It's often argued that whereas Cristiano Ronaldo is a self-made superstar who had to work so hard for everything he's achieved, his great rival Lionel Messi was blessed with a God-given gift that enabled him to make the game look ridiculously easy. However, natural talent is nothing without true footballing intelligence.
As Xabi Alonso once pointed out, what makes Messi so good is his decision-making, that rare ability to always take the right option at the right time, which has as much to do with humility and efficiency, as it does vision and timing.
"He knows how and when to play simple passes," Alonso told reporters in 2023. "Messi says, 'You're in a better position? Okay, here, you have the ball.' It's not always about making the most brilliant move, but the best and smartest."
Given his increasing injury issues, one cannot help but wonder if Messi has made a rare error of judgement by prolonging an international career that could have been brought to a fittingly glorious conclusion in Qatar three years ago...
