
4) Never give up, keep fighting.
5) Make daily, weekly, monthly, and annual plans. Try to stick to these plans.
6) Don’t compromise your discipline. Every time your motivation falters, remind yourself where you want to be and pick yourself back up.
7) Try to control your anger. Sometimes, you need to make a bigger effort to recover from what you did out of anger.
8) Even if you’re one of the most talented people in the world in your field, know that you can’t progress alone, so get the help you can get.
9) Forget individualism and make collective work a habit.
And most importantly:
“Dreams come true, stay true to yourself.”
Bonus:
You can find some educational and entertaining posts about Messi on social media below:
A great compilation from the career of “The Greatest of All Time” Messi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUO3_Ub85I8
Messi’s moment lifting the trophy:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmVuAx5tTyv/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY
Messi’s mentors and those they mentored: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmWWnVupQne/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D
“Dreams do come true, stay true to yourself.”
Messi’s record-breaking post: https://t.ly/VFfM
Messi receives congratulations from world stars: https://t.ly/jnP5
Messi is now immortal like Maradona: https://t.ly/25tFf
And while we’re on the subject of Maradona, here are two nostalgic posts about Argentina’s other world star:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmRVrvvO2UN/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkrGthZO0dD/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
“Mbappé is predictable, Lionel Messi is never”: https://t.ly/k2jI
Messi’s history:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmZLBkMDZi5/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
Messi’s story About the motivational speech that silenced him: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmBwNxfrHtD/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
Messi through Di Maria’s eyes:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmWO6RQDQAQ/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
Nike’s post about perseverance and not giving up:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkQmsiPOLjF/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
Messi’s motivational speech to his teammates before the Copa America final: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkeCH0QLAm1/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
What made Messi the “Greatest of All Time” Statistics:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmmnJ_PLJcY/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
Messi’s difference from other world giants:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cmm6F3dI-fY/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
How did Messi do this?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmMUmACL6ys/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
Messi’s achievements and incredible assist:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cmi6LNTDquO/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmRTcuNjk9G/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc
Messi and his team’s welcome in Argentina:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POSsUN-jl9g
Note: Two days after I wrote this article, another soccer legend, Pele, passed away. To commemorate Pele and Maradona, who passed away on 25 November 2020, I’m sharing a video of them heading the ball together during a program they appeared on: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cmg9fyHDtIX/?igshid=ZDFmNTE4Nzc%3D
Pele, who watched the final from his hospital bed, posted the following message immediately after the World Cup:
I’m translating:
“Today, soccer continues to tell its story, as captivating as ever.
Messi deservedly wins his first World Cup. My dear friend Mbappé scores four goals in a final. What a gift to witness such a spectacle for the future of our sport. And I couldn’t help but congratulate Morocco for their incredible fight. It’s wonderful to see Africa shine.
Congratulations, Argentina! Diego is definitely smiling now.”
Rest in peace, Pele. Having created your own legend and fulfilled your potential, you continued to serve soccer and humanity even after retiring from soccer. May you Rest In Peace.
Tag: memoir
