In Lionel Messi’s first 9 Ligue games for Paris Saint-German last season, he could only contribute 1goal and 4 assists and the rhetoric was that the Argentine was on a decline.
Kalla, that is far from it!
This season, he has netted 5 goals and assisted 7 in his first 9 league games while he has a goal and an assist in the champions league in 2 appearances.
The 6-time Balon D’or winner has only failed to score or assist in 2 league games this season and 1 champions league game.
It begs the question, why does Messi look unstoppable again?
The first reason behind Messi’s resurgence is Christophe Galtier, the new PSG manager.
Ever since the appointment of the former Lille manager, Paris Saint-German has played a more coherent and fluid football when compared to what was seen under Mauricio Pochettino.
PSG has scored 28 goals and conceded 5 in the first 9 league games of this season while they have scored 21 and conceded 7 in their first 9 league games last term.
Galtier has been able to create a system that has not only made Lionel Messi flourish but also his other big superstars and he has been bold enough to stick with Gianluigi Donnarumma as his first-choice goalkeeper, a decision which was tough for Poch to make.
While Pochettino kept changing Messi’s position from the right wing to centre forward and the supporting striker positions, Galtier has chosen to play Messi as an attacking midfielder for most games this season. He has only failed to play as an attacking midfielder in two Ligue 1 games this season.
The second reason why Messi has been this fantastic is due to the upcoming world cup. Lionel knows he has to be in top shape for Argentina to stand a chance of winning the world cup for the first time in 36 years.
A win for Argentina in Qatar will cement Messi’s place as the best Argentine player ever and will enable Messi to look Pele in the face that “you’ve got nothing over me now, old man”.
While Galtier has played a role in Messi’s upturn in form, the desire to win the World cup is the strongest reason why Messi looks unstoppable once again. Now here is my fear for the Argentine.
He has won all there is to be won at the club and international levels and winning the world cup is next to loving his family in Messi’s heart at the moment.
Should Argentina fail to win the World cup in Qatar, we might see a decline in Messi’s performances once again.
You see, a player like Lione Messi is fueled by his passion to succeed and he knows that winning the world cup will remove any question mark over his “Greatest Of All Time status”.
Thiago’s father knows a triumph in Qatar gets him immortality but just like Thanos’s quest for the infinity stones, his quest for the most prized asset in world football might be the beginning of the end of his career.
The heartbreak Messi will suffer from not winning in Qatar will be more than the heartbreak suffered when a lady or man gets dumped by their partnershould he fail to lead Argentina to victory in Qatar.
This I feel will affect Messi’s form for the rest of the season and might finally be the beginning of the end of a glorious career for the Argentine.
What happens if he wins?
Then, we will be lucky to watch Lionel Messi at his best for at least the next two years.
It is that simple.
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