5 Alternative Factors That Show Why Lionel Messi Is Arguably The Greatest Ever Footballer

Stats don’t lie, but, at the same time, they don’t convey the complete story on most occasions. Though the numbers are powerful and have the ability to strengthen any argument, they often tend to conceal some important information.

In sports, the success of a player is mostly measured by his numbers. But, it's not a fair reflection of his performances. Games evolve, scenarios change, technology improves, and much more happens, making it really tough to just rely on the statistics.

When it comes to football, one of the most frequently talked about topics is, who is the greatest ever player? Messi is arguably the greatest goalscorer of our generation and the best player of this century. Is he the best ever?

All the discussions on this topic so far have mostly revolved around statistics (goals, assists, trophies, and awards). To give it a different perspective, we take a look at the five factors other than the statistics to show why Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest ever footballer.

#5 Longevity at the highest level

He has been playing top-flight football since 2004 and he is only 30

Lionel Messi made his competitive debut for Barcelona at the age of 17. A gifted footballer, Messi’s early days were plagued by injuries. He has torn a muscle in his left leg during a Champions League clash in 2008, which was his seventh injury in the span of two years.

Football has seen quite a few hugely talented players who faded very early in their career because of injuries. But Messi was a lot different in this aspect. Because of his hard work and commitment to the game, the Argentine international has barely been sidelined since 2008.

He has completed his 14th top-flight season for Barcelona and looking good to play for many more years. Despite the heavy work load, congested schedule, and high physical demands of the modern football, Messi remained one of the fittest players in world football, even at the age of 30.

#4 Ability to play well in multiple positions

Messi can occupy any attacking position on a football field

Messi’s debut position on the football field was on the right side in a front three that had Ronaldinho and Henrik Larsson. He played mostly on the right for the first few years, as he formed an excellent attacking partnership with Samuel Eto'o.

He played mostly as a 'False 9' under Pep Guardiola and garnered huge success. When Luis Enrique took charge, he deployed Messi on the right flank, with Luis Suarez taking the no.10 role. He often used Messi as a Central Attacking Midfielder (CAM) as well.

He played as a striker in Valverde's 4-4-2 formation and often comes deep to influence the game.

"He's the best in the world in every position," Luis Enrique said, "If he plays as a number 9, a number 8 or a number 6, he's the best in the world. Given how easily he shifted positions on a football field and succeeded in all of the roles."

#3 Being a one-club man in this crazy transfer market

Messi could end his top-flight career at Barcelona

Loyalty is almost dead in modern day football. With the amount of money that is being spent in football these days, it is really hard for the players to resist the lure of insanely huge salaries. Also, some clubs see this as an opportunity to cash in on their star players.

Ever since his move to the Catalan club at the age of 13, Lionel Messi has played for more than 17 years at the Camp Nou. He has signed a contract extension recently that will keep him at the club till 2021.

According to Mundo Deportivo, officials from the Chinese Super League offered him a €100million-a-year salary to move to China in 2018. Also, Manchester City tried to lure him with a big offer last August.

But despite all the huge financial packages from these cash-rich clubs, the Argentine international decided to stay with the club.

#2 Outstanding Consistency

Messi is arguably the most consistent player to have played the game of football

One factor that clearly distinguishes Lionel Messi from other great footballers is his consistency. Messi is at the top of his game for the last 12 years, producing consistent performances season after season.

Diego Maradona, on the other hand, was at the peak of his career only for a few years. He had struggled for consistency in his late 20’s and in the early 30’s. When you take out the 1986 World Cup success, his overall footballing career isn’t great when compared to Messi's.

Putting Messi on a scale with Pele, the Argentine emerges as the winner when it comes to consistency. The Brazilian legend showed signs of inconsistency when he was nearing his 30’s. Bringing in other factors like the toughness of Spanish League, technology, and complexities of the modern football, Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all-time.

#1 Adaptability

Messi playing with Zlatan and Henry

One of the toughest things to do in football is to adapt to the changing scenarios. When you played at a club for around 15 years, a lot of players would have arrived and left the club, and Messi faced the same challenge at Barcelona.

Messi started his career when Ronaldinho was at his prime in Barcelona colors. He then partnered with Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry, and later with Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a brief period.

He formed a great attacking partnership with David Villa and the duo was successful for few years. Then came the most deadly attacking trio the world of football has ever seen until that time. Messi, Suárez, and Neymar wrecked havoc and formed a ruthless partnership. Even after Neymar left, Messi combined well with Suarez to win the La Liga title.

In spite of all the frequent personnel changes around him, Messi showed great character and adaptability to combine well with all his attacking partners. Messi’s abilities to modify his game to suit the team and the players around him make him a great footballer.

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